Painting of Sultan Makhmud under sail | |
History | |
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Russian Empire | |
Name | Sultan Makhmud |
Builder | V. Apostoli, Nikolaev |
Laid down | 1 February 1835 |
Launched | 31 October 1836 |
Fate | Broken up, 1854 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Sultan Makhmud-class ship of the line |
Displacement | 3,790 metric tons (3,730 long tons; 4,180 short tons) |
Length | 196 ft (60 m) |
Beam | 53 ft 6 in (16.31 m) |
Draft | 26 ft 7 in (8.10 m) |
Armament |
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Sultan Makhmud was the lead ship of the Sultan Makhmudclass of ships of the line built for the Imperial Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet in the late 1830s and early 1840s. The ship supported a campaign by the Imperial Russian Army to pacify newly-conquered territory in the Caucasus in the late 1830s and 1840, and thereafter patrolled the Black Sea in the early 1840s. She spent most of the last half of the decade out of service apart from brief periods of activity in 1847 and 1849, and was decommissioned in 1850. Hulked in 1852, she quickly deteriorated badly and was broken up in 1854.
The eight Sultan Makhmud-class ships of the line were ordered as part of a naval expansion program aimed at strengthening the Russian Black Sea Fleet during a period of increased tension with Britain and France over the decline of one of Russia's traditional enemies, the Ottoman Empire. Beginning in the 1830s, Russia ordered a series of 84-gun ships in anticipation of a future conflict, and the Sultan Makhmuds accounted for nearly half of the nineteen vessels built. [1]
Sultan Makhmud was 196 feet (60 m) long, with a beam of 53 ft 6 in (16.31 m) and a draft of 23 ft 8 in (7.21 m) to 26 ft 7 in (8.10 m). She displaced 3,790 metric tons (3,730 long tons ; 4,180 short tons ) and measured 2,500 tons burthen. The ship was built with a round stern to increase its strength. [2]
The ship carried a battery of twenty-eight 36-pounder long guns on the lower gun deck and another thirty-two 36-pound short-barreled guns on the upper gun deck. In her forecastle and quarterdeck, she mounted six 18-pound guns and sixteen 36-pound carronades. [2]
Sultan Makhmud was laid down at the V. Apostoli shipyard in Nikolaev on 1 February 1835; she was launched on 31 October 1836. In 1837, she sailed to the naval base at Sevastopol. From 1838 to 1840, Sultan Mahmud participated in a lengthy operation to transport Imperial Russian Army troops to newly conquered fortifications in the Caucasus area that had been seized during the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829. [2] During this period, the former Ottoman subjects revolted against Russian rule, and the soldiers were needed to suppress the restive population. The largest of these operations took place on 14 May 1839, when Sultan Makhmud and four other ships of the line, three frigates, and five smaller vessels under the command of Admiral Mikhail Lazarev carried soldiers to Sochi. The next day, Lazarev directed his ships to bombard the coast for fifteen minutes to prepare the way for some 2,700 soldiers to go ashore in small boats. The Russian infantry then fought a ferocious battle with more than 3,000 rebel troops. [3]
From 1840 to 1842, she remained in active service with the fleet, cruising the Black Sea. In 1843, she helped to carry the 13th Division from Odessa to Sevastopol. She remained in service through 1845 when she was laid up, being reactivated for short periods again in 1847 and 1849. Sultan Makhmud was decommissioned in 1850 and converted into a hulk two years later. Found to have significantly deteriorated in condition and not worth repairing by 1854, she was then broken up. [2]
The Russian corvette Navarin was an Egyptian corvette captured during the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829 and placed into service by the Russians. She remained in the Mediterranean until 1830 when she was transferred to the Baltic Fleet. Navarin remained there until she was ordered to the Far East in late 1853. She was so badly damaged by a series of storms en route that she was deemed too expensive to repair and was sold for scrap in the Netherlands in 1854.
Feyzâ-i Bahrî was one of four wooden-hulled Mecidiye-class paddle frigates built for the Ottoman Navy in the 1840s; they were the first Ottoman-built warships powered by steam. She served with the fleet until 1867, including during the Crimean War, where she saw a minor battle with a Russian frigate in the Black Sea. Feyzâ-i Bahrî ferried soldiers to Crete during the Cretan Revolt in 1866 and was converted into a dedicated transport vessel the following year. She served in that capacity until 1878 when she was decommissioned, being broken up in 1880.
