He became famous for many glorious deeds, but the main thing is that he did not suffer a single defeat and did not lose a single warship. The site visited Kronstadt at a solemn event dedicated to the opening of the exhibition "Invincible Admiral: Holy Righteous Warrior Fyodor Ushakov" and recalled the main victories of the naval commander.
Life - to the Motherland, soul - to God!
Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov is an admiral who made a huge contribution to the development of the Russian navy. He was an amazing tactician and strategist, the founder of the Russian tactical naval school. Thanks to this, the admiral did not suffer a single defeat in 43 naval battles. And most of his battles went into world history as the best conquests of the Russian Empire.
The future invincible warrior was born in 1745 in the village of Burnakovo, Yaroslavl province, into a poor noble family. From childhood, he raved about the sea, and as soon as he was 16 years old, he entered the Naval Noble Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg. His naval career began on the Baltic Sea, Ushakov immediately showed himself as a capable and courageous sailor. In the rank of midshipman, he took part in the first long-distance voyage from Kronstadt around Scandinavia to Spitsbergen to Arkhangelsk and back aboard the Nargin pink.
Shortly after graduating from college, the young lieutenant was sent to the Black Sea Fleet. The Russian-Turkish war began there, and Ushakov led operations to cover the mouth of the Don from the attack of Turkish squadrons, participated in the defense of Balaklava, and served as commander of a number of ships cruising on the Black Sea.
It was at that time that the career of a naval commander went up rapidly. He commands more and more ships and proves himself to be a wise captain in times of peace.
The brave navigator was noticed by Empress Catherine II and noted with high confidence - she was appointed commander of the imperial yacht-galley "Tver". But Fedor Fedorovich strove to fight, a calm and measured life was not for him. Therefore, at his personal request, the future admiral was again transferred to military service. From the very beginning of the service, Ushakov followed the principle: "Life is for the Motherland, the soul is for God!"
Wise Captain
In 1783, an event occurred that characterized Ushakov not only as an excellent military leader, but also as a person who cares about people. The captain of the 2nd rank was sent to Kherson, where he was to form teams for seven ships. The plague was already rampant in the city.
“The naval officer showed himself in this field as a commander responsible for his people,” said the organizer and guide of the exhibition “Invincible Admiral: Holy Righteous Warrior Fyodor Ushakov” Daniil Shalyaev. - He introduced strict quarantine procedures and strictly monitored the observance of hygiene measures among the sailors and the population of Kherson. The terrible disease was localized, and Ushakov for this awarded the order St. Vladimir of the 4th degree ".
An exhibition dedicated to the legendary naval commander has opened in the Kronstadt Naval Cathedral. Photo: AiF / Artem Kurtov
The pinnacle of Fedor Fedorovich's career came in the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791. The Turks dreamed of taking revenge for the previous defeat, as a result of which they lost the Crimea. The Turkish Sultan wanted to completely ban the Russian fleet from appearing in the Black Sea. England and France were on his side. The Austrian fleet fought on our side.
On July 3, 1788, ships under the command of Ushakov near the island of Fidonisi clashed with 49 ships of the Turkish fleet. During the battle, which lasted 3 hours, Ushakov's ships cut off 2 enemy flagships from the main squadron and sank several ships. It was an unconditional victory.
“Fyodor Ushakov invented a unique tactic when the first strike of the fleet was focused on the flagship of the enemy,” continues Daniil Shalyaev. “Thanks to this, the linear formation of the enemy fleet was destroyed, disorientation began in the camp of the enemy.”
Usak Pasha
In 1790, the Battle of Kerch took place, in which the Turkish fleet significantly exceeded the forces of Rear Admiral Ushakov. But "Ushak-Pasha", as the Turks called him, outwitted the enemies. He gave the initiative to the commanders of other ships and foresaw the actions of the enemy. That battle clearly showed the superiority of Russian sailors in naval training and fire training. The battle finally buried the hopes of the Turks for the return of the Crimea.
Battles with vastly superior enemy forces became Admiral Ushakov's trademark. The clearest example of this is the battle at Cape Tendra, when the smaller Russian fleet fearlessly rushed into battle against a superior enemy. Seeing such audacity, the Turkish ships rushed into a disorderly retreat and were disoriented. But in terms of the number of onboard guns, the Turkish fleet was twice as large as the Russian one! In this battle, the Turks lost 5.5 thousand people, while our losses amounted to 21 killed and 25 wounded. It is curious that during all the battles, Commander-in-Chief Ushakov actively participated in all episodes of the battles, was in the most responsible and dangerous places and, with his fearlessness and courage, encouraged his subordinates to take decisive action.
Well, the most legendary naval battle led by Admiral Ushakov took place on March 2, 1799 off the island of Corfu. The fortress on the island was considered impregnable and until that day had never been taken by storm. Fortifications, powerful walls and towers, rocky shores made the capture of the citadel unrealistic. The French, who occupied the fortress, strengthened the defense with several artillery batteries. But for Russian sailors, as we already know, there were no unsolvable tasks. Ushakov blocked the fortress from the sea, and then threw a 2,000-strong landing force into the assault. A day later, the fortress capitulated, more than 200 French soldiers were killed, almost 3,000 people surrendered. Rich trophies were captured: 16 ships, 630 guns and other property. The Russians lost 31 killed and 100 wounded. Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov was awarded the rank of full admiral.
In the faces of the saints
In recent years, the legendary admiral, who did not know defeat, lived in his estate in Mordovia, was engaged in charity work. He was buried in the Sanaksar monastery. And in 2001, with the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II, celebrations were held dedicated to the canonization of the holy righteous warrior Theodore Ushakov. For the first time in the history of Christianity, a naval commander is glorified as a saint.
The ark with the relics arrived in Kronstadt from the Sanaksar Monastery. Photo: AiF / Artem Kurtov
In 2017, a good tradition appeared when the reliquary with the relics of a righteous warrior was delivered to the Kronstadt Naval Cathedral for veneration. This is happening on the eve of the celebration of the Day of the Navy. This happened this year too: the ark with the relics was delivered to the Petrovsky pier of Kronstadt. Then they were taken on a boat past the warships stationed on the Kronstadt roadstead.
