Battle of Navarino
Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 2:52 pm
by john sefton
The naval Battle of Navarino was fought on 20 October 1827, during the Greek War of Independence (1821-29). A combined Turkish and Egyptian armada was destroyed by an allied British, French, and Russian naval force at the port of Navarino (now Pylos), in southern Greece. The Allied ships were better armed than their Egyptian and Turkish enemies, and their crews better trained, resulting in a rather quick victory. Some say that, due to the larger number of Turkish ships present, if the Allies had not been properly in position, the battle could have gone the other way.
The various Greek forces had achieved significant results against the Turkish fleet in 1821-24, but despite this a Turkish and Egyptian army had reconquered Crete and part of the Morea by mid-1825. The Turkish fleet was then able to return and base itself at places like Navarin and Missolonghi to help its land army. After several more skirmishes between Greece and Turkey, other countries decided to step in to help the Greeks and to protect their shipping, which was being raided by Greek pirates. The Treaty of London (6 July 1827) stipulated that if the treaty were rejected, the allied forces would sail against the Turkish forces. The Turkish/Egyptian fleet, which had been warned by the British and French to stay away, left Alexandria 5 August 1827 and arrived at Navarino 8 September. Codrington arrived 12 September and instituted a blockade. The Turks made several attempts to leave the bay and sail north, but they were repelled each time by Codrington's presence and by adverse weather, and by the arrival of a French squadron under de Rigny on 13 October. A Russian squadron under Geiden arrived on the 13th also. More ships were already at Navarino, and others arrived over the following week.
Ibrahim Pasha could not leave Navarino Bay, but continued to wage war on land. On 17 October Codrington, de Rigny and Geiden tried to arrange an armistice so that Ibrahim Pasha would stop this. The Greeks quickly agreed, but the Turks did not. The Turks' answer to this was unsatisfactory: Ibrahim Pasha's officers pretended not to know where he was. The Allied commanders decided to anchor their ships in Navarino Bay, amid the Turko-Egyptian fleet. The Allied fleet entered in two lines, one formed by the English and French ships, the other by the Russian ships. The Turko-Egyptian fleet was anchored in a horseshoe formation, and the Allied fleet anchored in the empty area in the centre of this horseshoe. While the fleet was still anchoring, the captain of Dartmouth sent a boat to a Turkish ship anchored close by in order to demand that a fireship which was close to one of the British ships and appeared to be being set alight be removed. For reasons not quite clear, the Turks fired on the boat, killing the officer in command and several crew members. Dartmouth opened fire, and within a short time, the entire Allied fleet became engaged, as well as the Russian ships which were still entering the harbour. Heavier Allied broadsides and better gunnery quickly told, and in a few hours, three quarters of the Turko-Egyptian fleet was either sunk or set on fire by their own crews. On 17 November it was reported that the Turko-Egyptian ships remaining afloat in Navarino Bay were 1 battleship and 4 frigates damaged, and 1 rasee battleship, 2 frigates, 5 corvettes, 11 brigs and 5 schooners ready for sea, although this included some ships from Modon which had arrived after the battle. Allied casualties were about 181 men killed and about 480 men wounded; Turkish and Egyptian casualties were given as 4109 (3000 killed and 1109 wounded, although those figures might be reversed).
After the battle the Allied fleet remained in Navarino Bay until 26 October. Several Allied ships were badly damaged - Azov had been hit 153 times, 7 of them below the waterline, and was not fully repaired until March 1828. Gangut and Iezekiil were damaged too. The British arrived at Malta 3 November, and the Russians on 8 November. Albion, Asia and Genoa were sent to England for repairs, while the French ships went to Toulon.
An Egyptian corvette left Navarino Bay on 27 October and arrived in Alexandria on 2 November with news of the battle. Other survivors made their way to Alexandria around the end of the year.
The most important result of this battle was that it crippled the Turks and Egyptians at sea. Their land forces in the Morea were unaffected, however. After tense negotiations the main Egyptian army returned to Egypt in September and October, leaving the Turks no more than 1200 men in control of 5 forts. The French immediately sent troops in defiance of the agreement to remove these, and with the help of some British sailors, the Morea was cleared of enemy forces. The last holdout was Morea Castle near Patrai, which fell 1 November 1828. After this, Greece (consisting of the Morea and surrounding islands, and mainland Greece south of a line from the Gulf of Arta to the Gulf of Volos) was independent.
http://www.mlahanas.de/Greece/History/B ... arino.html
Gambia SG?
