Naval Battle of Kaliakra

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Drazki in the outdoor exhibition of the Navy Museum in Varna.

Date	21 November 1912
Location	off Kaliakra, 32 miles to the north-east of Varna
Result	Bulgarian victory

Belligerents

Bulgaria

Ottoman Empire

Commanders

Cap. Dimitar Dobrev

Hyusein Rauf Bey

Strength

4 torpedo boats:
Drazki,
Letyashti,
Smeli,
Strogi

1 protected cruiser:
Hamidiye
several other ships

Casualties and losses

1 wounded

The cruiser is badly damaged, 8 killed, 30 wounded

v • d • e First Balkan War

Sarantaporo - Giannitsa - Kumanovo - Kirk Kilisse - Pente Pigadia - Prilep - Lule-Burgas - Vevi - Bitola - Kaliakra - Elli - Bulair - Şarköy - Adrianople - Lemnos - Bizani - Siege of Shkoder

The Battle of Kaliakra (usually known as the attack of the Drazki, Bulgarian: Атаката на Дръзки) took place on 21 November 1912 between Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire as part of the First Balkan War. The Bulgarians were victorious. The battle occurred 32 miles off Bulgaria's primary port Varna.

1 Prelude
2 The battle
3 Aftermath
4 References

[edit] Prelude

After the heavy defeats that the Ottoman Empire suffered at the hands of the Bulgarians in the battles of Lozengrad and Lule-Burgas the Turks were in desperate need for weapons, munitions and food supplies from Germany and Austria-Hungary which were transported to the Romanian port of Constanţa and from there shipped to Istanbul. There was a danger for bombardment or landing on the Bulgarian coast. On 29 October the captain of the Turkish cruiser Hamidiye demanded Varna and Balchik to surrender or were otherwise to be bombarded which fortunately did not happen.

[edit] The battle

On 21 November the Headquarters of the Navy in Varna received a report that two cargo ships were departing from Constance to the Ottoman capital. The coast guard confirmed the presence of Turkish military ships in the area of Cape Kaliakra and the Bulgarians gave orders to the torpedo boats to sink or capture the enemy ships. In 22:30 the squadron which consisted of the flagship Letyashti (Flying), Smeli (Brave), Strogi (Strict) and Drazki (Bold) set off through the northern passage through the mine fields. The squad was commanded by Captain Dimitar Dobrev. In 0:30 they spotted a large ship at 32 miles from Varna which turned out to be the cruiser Hamidiye. In 0:40 from the flagship gave the signal for attack and five minutes later Letyashti fired its torpedoes from a distance of 500-600 m.

From that moment the Turks opened intense fire. Smeli and Strogi also tried to torpedo the enemy but missed as well. Smeli was hit by a 155 shell and the situation became critical when the Turkish anti-torpedo-boats came into support of Hamidiye but the sailors of the Bulgarian ship managed to cope with the damage. Drazki was the last ship which fired at the enemy cruiser and this time Hamidiye was hit in the beak, received a 10 m² hole and only the very calm sea saved her from sinking. The Turks had 8 killed and 30 wounded. After a short artillery fire Drazki went back to the assembly point. In the morning the squad returned to Varna. The Bulgarians had one wounded sailor - a petty officer from Smeli.

[edit] Aftermath

The Bulgarian victory over significantly larger and stronger enemy made a serious morale and physical damage to the Ottoman navy. Heavily damaged and half-sunk, Hamidiye was towed to Istanbul with the stern on because her front parts were under water. The ship was not repaired until the end of the war. The Turks seized any maritime operations close to the Bulgarian coastline.