In addition, a unique exhibition dedicated to the naval commander opened in the cathedral. The exposition presents more than 20 rarities: unique documents, maps of battles. The exposition will tell about the life path of the most famous naval commander of Russia, about his victories, about the attitude towards sailors and the chosen monastic path at the end of his earthly life, photos of awards and icons of Fyodor Ushakov.
Library
materials
Quiz: “The pride of the Mordovian land. Admiral of the Russian Fleet F.F. Ushakov"
1) What is the place of birth of F.F. Ushakov
1. Pechora district, Arkhangelsk province (now the Arkhangelsk region);
2. with. Romanovsky district of the Yaroslavl province (now the Rybinsk district) of the Yaroslavl region;
3. p. Podgornoye Konakovo, Temnikovsky district, Tambov province (now Temnikovsky district, Republic of Mordovia);
Answer: 2
2) Fedor Ushakov studied maritime affairs:
1. in the Naval gentry cadet corps;
2. in and;
3. in e;
4. in Moscow e.
Answer: 1
3) Where did Ushakov's maritime career begin?
1. Baltic flotilla;
2. Danube Rowing Flotilla;
3. Black Sea flotilla;
4. Azov flotilla.
Answer: 1
1. Count Orlov;
2. Admiral Nakhimov;
3. Prince Potemkin-Tauride;
4. Prince Vyazemsky.
Answer: 3
5) Indicate the naval battle of the Russian and Turkish fleets, which ended the Russian-Turkish war?
1. Battle of Tendra;
2. Battle of Kaliakria;
3. Battle near the Serpent Island;
4. Battle of Istanbul.
Answer: 1
6) At the beginning of 1793, Rear Admiral F. Ushakov EkaterinaIIcalled to St. Petersburg - she wished to see a hero who gained great glory for the Fatherland, and "met in him a straightforward, modest man, unfamiliar with the requirements of secular life." For services to the throne and the Fatherland, what award was presented to F. Ushakov by EkaterinaII?
Answer: For services to the throne and the Fatherland, the Empress presented F.F. Ushakov with a golden fold-cross with the relics of saints and bestowed the rank of vice admiral.
7) Great naval commander F.F. Ushakov went through a naval career from midshipman to admiral of the fleet. Indicate in the table opposite the specified rank the date of its receipt.
8) Great WarlordUshakov tirelessly took care of the team and often spent his personal funds on food and the needs of the squadron during the period of interruptions in the supply of the squadron. He was distinguished by a humane attitude towards the sailor and a well-thought-out system for educating the personnel of the squadron. Name what he thoughtthe main factor of their victories?
Answer: the stamina and courage of sailors
9) Why did Ushakov make the sailors swing on a swing?
1. for the sake of entertainment and recreation;
2. to cultivate courage;
3. to master marine science and martial arts;
4. for marksmanship exercises.
Answer: 4
10) Turks called F. Ushakov:
1. Usak;
2. Usak Pasha;
3. Pasha;
4. Ear.
Answer: 2
11) For his brilliant military achievements, F.F. Ushakov was awarded various awards. For what victories and what award was F. Ushakov awarded? (Write down the answer in the format: 1-a, 2-c, 3-d, etc.)
6. 1800 - Order of Saint JanuariusI degree
e) for taking about. tserigo
Answer: 1-d, 2-d, 3-b, 4-c, 5-e, 6-a
12) Ushakov is known as a Russian naval commander who did not lose a single naval battle. But he did not receive his first award for military action. For what merits and in what year F. Ushakov received his first award - the Order of St. VladimirIV th degree?
Answer: F. Ushakov received his first award for his work duringfight against the plague epidemic and for the care of the sailors.
13) Which of the following ships was commanded by Fedor Ushakov?
1. Saint Paul;
2. Saint Catherine;
3. Saint Michael;
4. Holy Mary.
Answer: 1
14) In 1799 Admiral F.F. Ushakov, using a new tactic (attack from the sea), took a fortress on the island of Corfu. Which of the famous Russian commanders, having learned about this, exclaimed: “Hurrah for the Russian fleet! Why wasn’t I even a midshipman in Corfu?”:
1) P. A. Rumyantsev;
2) A. V. Suvorov;
3) G. A. Potemkin;
4) M. I. Kutuzov;
5) P. S. Saltykov.
Answer: 2
15) Emperor Paul for the brilliant liberation of the Ionian Islands rewarded F. Ushakov with promotion to full admirals. Specify: what award did F.F. Ushakov the Turkish sultan, which is the distinction of an admiral in the Turkish fleet.
Answer: The Turkish sultan sent Ushakov a diamond cheleng, a sable fur coat and a thousand gold coins as a gift.
sixteen) " My spiritual feelings and sorrow, which have exhausted the fortress of strength and health, are known to God - may his holy will be done. I accept everything that has happened to me with the deepest reverence.” In connection with what event did he write these lines to the Emperor F. Ushakov?
Answer On December 19, 1806, F. Ushakov thus submitted his resignation to the emperor.
17) In what year did F.F. Ushakov?
1) 1800;
2) 1809;
3) 1805;
4) 1807.
Answer: 4
18) Indicate where F.F. lived. Ushakov, having retired from official business?
1) Yekaterinburg;
2) Moscow;
3) the village of Alekseevka, Temnikovsky district, Tambov province (now the Republic of Mordovia);
4) St. Petersburg.
Answer: 3
19) Admiral F.F. Ushakov is buried
1. near the walls of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg;
2. at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow;
3. near the walls of the Sanaksar monastery;
4. at the walls of the monastery in Yaroslavl.
Answer: 3
20) For what purpose, by order of the People's Commissar of the Navy N.G. Kuznetsov in 1944, an autopsy of the admiral's burial was carried out.
Answer: in order to find out the actual burial place of Admiral F.F. Ushakov and restoration of his appearance.