Re: Battle of Navarino
Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2013 9:00 pm
by aukepalmhof
The Battle of Navarino took place on 20 October 1827 between an Egyptian/Turkish fleet against a British/French/Russian fleet.
The Greek stamp of 1977 (sg1387) is designed after a painting of Thomas Luny and in the possession of the National Maritime Museum in London.
The painting showed in the center foreground an Egyptian boat in starboard-bow view behind the ships at anchor, contains gesticulating figures. All around it are people in the water and a broken mast floats to the right. Beyond this slightly right of the center, is the HMS ASIA, starboard-quarter view, with her anchor visible and figures in the rigging. She is in close action to port with the flagship of the Egyptian Admiral, Mocharem Bey; the bows of which, in starboard-bow view are to the right of HMS ASIA. In the left of the picture, in starboard-bow view but almost bow on, is the flagship of the Turkish admiral, Capitan Bey, much shattered and on fire. Between her and the HMS ASIA is another burning ship and in the extreme left foreground can be seen part of the port side of the HMS GENOA. The smoke of battle pervades the scene.
After England, France and Russia in July 1827 made an agreement, better known as the Treaty of London.
The treaty aimed to secure an armistice between the Greeks and the Turks, and the withdrawal of the Egyptian forces from the Greek soil.
Turkey opposed this treaty; it had not restored its control over the whole of Greece.
The Turkish land operations were focused on the southwest Peloponnesian, and supplies and reforcement for this land force were transported to Navarino Bay.
The fleet of 65 vessels at that time in Navarino Bay of Turkish and Egyptian ships were under command of Ibrahim Pasha.
September 1827 Sir Edward Codrington the British commander of the Mediterranean fleet received orders to prevent further reinforcements from reaching the Turkish, and to blockade Navarino, but he had to avoid a battle.
He was joined on 21 September by a French squadron under command of rear-Admiral Henri de Rigny and on 13 October by a Russian squadron under command of Rear-Admiral L.P.Heiden, (he was from the Dutch Navy and in service by the Russian Navy). The fleet Codrington commanded consisted of 11 ships of the line, and 16 other warships.
An effort for a cease-fire with Ibrahim Pash ended in failure, and Codrington on 20 October decided to sail into the Bay of Navarino to increase the pressure on the Turkish command, after he heard of new operations by the Turkish forces on shore.
The Turkish/Egyptian fleet was anchored in an extended horseshoe formation. The main fleet of Codrington sailed into the semicircle and anchored around 2.30 p.m.
At that time a dispatch boat of HMS Dartmouth was attacked at close range, and the allies returned fire, then the Egyptian warships responded with a broadside.
Thereafter the action became general and heavy shooting took place between the two fleets, the Turkish/Egyptian fleet was no match for the much better trained allies warship, and in a duel what took around 3 hours the Turkish/Egyptian fleet were defeated with heavy loss of life and ships. They lost one ship of the line and 34 other warships and some small vessels and 4.000 men killed. The allied ships were also heavily damaged but not one was lost, but the loss on men was 696.
The Battle of Navarino was the last fleet action fought entirely under sail.
After the battle Codrington was ordered to England where he was charged with disobeying his orders not to engage the enemy. He was later cleared of all blame.
Of the ships depict on the stamp I have only of the English navy ships details. The Egyptian and Turkish flagships names are not known by my.
HMS ASIA.
Built at the East India Co, Bombay for the Royal Navy.
April 1819 ordered as a second rate ship-of-the-line.
January 1822 keel laid down.
19 January 1824 launched under the name HMS ASIA.
Tonnage 2.279 ton (bm), dim. 196.1 x 51 5 x 22.6ft.
Armament: lower deck 32 – 32pdrs., upper deck 32 – 24pdrs., quarter deck 4 – 24pdrs. and 14 - 32pdrs. carronades, fore castle 2 – 24pdrs. and 2 – 32pdrs. carronades.
Crew 700.
Building cost £78.541
Commissioned under command of Capt. Edward Curzon which sailed her to the U.K.
October 1826 she was at Portsmouth and fitted out as flagship for Sir Edward Codrington for service in the Mediterranean.
January 1827 completed in Portsmouth.
On 20 October 1827 the combined fleet of British, French and Russian warships entered the bay of Navarino near the S.W. point of Morea in Greece.
The Turkish/Egyptian ships were moored in a crescent the larger ones presenting their broadsides towards the center. HMS ASIA led the starboard line of British and French ships followed by HMS GENOA and HMS ALBION and she anchored very near to a ship of the line bearing the flag of the Capitan Bey and a large double-banked frigate with the flag of the Egyptian Moharem Bey. The French ships and the Russians in the other column each took up positions alongside other enemy vessels.
