Action of 19 February 1807

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The action of 19 February 1807 was the main military operation of the Dardanelles Operation during the Anglo-Turkish War (1807-1809). The battle took place in the Dardanelles Strait when Britain attacked Turkey in support of Dmitry Senyavin's Imperial Russian Fleet.

1 Background
2 The Battle
3 Aftermath
4 Ships involved

[edit] Background

In anticipation of a war between Russia and Turkey, Britain had sent Sir Thomas Louis from Cadiz on 2 November 1806 into the Mediterranean Sea. He reached Tenedos, near the Dardanelles Strait, on 21 November, made a brief trip to Istanbul and returned to the Straits. Turkey had declared war on Russia on 30 December 1806, and Britain sent Admiral Sir John Duckworth in Royal George 100 from Cadiz on 15 January 1807 into the Mediterranean Sea. Picking up Windsor Castle 98 and Repulse 74 from Gibraltar and Pompée 74 and Ajax 74 from Malta as replacements for the Russian fleet, under Seniavin, which was still in the Adriatic (?), Duckworth proceeded to Tenedos. On 29 January 1807, the frigate Endymion 40 left Istanbul with the British ambassador and all British residents. It met Louis's ships and returned to Tenedos on 1 February, where Duckworth's ships met up.

[edit] The Battle

On 11 February, the fleet, with Duckworth in command, left Tenedos, but for a week could not enter the Straits because of lack of wind, and Ajax caught fire on 14 February, ran aground on Tenedos, and blew up on 15 February. Finally, on 19 February the ships sailed up the Dardanelles, where they were fired on by the forts at the entrance (fire was returned by the bombs), then the castles further up (fire was returned by the fleet). Just above the castles lay a 64-gun ship, frigates of 40, 36, 36, and 32 guns, sloops of 22, 18, 10 and 10 guns, 2 brigs and 2 gunboats. As the British fleet approached, one of the brigs left and sailed further up for Istanbul. After Royal George passed, anchoring some 3 miles further up, Pompée, Thunderer, Standard, Endymion and Active attacked the Turkish vessels and a new fortification being built nearby. 1 sloop and 1 gunboat were captured and the rest forced ashore and destroyed by British boats, while a landing party demolished the battery. At 5pm the fleet sailed for Istanbul, leaving Active behind to finish up. British casualties in this action were 10 killed and 77 wounded.

[edit] Aftermath

Duckworth sailed off Istanbul for a week and a half, hoping the Turkish fleet would come out and fight, but it did not, so, releasing the sloop on 2 March, he returned through the Dardanelles on 3 March, and returned to Tenedos. On the way, he was attacked again by the fortifications, losing 29 killed and 138 wounded. At Tenedos he was met by Seniavin, who had left Corfu 22 February. Another attack on Istanbul was proposed, but Duckworth would have none of it, and left, while Seniavin blockaded the Dardanelles and defeated the Turkish fleet in the Battle of the Dardanelles on 10-11 May.