21) Indicate what awards were established in honor of Admiral F.F. Ushakov?
Answer:
1. Ushakov medal.
The Ushakov medal was awarded to sailors and soldiers, foremen and sergeants, midshipmen and ensigns of the Navy and naval units of the border troops for courage and courage.
2. Order of Ushakov.
3. Order of Ushakov I degree.
4. Order of Ushakov II degree.
The Order of Ushakov is awarded to officers of the Navy for outstanding success in the development, conduct and support of naval active operations, as a result of which victory was achieved in battles for the Motherland over a numerically superior enemy.
22) During the Great Patriotic War by order of the People's Commissariat of the USSR No. 300 dated October 16 underage boys were allowed as go on voyages on merchant and warships. Many of the cabin boys showed unparalleled heroism. The Ushakov medal was awarded to a cabin boy who served in the Northern Fleet during the Great Patriotic War. What was the name of the young hero?
1. Robert Rusakov;
2. Vil Baikin;
3. Sasha Kovalev;
4. Vitaly Guzanov;
5. Valentin Pikul.
Answer: Sasha Kovalev
23) Life and work of F.F. Ushakova is reflected in literature and art. Name the book of the people's writer of the Republic of Mordovia M.T. Petrov about the naval commander, awarded the State Prize of the Republic of Mordovia
Answer: "Boyarin of the Russian Navy"
24) Name the famous Soviet director who made films about F. Ushakov "Ships storm the bastions" and "Admiral Ushakov"
Answer: Mikhail Romm
25) In what year was the temple of Theodore Ushakov opened in the capital of Mordovia (Saransk)?
Answer: 1
26) By the decision of the Commission for the Canonization of the Russian Orthodox Church, the outstanding naval commander F.F. Ushakov is numbered among the righteous locally venerated saints of the Saransk diocese. Indicate the date of canonization of F.F. Ushakov.
Answer: 2
February 24 marks the 274th anniversary of the birth of the most outstanding naval commander in the history of Russia - Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov.
Throughout his career, he did not lose a single ship and not a single sailor captured. He never backed down in battle. Moreover, in smaller numbers, he won brilliant victories, primarily over Turkey and France in the waters of the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Ushakov was also a skilled diplomat, who proved himself during the creation of the Republic of the Seven Islands under the protectorate of Russia and Turkey. Ushakov was the founder of the latest tactics at sea and one of the creators of such troops as the marines.
In 2001, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized him as a righteous warrior. The Russian Military Historical Society, together with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Russian Orthodox Church, is consistently working to preserve the memory of Fedor Ushakov. With the participation of the Mordovian regional branch of the RVIO, a year (2017) dedicated to Admiral Ushakov was held, full of scientific seminars, thematic round tables and meetings. And the Zvezda TV channel shot the documentary film Ushakov. Admiral by the grace of God." The Society also contributed to the installation of two large anchors of the Russian Navy on the territory of the temple complex of the holy righteous warrior Theodore Ushakov in Yuzhny Butovo. The name of Fedor Fedorovich is honored by several generations of warships of our fleet. And in 1944, during the Great Patriotic War, the Order of Ushakov and the Ushakov Medal were established, which to this day are the highest and most honorable naval awards for every Russian military sailor.
F.F. Ushakov. Source: https://pravoslavie.ru
At the dawn of glory
Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov was born on February 24 (February 13 according to the old style) in 1745 in the village of Burnakovo (now the Rybinsk district of the Yaroslavl region) into a family of petty nobles. The father of the future admiral, Fedor Ignatievich, served as a sergeant of the Life Guards until he was retired, and Paraskeva Nikitichna's mother was engaged in housekeeping and household arrangements. The upbringing of the future admiral was helped by his uncle Theodore Sanaksarsky and an old fellow villager who served in the Peter's fleet. From childhood, Ushakov dreamed of the sea, listening to the stories of an old sailor. Fyodor loved to carve wooden toy boats, and he had accumulated a whole small fleet.
At the age of 16, his parents sent him to study at the Naval gentry cadet corps in St. Petersburg. It should be noted that the children of rich families were not eager for the fleet, and basically the ranks of officers were replenished with the same one-dwellers like Ushakov. Fedor showed remarkable zeal and in 1766 graduated from the corps with honors, receiving the rank of midshipman. At first, he sailed across the Baltic Sea bypassing Norway to Arkhangelsk under the command of an experienced naval commander V. Ya. Chichagov. Then he served under the command of an experienced captain S.K. Greig, later a hero. Having received excellent practice, the young officer began to carry out his first independent tasks: he transferred ships from the Baltic to the Black Sea for the war with Turkey and participated in the repair and re-equipment of the Black Sea shipyards. Here he showed his tough character, never yielding to dishonest officials. In time, he receives his first ship, the 16-gun Modon, and repels the Turkish landing at Balaklava. After that, young Ushakov receives, perhaps, the most desirable appointment for a sailor in the Russian Empire - the captain of an imperial yacht. He is beginning to be recognized at court, but he is rushing with all his might into the ranks of the battle fleet, and his request is granted.
V. Ilyukhin. A.V. Suvorov and F.F. Ushakov in Sevastopol. Source: https://bm24.ru
New naval tactics
In 1783, Fyodor Ushakov was transferred to the Black Sea Fleet as commander of the laid down 66-gun ship St. Paul and sent to Kherson. Upon arrival, he was forced to deal with an epidemic of plague that had arisen in the city. With skillful and thoughtful actions, he isolated his crew, kindled fires around the camp and ordered the sailors to rub themselves with vinegar (not one of his sailors fell ill).
In 1787 the Russian-Turkish war began. On July 14, 1788, in the battle near the island of Fidonisi, Ushakov, with skillful maneuvers, with the support of three frigates, put the enemy to flight, causing him considerable damage. On July 19, 1790, Fedor Fedorovich defeated the Turkish squadron in the Kerch Strait (near Cape Takla), preventing it from landing on the Crimean coast. Having violated all the canons of classical tactics by creating a special reserve group, Ushakov won a landslide victory.
