The Battle of Mount Athos, also known as the Battle of Monte Sancto and Battle of Lemnos, was a key naval battle of the Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812. It was fought a month after the Russians under Dmitry Senyavin had defeated the Turks in the naval Battle of the Dardanelles. The victory ensured Russia's supremacy in the Archipelago for the rest of the war. The French battleship Orient burns, 1 August 1798, during the Battle of the Nile A naval battle is a battle fought using ships or other waterborne vessels. ... Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812 was one of the several wars fought between Imperial Russia and Ottoman Empire War broke out in 1806, when Turkey deposed the russophile governors of its vassal states Moldavia and Walachia. ... An archipelago is a landform which consists of a chain or cluster of islands. ...

The battle was triggered by Senyavin's deceitful retreat from the Dardanelles, which he had been blockading since March, towards the Russian naval base at Tenedos. The Turkish commander, kapudan pasha Seyit-Ali, ventured with 9 battleships, 5 frigates and 5 other vessels out of the strait into the Aegean Sea. Thereupon Senyavin returned to cut off his retreat and fell upon the Ottoman fleet halfway between Mount Athos and Lemnos. Map of the Dardanelles The Dardanelles (Turkish: Çanakkale BoÄŸazı, Greek: Δαρδανελλια), formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara. ... Gökçeada and Bozcaada are two islands in the Aegean Sea which are part of Canakkale Province in Turkey. ... HMS Victory in 1884. ... Frigate is a name which has been used for several distinct types of warships at different times. ... The Aegean Sea. ... Location of Mount Athos (the darkened easternmost leg) in the map of Greece Mount Athos (Greek: Όρος Άθως) is a mountain and a peninsula in Macedonia, northern Greece, called Άγιο Όρος (Ayio Oros or Ayion Oros or Holy Mountain) in Modern Greek, or Άγιον Όρος (Hagion Oros) in Classical Greek. ... Lemnos (mod. ...

From his previous experience, Senyavin had learned that the Ottomans fought bravely unless their flagship was sunk or taken captive. He therefore ordered Aleksey Greig and other captains of his battleships to concentrate their attack on the three Turkish flagships, whilst other Russian vessels were to prevent Turkish frigates from delivering help.

The Russians approached in two parallel lines of five battleships each, turning north to run alongside the Turkish line. During the battle which lasted from 19 June 1807 to 29 June three Ottoman battleships and four frigates — that is, one third of the Sultan's fleet — were either sunk or forced aground. The rest retired to the safety of the Dardanelles. On the way they scuttled another battleship and a frigate near Thasos on 4 July and lost a frigate and a sloop near Samothrace on about July 5. June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1807 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... June 29 is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 185 days remaining. ... Thasos (Greek: ) or Thassos is the name of an island in the north of the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Thrace and the plain of the river Nestos (during the Ottoman times Kara-Su). ... July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 180 days remaining. ... Samothrace Samothrace (in Greek: Σαμοθρακη, Samothraki) is an island in Greece, in the northern Aegean Sea. ... July 5 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 179 days remaining. ...

Russian Fleet after the Battle of Athos, by Aleksey Bogolyubov (1824-96).

As a result of the battle, the Ottoman Empire lost a combat-capable fleet for more than a decade and signed an armistice with Russia on August 12. August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

See also

• Athos order of battle
• Dardanelles Operation

The British Royal Navys unsuccessful attempt in February 1807 to impose British demands on the Ottoman Empire. ...

References

• R. C. Anderson. Naval wars in the Levant 1559-1853. ISBN 0878397990

External links

• Description of the battle