Vice Admiral Codrington ordered that no gun should be fired unless the Turks fired first, after musket fire on one of HMS DARMOUTH’s boats and cannon shot from his boat the ships of the Turkish and Egyptian admirals were destroyed by the broadsides from HMS ASIA. The ship then came under heavy raking fire from the enemy vessels in the inner lines and her mizzen mast was shot away, the master, Mr. William Smith was killed early on as was Capt. Bell of the Royal Marines. The admiral was struck by a musket ball which was deflected by his pocket watch, and when his aides were disabled Lieut. Col. Craddock volunteered to act as his runner. ASIA lost 19 men and had 57 wounded.
For his conduct at Navarino Capt. Curzon was nominated a C.B. on 13 November 1827.
HMS Asia returned home on 31 January 1828 to be docked for a refit but Captain Curzon retained command until the following 06 June.
The official letter of Vice Adm. Codrington on the Battle of Navarino.
His Majesty’s ship ASIA in the Port of Nevarin (Navarino) 21 October 1827.
I have the honor to inform his Royal Highness the Lord High Admiral that my Colleagues, Count Heiden and the Chevalier de Rigny, having agreed with me that we should come into this port, in order to induce Ibrahim Pacha to discontinue the brutal war of extermination, which he has been carrying on since his return here from his failure in the Gulf of Patras, the combined squadrons passed the batteries, in order to take up their anchorage, at about two o’clock yesterday afternoon.
The Turkish ships were moored in the form of a crescent, with springs on their cables, the larger ones presenting their broadside towards the center, the smaller ones, in succession within them, filling up the intervals.
The combined fleet was formed in the order of sailing in two columns, the British and French forming the weather or starboard line, and the Russian the lee line.
The ASIA led in, followed by the GENOA and ALBION, and anchored close alongside a ship of the line, bearing the flag of the Capitan Bey, another ship of the line, and a large double-banked frigate, each thus having their opponent in the front line of the Turkish fleet. The four ships to windward, part of the Egyptian squadron, were allotted to the squadron of Rear-Admiral de Rigny; and those to the leeward in the bight of the crescent, were the mark the stations of the whole Russian squadron; the ships of their line closing those of the English line, and being followed up by their own frigates. The French frigate ARMIDE, was directed to place herself alongside the outermost frigate, on the left hand entering the harbour and the HMS CAMBRIAN, GLASGOW and TALBOTH next to her, and abreast of the ASIA, GENOA and ALBION; the DARTMOUTH and the MUSQUITO, the ROSE, the BRISK and the PHILORNEL, were to look after six fire-vessels, at the entrance of the harbour. I gave order that no gun should be fired unless guns were first fired by the Turks; and those orders were strictly observed. The three English ships were accordingly permitted to pass the batteries and to moor, which they did with great rapidity, without any act of open hostility although there was evident preparation for it in all the Turkish ships; but upon the DARTMOUTH sending a boat to one of the fire-vessels. Lieut. G.W.H.Fitzroy and several of her crew were shot with musketry. This produced a defensive fire from the DARTMOUTH and LA SYRENE, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral de Rigny, that was succeeded by a cannon-shot at the Rear Admiral from the one of the Egyptian ships, which of course, brought on a return, and thus, very shortly afterwards; the battle became general. The ASIA although placed alongside the ship of the Capitan Bey, (GUHU REVAN) was even nearer to that of Moharem Bey (ISHANIA?), the commander of the Egyptian ships and since his ship did not fire at the ASIA, although the action was begun to windward neither did the ASIA fire at her. The latter, indeed sent a message, “that he would not fire at all.” And therefore no hostility took place between our ships for some time after the ASIA had returned the fire of the Capitan Bey.
In the meantime our excellent pilot, Mr. Peter Mitchell who went to interpret to Moharem my desire to avoid bloodshed, was killed by his people in our boat alongside, whether with or without his orders, I know not, but his ship soon afterwards fired into the ASIA and was consequently, effectually destroyed by the ASIA’s fire, sharing the same fate as his brother-admiral, on the starboard side; and falling to leeward a mere wreck. These ships being out of the way the ASIA became exposed to a raking fire from vessels in the second and third line, which carried away her mizzen-mast by the board, disabled some of her guns and killed or wounded several of her crew. This narration of the proceedings of the ASIA would probably be equally applicable to most of the other ships of the fleet. The manner in which the HMS GENOA and ALBION took the stations was beautiful; and the conduct of my brother admirals, Count Heiden and the Chevalier De Rigney, throughout, was admirable and highly exemplary.