Battle of Kaliakria. Source: https://www.pinterest.se/
Ushakov professed truly Suvorov principles in tactics and methods of education and training of his sailors. He paid great attention to the personal skills of each individual sailor or gunner. They trained like this: on a swing made of ropes that imitated pitching, they installed a gun from which it was necessary to hit a sail installed in the sea on a wooden shield. Ushakov's crews were always the best and were distinguished by deadly high accuracy of fire. He was the ancestor of the new tactics of using the forces of the fleet. Creating a numerical superiority in key areas of the battle, he chose enemy flagships as targets, depriving the enemy fleet of command. He did not build his ships in line, attacked against the wind, at that time it was really a revolution in naval combat.
On August 11, 1791, at Cape Kaliakria (northern Bulgaria), Ushakov won the legendary battle, swiftly defeated the Turkish fleet, which was much superior to him, anchored. This defeat opened a sea route to Istanbul, the capital of Turkey. The Sultan was forced to conclude with Russia on favorable terms for us. Ushakov was awarded the orders of St. George 4th and 3rd degrees and St. Alexander Nevsky. After the war, he took up the arrangement of Sevastopol as the main base of the Black Sea Fleet with the rank of vice admiral.
Tactics F.F. Ushakov differed from the usual linear, although the Russian admiral did not deviate from her canons. He kept the battle formation of ships in line, which allowed him use maximum firepower ships. The admiral gave the commanders in his flotilla some freedom of action, allowing his fleet to be faster and more maneuverable. Often he used completely non-standard techniques for the fleet, destroyed the established traditions of warfare. For example, he singled out a reserve from light high-speed ships that was not supposed to be in the fleet, or led a flotilla between enemy ships and coastal artillery (Cape Kaliakria). His trump card was speed and maneuverability., thanks to which light, high-speed frigates found themselves in a more advantageous position than heavy, but powerful battleships. F. F. Ushakov himself conducted training for all sailors and soldiers that came to him in the flotilla. Thanks to this, the ships under his command moved faster and fired more accurately. His captains could find a way out of almost any situation, like him, had good strategic thinking. In the battle, the main goal of F.F. Ushakov has always been a flagship. When it was disabled, the order in the construction was violated. With his unpredictable actions, he brought chaos to the enemy line.. At the same time, the formation in his flotilla has always remained almost perfect.
Remarkable victories in the Black and Mediterranean Seas are associated with the name of Ushakov. He possessed an exceptional talent as a naval commander, striking with originality and novelty of tactics. He was an ardent enemy of routine and pattern. Like Suvorov on land, Ushakov was an innovator of tactics at sea.
Admiral Ushakov showed by his deed a qualitatively new stage in the development of the fleet. He was the first in the Russian Navy who broke the usual notions about the rules of naval battles. A vivid confirmation of this were his bright victories. And the capture of the impregnable fortress of Corfu by the ships of Ushakov's squadron was the pinnacle of naval genius.
Ushakov's innovative ideas, his irresistible desire for victory gave their exceptional result: of all the battles fought, he did not lose a single one! The fame of the invincible admiral thundered throughout Europe. He was recognized even by the British, who traditionally considered their authority on the seas untouchable, but at the same time leaving the palm to their famous compatriot, Horatio Nelson. However, a digression into history shows that Nelson everywhere followed in the footsteps of Ushakov. So, for example, the tactics that Nelson used in the defeat of the French fleet at Aboukir (August 2, 1798) was only a repetition of Ushakov's maneuver at Kaliakria. Here is how the well-known Soviet historian Trukhanovsky assesses the role of both naval commanders: “Nelson made fundamental changes in the tactics of naval warfare, introducing completely new tactics, which brought him world fame. Although this new tactic was first used by Russian Admiral F.F. Ushakov in the war against Turkey in the Black Sea, Nelson's actions finally approved it in naval practice.
The naval genius of Ushakov was multifaceted. He did everything to win a numerically superior and technically more advanced opponent. And it was not an end in itself, but a vital necessity. Russian ships were less maneuverable, more rolled and significantly inferior to the Turkish and French in speed. It was possible to resist the technical advantage of the enemy only with a higher level of training of the teams.
Therefore, Ushakov set one of the main tasks for the crews to prepare them for combat, improve, coherence and practice, while attaching special importance to the morale and spirit of the sailors.
A high sense of patriotism left a deep imprint on all of Ushakov's activities. Above all, he put the interests of Russia, was her ardent patriot. He spared no effort in order to achieve the glory and prosperity of the "dear Fatherland." At the same time, he respected and valued his people, believed in them. He brought up his subordinates in the spirit of patriotism and conscious service to the Fatherland. He combined strictness and intolerance to any disturbances with concern for people.
I saw in them not just performers, as, for example, it was in the fleets of many European states and Turkey, but servants, on whose diligence and skill success in battle depended. And the admiral himself set an example for the rest.
He was firm and resolute, which instilled confidence in those around him. Under no circumstances did he hide behind other people's backs and thereby win the respect and love of his subordinates. All this, of course, affected the course of the battles.
The Russian fleet defeated a numerically superior enemy thanks to the high skill of Russian sailors. Ushakov's tactics, successfully used in the battle of Tendra, were characterized by the swiftness of the enemy's attack, forcing the Turkish fleet to fight in unfavorable conditions for him, the rapid reorganization of the fleet during the battle from a marching order into a combat order, delivering artillery strikes from a short distance, and concentrating fire against enemy flagships. , using a tactical reserve to support the vanguard and intensify the attack against the Turkish flagships, resolutely pursuing the opponents with the provision of full initiative to the commanders of the ships. Important conditions that ensured the victory of the Black Sea Fleet were good training and high moral and combat qualities of the personnel of Russian ships.
When it came to the actual naval battles, Ushakov again does not behave like all civilized people. At that time, both the European and Turkish fleets sacredly adhered to the linear tactics of Paul Gost, which was included in all charters and textbooks and was considered ideal. It consisted in the fact that the ships lined up in two lines, converged and started messing with injuries and corpses. Such is the war, literally "according to GOST."