Mecidiye was the lead ship of four wooden-hulled Mecidiye-class paddle frigates built for the Ottoman Navy in the 1840s; they were the first Ottoman-built warships powered by steam. She was modified during construction to be used as a yacht by the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. During the Crimean War, she took part in a minor, inconclusive battle with a Russian frigate but otherwise saw no further action. She saw limited service for the remainder of her career, including during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. She ended her career as a coal storage hulk and was broken up in 1903.
Taif was one of four wooden-hulled Mecidiye-class paddle frigates built for the Ottoman Navy in the 1840s; they were the first Ottoman-built warships powered by steam. She served with the fleet until 1867, including during the Crimean War, where she saw a minor battle with a Russian frigate in the Black Sea. She was present at the Battle of Sinop, but her steam engine allowed her to escape before the Russian fleet destroyed the Ottoman squadron in the port. The ship remained in service until 1867, seeing little activity during this period, and was ultimately broken up in 1868.
Saik-i Şadi was one of four wooden-hulled Mecidiye-class paddle frigates built for the Ottoman Navy in the 1840s; they were the first Ottoman-built warships powered by steam. The ship had a relatively uneventful career; she saw limited action during the Crimean War in 1853, when she fought a small action against a Russian frigate in the Black Sea. The future Sultan, Abdülaziz, frequently used the ship as his yacht in the 1850s, but she otherwise saw little active use before being decommissioned in 1867 and broken up in 1869.
Rostislav was an 84-gun third-rate ship of the line built for the Black Sea Fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy in the 1840s as part of a naval expansion program to strengthen the fleet during a period of increased tension with Britain and France. Rostislav carried a battery primarily consisting of traditional shot-firing guns, but she also carried eight new shell-firing guns. The ship saw combat during the Crimean War at the Battle of Sinop in 1853, where the Russian shell guns proved to be decisive. She repaired in Sevastopol in 1854 and was scuttled during the Siege of Sevastopol in 1855.
Imperatritsa Maria was an 84-gun third rate ship of the line built for the Black Sea Fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy in the late 1840s and early 1850s as part of a naval expansion program to strengthen the fleet during a period of increased tension with Britain and France. The second and final member of the Khrabryi class, she was the last sail-powered ship of the line to be built for the Russian Navy.
Chesma was an 84-gun ship of the line built for the Black Sea Fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy in the 1840s. Rostislav carried a battery primarily consisting of tradition shot-firing guns, but she also carried four new shell-firing guns. The ship saw combat during the Crimean War at the Battle of Sinop against an Ottoman squadron in 1853, where the Russian shell guns proved to be decisive. The battle prompted Britain and France to intervene to support the Ottomans, leading the Russian fleet to withdraw to Sevastopol to avoid a battle with an Anglo-French fleet. Chesma helped to defend Sevastopol, supporting Russian ground forces during a battle in February 1855 before being disarmed to strengthen the city's defenses and then scuttled to block the harbor entrance to the Anglo-French fleet in August.
Khrabryi was the lead ship of the Khrabryi class of ships of the line built for the Black Sea Fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy in the 1840s. She saw limited service during the Crimean War in 1853–1854; storm damage prevented her from participating in the Battle of Sinop, and the Russian fleet thereafter avoided battle with the British and French fleets that intervened on behalf of the Ottoman Empire. Disarmed during the Siege of Sevastopol, she was later scuttled there to block the harbor entrance in 1855.
The Khrabryi class was a pair of ships of the line built for the Black Sea Fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy in the 1840s and early 1850s. The class comprised two ships: Khrabryi and Imperatritsa Maria. The two ships were built as part of a naval expansion program aimed at strengthening the Black Sea Fleet during a period of increased tension with Britain and France over the continued decline of the Ottoman Empire. Both ships saw active service during the Crimean War, with Imperatritsa Maria serving as Pavel Nakhimov's flagship at the Battle of Sinop in November 1853, where the Russians annihilated an Ottoman squadron. The two ships were withdrawn to Sevastopol after the British and French intervention and were trapped there during the Siege of Sevastopol until 1855, when both were scuttled to block the harbor entrance.
Sviatoslav was a Sultan Makhmud-class ship of the line built for the Imperial Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet in the 1840s. The ship participated in the Crimean War in 1853–1855, beginning with an operation to carry reinforcements for the Imperial Russian Army stationed in the Caucasus in October 1853. Storm damage prevented her from taking part in the Battle of Sinop the next month, but the British and French intervention in the war after that battle led ultimately to Sviatoslav's loss. The Russian fleet withdrew to Sevastopol to avoid battle with the Anglo-French fleet, and during the ensuing Siege of Sevastopol, she was converted into a hospital ship and eventually scuttled in February 1855.