Captain Fellowes executed the part allotted to him perfectly; and with the able assistance of his little but brave detachment saved the HMS SYRENE from being burnt by the fire vessels, and the HMS CAMBRIA, GLASGOW, and TALBOT, following the fine example of Capitaine Hugon of the ARMIDE, who was opposed to the leading frigate of that line, effectually destroyed their opponents, and also silenced the batteries. This bloody and destructive battle was continued with unabated fury for four hours; and the scene of wreck and devastation which presented itself at its termination, was such as has been seldom before witnessed. As each ship of our opponents became effectually disabled, such of her crew as could escape from her endeavored to set her on fire; and it is wonderful how we avoided the effects of their successive and awful explosions. It is impossible for me to say too much for the able and zealous assistance which I received from Captain Curzon, throughout this long and arduous contest; nor can I say more that it deserves for the conduct of Commander Baynes and the officers and crew of the ASIA, for the perfection with which the fire of their guns was directed; each vessel in turn; to which her broadside was presented, became a complete wreck.
His Royal Highness will be aware that so complete a victory by a few, however perfect, against an excessive number however individually inferior cannot be acquired but at a considerable sacrifice of life accordingly, I have to lament the loss of Captain Bathurst, of the GENOA, whose example on this occasion is well worthy of the imitation of his survivors.
Captain Bell, commanding the Royal marines of the ASIA, an excellent officer, was killed earlier in the action, in the steady performance of his duty and I have to mourn the death of Mr. William Smith, the master, admired for the zeal and ability with which he executed his duty, and beloved by all for his private qualities as a man. Mr. L.S.Dyer, my secretary, hawing received a severe contusion from a splinter, I am deprived temporarily of his valuable assistance in collecting and keeping up the general returns and communications of the squadron: I shall therefore retain in my office Mr. F.J.T. White, his first clerk, whom I have nominated to succeed the purser of the BRISK. I feel much personal obligation to the Honorable Lieutenant Colonel Craddock, for his readiness, during the heat of the battle, in carrying my orders and messages to the different quarters, after my aides-de-camp were disabled; but I will beg permission to refer his Royal Highness for further particulars of this sort to the details of the killed and wounded, a subject which it is painful for my to dwell upon; when I contemplate, as I do with extreme sorrow, the extent of our loss. I console myself with the reflection, that the measure, which produced the battle, was absolutely necessary for obtaining the results contemplated by the treaty, and that it was brought on entirely by our opponents. When I found that the boasted Ottoman word of honour was made a sacrifice to wanton savage devastation, and that a base advantage was taken of our reliance upon Ibrahim’s good faith, I own I felt a desire to punish the offenders. But it was my duty to refrain, and refrain I did; and I can assure His Royal Highness that I would still have avoided this disastrous extremity, if other means had been open to me.
The ASIA, GENOA, and ALBION, have each suffered so much, that it is my intention to send them to England as soon as they shall have received, at Malta the necessary repairs for their voyage. The TALBOT, being closely engaged with a double banked frigate, has also suffered considerably, as well as others of the smaller vessels; but I hope their defects are not more than can be made good at Malta. The loss of men in the Turk-Egyptian ships must have been immense, as his Royal Highness will see by the accompanying list, obtained from the secretary of the Capitan Bey, which includes that two out of the three ships to which the English division was opposed. Captain Curzon having preferred continuing to assist me in the ASIA, I have given the charge of my dispatches to Commander Lord Viscount Ingestry, who besides having had a brilliant share of the action, is well competent to give his Royal Highness the Lord High Admiral any further particulars he may require.
Signed Edward Codrington, Vice-Admiral.
1828 Capt William Hope Johnstone was appointed captain of the HMS ASIA.
June 1828 from Portsmouth to the Mediterranean as flagship for Sir. Pulteney Malcolm, the commander in Chief. The Admiral and Capt. Johnstone transferred into HMS BRITANNIA on 28 April 1830.
Feb.1831 command was taken over by Capt. Hyde Parker, on December 1831 by Capt. Peter Richards; she was then flagship of Rear-Admiral William Parker at Lisbon, where the war between Dom Pedro and Dom Miguel was interfering with British trade.
In the autumn of 1832 a spent ball grazed the shoulder of Cdr. William Pickering and his companion, Mr. Vidal, the purser received a ball in the body, as they watched an attack by the Miguelite forces on Dom Pedro’s lines near Oporto.