Ushakov, on the other hand, opposed this junk, at first glance, even more junk. And he fought not according to some GOST, but exclusively by the will of God. Specifically, according to the biblical principle of the prophet Zechariah: "I will strike the shepherd, and his sheep will be scattered." It may be funny, but the Turks, who always had a numerical superiority over our fleet, were not laughing. Ushakov, with small forces, lined up in a wedge, attacked the "shepherd", that is, the flagship, drowned or burned it - and the rest of the "sheep" really scrambled, losing their pants.
The Russian squadron won thanks to application of methods of maneuver tactics, which in this battle was characterized by:
– swiftness of attack the enemy from the march formation, which made it possible to most fully realize the achieved surprise during the battle;
– forcing the enemy to fight in unfavorable conditions for him when enemy ships were not ready for it;
– fast turnaround ships from marching formation to combat formation during the battle, using for this the most favorable moment when the enemy, while making a turn, could not use artillery;
– inflicting the main attack on the flagships superior forces from an extremely short distance, which made it possible to most effectively use artillery of all calibers;
– creating a tactical reserve and using it to strengthen the attack in decisive directions;
– persistent persecution the enemy with the provision of a broad initiative to the commanders of the ships in the development of the success achieved.
The most important factors that ensured the victory of the Russian fleet in the naval battle at Cape Tendra were high morale and combat qualities and excellent training of ship crews, achieved through hard work and a well-thought-out combat training system introduced by Fedor Ushakov in the Black Sea Fleet.
Of particular note is the high proficiency of ship commanders and gunners (artillerymen), on whom the outcome of a naval battle of sailing ships depended decisively. In this battle, Russian sailors demonstrated examples of courage and heroism. For example, the commander of the 46-gun frigate "John the Theologian", Captain 1st Rank Nikolai Kumani, on the orders of Fyodor Ushakov, came close to the enemy admiral's ship and fought for more than one hour not only with him, but also with another ship that came to the rescue. Nikolai Kumani stopped the pursuit only when a general signal was given to the squadron. For this, Captain 1st Rank Nikolai Kumani was awarded a golden sword with the inscription: "For courage."
Deep penetration of the outstanding naval commander F.F. Ushakov in the secrets of military science, his excellent knowledge of the psychology of the lower ranks, innovation in military practice - all this made him related to the great Suvorov. And Suvorov, in turn, highly appreciated Ushakov, felt their common approach to many issues.
But the main reason that served as a support for the appearance of the talented Admiral F.F. Ushakov, most likely, lies in the fact that the famous Russian naval commander had a deep knowledge of seafaring, naval combat tactics, a well-developed ability to make extraordinary decisions and leadership qualities, which he “managed” as skillfully as he managed his ships. It was all this that made up the talent of the naval commander, which became the main key to solving a very important problem for the country. During the time of Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov Russian empire firmly entrenched in the Black Sea as never before. Ushakov's strategy and tactics were subordinated to one goal - the destruction of enemy forces. Like Suvorov, Ushakov was always looking for a decisive battle. This gave his tactics a pronounced offensive character, and Ushakov's offensive maneuver tactics were fuller and richer than those of Western European admirals. Ushakov was never afraid to engage in battle with a numerically superior enemy. With all this, adventurism was alien to him, he never neglected caution.
Ushakov paid exceptionally great attention to the combat training of the squadron. Intense combat training, both in peacetime and in wartime, was the style of the admiral's daily work. In the most difficult days preceding the Battle of Kerch, Ushakov did not interrupt his studies on the squadron and, in his order of July 5, 1790, gave specific instructions to ship commanders on training gunners. The order spoke of the need to carry out daily exercises in rapid firing from cannons, to practice aiming guns, for which it was proposed to attach three gunners to each gun, changing them to perform duties in turn. On each ship, the commanders were required to arrange a personal examination of the gunners. To sum up the results of the artillery preparation, Ushakov planned to conduct a general exercise of the entire squadron with firing.
Ushakov achieved great success in organizing vigilant service on ships and in coastal fortresses, for which he widely used Peter's traditions - the exchange of prearranged signals when ships meet at sea and when ships approach fortresses. Ushakov paid much attention to organizing reconnaissance in the theater and studying the enemy.
The flourishing of naval art in Russia in the second half of the 18th century naturally coincided with the flourishing of all Russian military art during this period. From the moment of the organization of the regular army and navy under Peter I, the development of military art went in parallel with the naval art, expressing the growth of the regular armed forces of the Russian state. In this situation, Ushakov showed a correct understanding of the importance of the fleet for Russia and its place in the system of the armed forces.
This allowed Ushakov to become a great master of organizing the interaction of the fleet with the ground forces. Ushakov attached particular importance to the organization of regular formations of the ground forces (marine infantry) in the fleet. Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov devoted his entire life to the fleet. If, thanks to Rumyantsev and especially Suvorov, the Russian army not only preserved the glorious military traditions, but also significantly increased them, then in the fleet this merit belonged to Ushakov.
Candidate of Naval Sciences Captain 1st Rank R.N. MORDVINOV
Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov was born in 1744. At the age of sixteen, he was accepted as a cadet in the Naval Corps in St. Petersburg. At the end of the corps, Ushakov, released as a midshipman, participated in the voyage from Kronstadt to Arkhangelsk and off the coast of Sweden. Ushakov received his first combat experience during the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. During these years, he sailed first on the Sea of Azov, and then, as a commander of a small ship, on the Black Sea, where he first took part in hostilities. These voyages were for Ushakov an important stage in the improvement in naval affairs. Not satisfied with this, young Ushakov studied with great interest the rich experience of the Russian squadron's combat operations in the Mediterranean, especially in the Navarino and Chesme battles, as well as the actions of the Russian fleet in the Seven Years' War.