Iagudiil was a Sultan Makhmud-class ship of the line built for the Imperial Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet in the 1840s. Iagudiil had an uneventful career in the 1840s, alternating between periods in commission and in reserve. She participated in the early operations of the Black Sea Fleet during the Crimean War in October 1853, but her poor condition kept her from seeing action at the Battle of Sinop. The French and British intervention after Sinop led to the Russian retreat to Sevastopol, which was then besieged from 1854 to 1855. During the siege, Iagudiil battled French and British field artillery. After the Russian defenders were defeated in August 1855, they burned the ship to prevent it from being captured by the British and French, and the wreck was later demolished in 1857.
Varna was a Sultan Makhmud-class ship of the line built for the Imperial Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet in the late 1830s and early 1840s. The ship had an uneventful career, apart from routine peacetime operations in the 1840s, interrupted by periods in reserve. In October 1853, she helped carry soldiers to the Caucasus to strengthen the Russian position there at the start of the Crimean War. In need of repairs, she was unable to take part in the Battle of Sinop in November, and thereafter remained in Sevastopol during the siege of the city. Her crew was sent ashore to reinforce the defenses and Varna was scuttled as a blockship in 1854 to bar the harbor entrance to French and British warships.
Uriil was a Sultan Makhmud-class ship of the line built for the Imperial Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet in the late 1830s and early 1840s. The ship had a relatively uneventful career, operating with the Black Sea Fleet in the early 1840s before being laid up in 1845; apart from brief periods of activity in 1847 and 1849, she remained out of service until 1852. After the outbreak of the Crimean War in October 1853, she joined a squadron commanded by Pavel Nakhimov, but was unable to participate in the Battle of Sinop after a storm opened leaks in her hull. In poor condition, she was removed from service and her crew was sent to help man shore batteries during the Siege of Sevastopol. Uriil was then scuttled to block the harbor entrance in 1854.
Selafail was a Sultan Makhmud-class ship of the line built for the Imperial Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet in the late 1830s and early 1840s. The ship had a relatively uneventful career, operating with the Black Sea Fleet in the early 1840s before being laid up in 1845; apart from brief periods of activity in 1847 and 1849, she remained out of service until 1852. After the outbreak of the Crimean War in October 1853, she was slated to join a squadron commanded by Pavel Nakhimov, but storm damage prevented her from taking part in the Battle of Sinop. The ship was eventually scuttled as a blockship in 1854 during the Siege of Sevastopol.
Arkhangel Gavriil was a Sultan Makhmud-class ship of the line built for the Imperial Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet in the late 1830s and early 1840s. The ship had a relatively uneventful career, frequently being used as a troop transport including during campaigns in the Caucasus in the early 1840s to suppress unrest in the recently-conquered territory. She saw little activity after being laid up in 1845 and was repaired in late 1853, though she did not see action during the Crimean War and was instead scuttled in September 1854.
Trekh Ierarkhov was a Sultan Makhmud-class ship of the line built for the Imperial Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet in the late 1830s. The ship had a relatively uneventful career, frequently being used as a troop transport including during campaigns in the Caucasus in the early 1840s to suppress unrest in the recently-conquered territory. She saw little activity after being laid up in 1845; considered for conversion to steam power in 1852, she was instead broken up in 1854 due to her poor condition and the lack of funds during the Crimean War.
The Sultan Makhmud class was a group of eight 84-gun ships of the line built for the Black Sea Fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy. The class comprised Sultan Makhmud, Trekh Ierarkhov, Arkhangel Gavriil, Selafail, Uriil, Varna, Iagudiil, and Sviatoslav. They were built as part of a naval expansion program directed against the British and French, which Russia viewed as competitors to fill the power vacuum left by the continued decline of the Ottoman Empire. The ships represented an improvement over the traditional seventy-four, as improved building techniques allowed naval designers to build larger, more heavily armed vessels without sacrificing the hull strength that had made the seventy-fours such effective warships.
Rossiya was the 120/128-gun first-rate ship of the line built for the Imperial Russian Navy in the late 1830s. The ship was assigned to the Baltic Fleet for her entire career. She was one of the ships deployed to Denmark during the First Schleswig War of 1848–50. She took part in the defence of Sveaborg during the Crimean War. Rossiya was decommissioned in 1856 and sold for scrap in 1860.
The Mecidiye class of paddle frigates consisted of four ships of the Ottoman Navy built in the 1840s. The class comprised Mecidiye, Taif, Saik-i Şadi, and Feyzâ-i Bahrî.