ASIA paid off in the summer of 1834.
1835 Out of commission at Sheerness.
March 1836 in the Mediterranean. 1837 Under command of Capt. William Fisher.
On 8 July 1837 the ASIA was standing out to sea from Cagliari in Sardinia when a seaman jumped overboard while drunk. While the ship was being hove to and the boats launched, the assistant surgeon, Mr. Henry Daniel Shea, dropped into the sea from the spanker boom and kept the man afloat despite his struggles.
ASIA took part in the operations off Syria in 1840.
1842 Sheerness. 1847 under command of Capt. Robert F. Stopford. August 1847 flagship of Read-Admiral Hornby in the Pacific with HMS COCKATRICE as her tender.
In August 1850 ASIA was on passage from Valparaiso in Chile to Pisco, about 130 miles south of Callao in Peru. On the 7th she was about 400 miles south of her destination and while the watch was exercising furling sails at about 6pm two men fell from the main-top-sail yard. One man was caught hold of a rope and was pulled back on board unhurt but the other hit his head and fell senseless into the water. Lieut Chandos Stanhope, seeing his helpless state, jumped overboard and supported him to a life-buoy where they waited until a boat arrived.
1852 Asia was out of commission at Portsmouth, and from 1859 used as Guard Ship of the steam vessels in ordinary at that port under Capt. George Gordon.
07 April 1908 sold to Adrien Merveille, Dunkirk, France for breaking up.
The HMS GENOA was built between February 1812 and April 1815 at Genoa for the French Navy as a second-class ship-of-the-line, her intended name was Le BRILLANT but of she ever has carried this name I don’t know.
She was captured on the stocks incomplete at Genoa when that city surrendered on 18 April 1814 to the British forces.
18 April 1815 launched under the name HMS GENOA.
Tonnage 1.886 tons (bm), dim. 182 x 48.6 x 21.7ft.
Armament: lower deck 28 – 32pdr., upper deck 30 – 18pdrs, quarter deck 4 – 12 pdrs. and 10 – 32 pdrs. carronades, fore castle 2 – 12pdrs. and 4 – 32 pdrs. carronades.
Crew 600.
13 October 1815 she arrived at Chatham and was there fitted out as an English ship-of-the-line for £36.839 between September 1816 and February 1818.
Under command of Capt. Frederick Lewis Maitland, first used as guardship at Sheerness from 18 May 1821.
October 1821 under command of Sir Thomas Livingstone.
From October 1821 till 1825 based at Lisbon.
October 1824 under command of Capt. William Cumberland.
27 May 1825 in the Mediterranean under command of Capt. Walter Bathurst, took part in the Battle of Navarino on 20 October 1827.
She was coming alongside a double-banked frigate and was closely engaged during the whole of the battle. The Turks fired high and so many mariners were killed on her poop that it considered prudent to remove the remainder to the quarter deck.
Captain Bathurst was wounded early on by a splinter which lacerated his face but was later mortally wounded by a shot which passed through his body and hit the opposite bulwark.
The command devolved on Commander Richard Dickinson after the captain was taken down below decks to his quarters. He died on 21 April at 3 o’clock.
She lost during this battle 26 men including Capt. Bathurst, and another 33 men were wounded.
1827 At Plymouth under command of Commander Dickinson.
November 1827 command taken over by Capt. Charles Irby.
January 1828 paid off.
From 1833 till 1837 used as receiving ship at Plymouth.
January 1838 broken up at Portsmouth.
The other stamp of this set depicts the three Admirals, and honored in Greece with a statue. They are the British Admiral Codrington, the Russian Admiral Count von Heyden, original a Dutch navy officer, and in service of the Russian Navy. The Dutch name was Lodewijk Sigismund Vincent Gustaaf, Graaf van Heyden. And the French Admiral Count Rigny.
Greece 1927 4d sg428, scott. 1977 4d sg1387 and 1977 4d sg1387 (on this stamp are depict the CAPITAIN BEY, MOHAREN BEY and HMS ASIA.)
Grenada Carriacou & Petit Martinique 2001 $6 sgMS?, scott?
Sierra Leone 2017 Le24000 sgMS?, scott? (Battle in margin, also a other painting is depict in the margin which shows us the "passing of the Jews through the Red Sea.)
Sources Log Book, many web-sites. British Warships in the age of sail 1793-1817 by Rif Winfield. The Sail and Steam Navy List by David Lyon and Rif Winfield An Encyclopedia of Naval History by Anthony Bruce and William Cogar.