In 1776 Ushakov took part in the voyage from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Sea. From the end of May 1781, commanding the battleship Viktor, he sailed in the Mediterranean for a year as part of Admiral Sukhotin's squadron, which was sent there due to Catherine II's well-known declaration of armed neutrality. Soon after returning from this voyage, Ushakov took a direct part in the creation of the new Black Sea Fleet and was the first educator of the Black Sea sailors.
During this period, linear tactics dominated the sailing fleets of Western Europe. Its main principles were formulated at the end of the 17th century by the Frenchman Pavel Gost and set forth in his book, which appeared in 1697. These principles in a number of navies, and especially in French and English, were elevated to dogma, and in England they were even included in official instructions and regulations. The fleets were instructed to attack the entire line of the enemy at once, strictly observing the alignment in the ranks, and to fire only at the designated ship, not paying attention to the actions of the rest of the enemy ships and their own ships fighting nearby. At the same time, it was strictly forbidden for ships to go out of action in battles, and also to engage in battle with an enemy who had a numerical superiority in ships. All this fettered the initiative of ship commanders and squadron commanders, led to the stagnation of tactical thought, to stereotyped actions during naval battles. In addition, this predetermined defensive tactics, since each of the opponents was afraid to be in unfavorable conditions. There was no question of decisive battles. As a result, in the middle of the 18th century, the fleets of the Western European states experienced a pronounced crisis in naval tactics.
A different situation developed in the Russian fleet, where from the very beginning of the development of tactical thought, template and routine were alien to it. Peter I and subsequent Russian naval commanders brought a lot of new, original things to the tactics of the fleet. So, for example, the Gangut victory of Peter I (1714) was an example of a combination of military cunning and maneuver used when the Russian galley squadron met the Swedish naval fleet. The attack and destruction of Swedish sailing ships near Grengam by Russian galleys under the command of Golitsyn (1720) was also peculiar. The tactics of the outstanding Russian admiral Grigory Spiridov were completely different from the tactics of the fleets of Western European countries. In the Battle of Chesme (1770), along with the use of the battle line in the formation of the squadron (during the battle in the Chios Strait on June 24), he skillfully organized the maneuver of a specially detached detachment of ships, which provided (in the battle in Chesme Bay on June 26) artillery support for the fire attack, as a result of which almost the entire Turkish fleet was destroyed.
But if under Gangut and Grengam the basis of tactics was boarding (galleys against sailing ships), and under Chesma - an attack on the enemy at anchor, then Ushakov enriched tactics with a wide use of maneuver in a naval battle. In innovation, in the decisive rejection of outdated views on combat, in the courage of the search, was the creative power of Ushakov's art.
The novelty of Ushakov's tactics met with both open and covert opposition from the side of the reactionary representatives of the fleet, who cringed before foreign countries. But the results of the battles conducted by Ushakov were the best defense of his advanced tactical views. In the fight against the old, conservative views on the forms and methods of warfare, with the attempts of foreign naval officers who were in the service of the Russian fleet to implant the tactics of the Western fleets, Ushakov's tactics were more and more thoroughly introduced into the practice of combat operations of the Russian fleet.
Ushakov firmly remembered the warning of Peter I that when using the statutes "do not adhere to the rules, like a blind wall, because the rules are written there, but there are no times and cases." Ushakov's maneuvering tactics did not exclude the line as one of the elements of the battle order, but the line was not the only form of formation for him, it was entirely subordinated to maneuver. Ushakov combined the linear order with maneuvering and rebuilding into other battle formations and showed examples of the offensive tactics of the sailing fleet - covering the flank, dismembering the enemy formation, etc.
Each battle conducted by Ushakov contained new tactics that corresponded to the specific situation and conditions of hostilities. Already in the battle with the Turkish fleet near the island of Fidonisi in 1788, Ushakov proved himself to be an innovative naval commander.
On June 18, 1788, Russian troops besieged the Turkish fortress Ochakov. In early July, Suvorov was called to Ochakov from Kinburn, who was entrusted with the command of the left wing of the advancing troops. On the same day, June 18, a Russian squadron under the command of Voinovich left Sevastopol for Ochakov. The squadron consisted of two ships of the line, two 50-gun ships, eight 40-gun ships, one 18-gun frigate, 20 smaller sailing ships and two firewalls.
The task of the Voinovich squadron was to prevent the Turkish squadron from assisting the enemy troops besieged in Ochakovo and to assist the Russian troops in every possible way, as well as to prevent the enemy squadron from reaching the shores of Taurida. Due to headwinds, the movement of the Russian squadron was greatly delayed, and it approached Tendra Island only on June 29. The Turkish squadron seen here consisted of 15 battleships, eight frigates, three bombardment and 21 smaller ships.
At dawn the next day, with a northerly wind, the Russian squadron went to approach the enemy, who had taken up the windward position, and lining up in the battle line on the left tack, prepared for battle, waiting for the enemy to attack (indecision typical of Voinovich). The Turkish squadron, approaching three and a half kilometers, entered the battle line. In the first hour of the day there was a calm, and the ships stopped. With the strengthening of the wind, the Russians again began to approach. Then the Turkish ships, taking advantage of the course (they had a copper sheathing), began to move away without accepting the battle. The Russians pursued the Turks, who were leaving for the Rumelian shores, while the Russian squadron sought to take a windward position. By evening, the Turks slowed down; the Russians also lowered their sails. With the onset of darkness, the fleets again dispersed.
On the morning of July 3, not far from the mouth of the Danube, near the island of Fidonisi, the fleets met again. The enemy still maintained a windward position. At 8 o'clock, the Russian squadron tacked and lined up in the battle line on the left tack, countertack in relation to the enemy. At 2 p.m., the enemy, taking advantage of the windward position, began to descend in two columns, of which the first, under the command of Gesen Pasha, attacked the Russian avant-garde, and the second rushed to the corde battle and the rear guard, trying to paralyze them and prevent their avant-garde from being able to help ( Ushakov). After 5 minutes, the battle began. Two ships of the line and two 50-gun frigates of Ushakov's avant-garde were attacked, while against each of these ships there were five enemy ships. Occupying an advantageous windward position, the Turks kept at such a distance that it made it impossible for Russian 40-gun frigates with 12-pounder guns to conduct effective fire, due to which only advanced ships could successfully operate from the Russian side (i.e., the vanguard under the command of Ushakov) .
Despite unfavorable conditions, the ships of the Ushakov avant-garde fired real and well-aimed fire at the Turks who attacked him, and after 40 minutes the enemy attack was repelled, and the line of his ships was upset. The flagship of the first column itself was forced out of line. An attempt by the enemy to cut off two of Ushakov's frigates, Borislav and Strela, also ended unsuccessfully. Ushakov, on the battleship St. Paul, taking advantage of the confusion of the enemy, himself went on a decisive counterattack and, adding sails, from close range inflicted great damage on the flagship of the Turks Kapudania, forcing him to turn back. When turning the enemy ship, the frigates "Borislav" and "Strela" fired at him with volleys from the whole side, while the enemy was deprived of the opportunity to respond in kind. Other ships of the Ushakov avant-garde supported the counterattack of their flagship with heavy fire on the upset Turkish column.
The battle continued until 4 p.m. 55 minutes, after which the enemy ships, having raised all the sails, hurried to leave the battlefield, while losing the shebeka sunk by the fire of Ushakov's flagship. The losses of Ushakov's vanguard amounted to only five killed and two wounded. The attack of the Ushakov avant-garde could bring significantly great results, if not for the inaction of Voinovich, who did not support Ushakov and limited himself to only a rare skirmish with the far-distant ships of the second column of the Turkish fleet. Voinovich did not help Ushakov in the pursuit of the enemy leaving the battlefield. The battle was limited to a battle between the Ushakov avant-garde and the numerically superior first column of the Turkish squadron.
On July 5, the Turkish fleet appeared near Ak-Meschet. The Russian squadron patrolling here did not let the enemy in, and the latter was forced to retreat to Cape Kherson, from where on July 6 he turned into the sea and went to the Rumelian shores.
On July 1, 1788, Russian troops launched their first offensive against Ochakov. As a result of the successful actions of the Suvorov troops during the second half of the year, the Turkish fortress, which was considered impregnable, was taken on December 6.
The battle of Fidonisi is an example of the successful interaction of the squadron with the ground forces in operations against the seaside fortress (Ochakov). Ushakov, taking the initiative, contrary to the canons of formal linear tactics, enters into battle with superior enemy forces and strikes the main blow against the Turkish flagship (first column) with a bold counterattack.
In the battle of Fidonisi, Ushakov also violated other requirements of formal linear tactics, which ordered the flagship to be in the center of the line of his ships. Setting an example for the rest of the courts, Ushakov led the way. This favorite technique and in the future brought him continued success.
July 8, 1790 Ushakov held the battle of Kerch. The battle was preceded by the cruising of the Ushakov squadron off the Anatolian coast, which lasted from May 16 to June 5, 1790, about which Ushakov wrote: "... parts of the squadrons that left Constantinople this spring to seek their salvation, hiding under the fortresses ... Being at Sinop for three days, the city, the fortress and the ships were kept in a perfect attack, having a contented skirmish with them, all the time the cruising ships took the ones that came across and took them out near Sinop almost from under the very fortresses, merchant ships ... eight ships were taken, of which two were burned, leading out in front of the city at Sinop, and six were brought to Sevastopol ... ".
On the way back, on the night of June 1-2, Ushakov's squadron had a battle with the batteries of the Anapa fortress and Turkish ships stationed near Anapa. Ushakov reported to Potemkin about this battle: “Having launched all the rowboats, around midnight he pulled against the enemy ships and began firing at them with cannonballs, bombs and brandskugels, but they fired fierce fire against us from all batteries and also firing with cannonballs, threw small bombs and karkazy, which, not reaching, were torn in the air, and many of the cores flew over our ships, and from us several brandskugels lay down and burned on the shore near the batteries, and the bombs exploded on them. Only the absence of firewalls in the squadron prevented Ushakov from completely destroying the Turkish ships. But this battle was not the main goal of the campaign. Ushakov had long sought to inflict such a blow on the Turkish fleet that would thwart the enemy’s plan to land troops in the Crimea. As early as July 30, 1789, Ushakov reported to Rear Admiral Voinovich, then commander of the Black Sea Fleet, about the preparation of a Turkish landing in the Crimea and that the enemy had designated Anapa as the point of concentration of forces, from where he planned to attack Yenikale and Kerch. Due to the unpreparedness of the Turkish ships, the planned landing in the Crimea did not take place at that time and was postponed to the campaign of 1790.
The need to replenish ship's stores and carry out minor maintenance on some ships forced the Russian squadron to temporarily withdraw to Sevastopol. By this time, Ushakov was appointed instead of the indecisive Voinovich, the commander of the ship fleet. On July 2, 1790, Ushakov again went to sea, holding the flag on the battleship "Christmas". His squadron included 10 battleships, six frigates, one bombing ship, one rehearsal ship, 13 cruising light ships, and two fireships. Before going to sea, an order was sent to all ships: "Announce to every one in the fleet that the fleet, glorified by victories over the enemy, should increase the glory of the imperial flag, demand from each performance of the post without sparing life."
Before going out to sea, Ushakov received information from observation posts located on the Crimean coast that the Turkish fleet was visible at Tarkhanov-Kut on June 28, then passed at a close distance from Sevastopol and Balaklava, after which it headed east. It was obvious that the Turkish squadron headed for Anapa to receive troops and, together with other ships stationed there, move to the Crimean coast for a long-planned landing. Assessing the current situation, Ushakov decided to leave the Sevastopol Bay to head to the Kerch Strait and take a position near Cape Takla, on the path of the most likely movement of the Turkish landing force. At the same time, some of the light cruising ships were sent by Ushakov for reconnaissance. At 10 am on July 8, a Turkish squadron consisting of 10 battleships, eight frigates and 36 smaller ships was seen from Anapa. The wind was moderate, blowing from the east-northeast. The Ushakov squadron, contrary to the routine rules of linear tactics, which required in such cases to fight not under sail, but at anchor, weighed anchor and, following under sail, lined up in the battle line. At about 12 noon, the Turks launched an attack on the Russian avant-garde, commanded by the captain of the brigadier rank G.K. Golenkin.
The vanguard repulsed the attack and with its fire confused the enemy. In view of the failure of the first attack, the commander of the Turkish squadron (Kapudan Pasha) put new ships into action to strengthen the attack against the Russian avant-garde. Then Ushakov ordered the frigates to withdraw from the general line of formation and form a reserve in order to use it at the decisive moment in the right direction. The rest of the ships of the center (corde battles) pulled up to the vanguard and began to assist him in repelling the enemy attack. By 2 pm the wind direction became north-north-east, which was beneficial for the Russians. Ushakov, taking advantage of this, approached the enemy at a shotgun shot, put all his guns into action and resolutely went on the offensive. Unable to withstand the fire of the Russians, the Turkish ships, which were in close proximity to the flagship of the Russian squadron, began to turn and leave the battle. Two Turkish ships, which received damage to the masts, went beyond the line of Russian ships. To cover these ships, Kapudan Pasha tried to pass the Russian system on a countercourse. The Russian ships, turning the tack, once again from close range fell upon the Turkish ships with their fire. and inflicted more damage on them. Ushakov, with particular energy, attacked the Turkish commander and his second flagship, who were trying to cover their most damaged ships. By 17:00, the enemy finally gave up resistance and, pursued by Russian ships, began to retreat. In an effort to complete the blow, Ushakov ordered to hastily line up in a battle line and pursue the enemy, not observing the usual designated places, and he himself took a place ahead of his ships.
As a result of a successful battle, the landing of Turkish troops in the Crimea was thwarted. Many Turkish ships were seriously damaged, and one messenger ship with a crew was sunk. The Turks lost many killed and wounded. On the ships of the Russian squadron, the losses amounted to 29 killed and 68 wounded. On July 12, Ushakov returned to Sevastopol with a victory.
Tactically, the battle of Kerch is characterized by Ushakov's pronounced desire for decisive offensive actions. Ushakov seeks to approach at the shortest distance, in order to use both artillery (bucket shot) and rifle fire and thereby inflict the greatest losses on the landing force on enemy ships. This battle is also characterized by the concentration of fire on the Turkish flagships in order to deprive the enemy of leadership and stamina. The withdrawal of frigates from the general formation deserves attention, as a result of which the maximum density of the squadron's linear forces was created and the effectiveness of artillery fire was increased, as well as a reserve of ships was formed at the disposal of the flagship. Finally, it should be noted that at the final moment of the battle, Ushakov, contrary to the requirements of formal tactics, in accordance with the situation, orders the ships to line up, not observing the assigned places, and himself becomes the head of the fleet.
Having made the necessary repairs after the battle of Kerch and having replenished ship supplies, Ushakov again began to prepare for a meeting with the enemy, whose ships again began to appear off the Crimean coast. Ushakov carefully watched their movement, receiving reports from posts, and sometimes personally leaving for the coast, from where the enemy was visible. At the same time, Ushakov received detailed information from Kherson from the commander of the Liman flotilla, De Ribas. who reported to Ushakov about all the Turkish ships seen in the area of the northwestern coast of the Black Sea. Painstakingly collecting intelligence data, Ushakov carefully prepared for the resumption of active searches for Turkish forces at sea. On August 6, Ushakov wrote to Kherson: “...Today 29 ships were seen ... It is very necessary to find out their enterprise in order not only to prevent, but also to take advantage of it ... Is it possible, dear sir, through any means from the Danube to find out where their main fleet is now, in which place, whether they are united in one place, or whether they will be squadrons, in order therefore to arrange our actions.
The next exit to the sea was allowed to Ushakov only after the completion of several ships in the port of Kherson, which were supposed to strengthen his squadron. Having received information about the readiness of these ships, Ushakov on August 24 ordered the withdrawal of both his squadron and the Liman flotilla. On August 25, 1790, Ushakov's squadron left Sevastopol and headed for the mouth of the Dnieper-Bug estuary, where it was supposed to connect with the Liman flotilla and the ships that left Kherson. Ushakov had 10 battleships, 6 frigates, 1 bombardment ship, 1 rehearsal ship and 17 cruisers. The Turkish squadron, consisting of 14 battleships, 8 frigates and 14 small ships under the command of Kapudan Pasha Hussein, was cruising off the northwestern coast of the Black Sea at that time.
At 6 o'clock in the morning on August 28, the Russian squadron discovered the Turkish squadron anchored between Tendra and Khadzhibey (Odessa). The appearance of Russian ships was completely unexpected for the Turks. Ushakov decided to use surprise and, without wasting time on rebuilding from marching order to combat, he ordered an immediate attack on the enemy.
Taken by surprise, the Turks, despite their numerical superiority, hastily began to cut the ropes and at 9 o'clock in disorder rushed to sail towards the Danube. Occupying a windward position, Ushakov, at full sail, rushed in pursuit, intending to intercept the lagging enemy ships. The threat of capture by Russian sailors of the terminal Turkish ships forced Kapudan Pasha to turn back and cover the lagging ships. Having lowered into the wind, the Turkish fleet hastily lined up in the battle line. Continuing to attack the enemy, Ushakov also reorganized the squadron from marching formation to combat, and then, turning on the opposite course, took a windward position and lay down on a course parallel to the enemy's course. At the same time, three frigates were ordered to leave the line of battle, form a reserve and be in the wind at the vanguard, in order to repel an enemy attempt to attack the vanguard if necessary.
At about 15 o'clock, Ushakov, having approached the enemy at a distance of a canister shot, started a battle with the whole system, especially strongly attacking the enemy center, where the Turkish flagship ship was located. After an hour and a half of battle, the Turkish ships, having received significant damage and suffered losses in personnel, began to leave the battle line. The Russian ships intensified their fire even more and at about 17 o'clock brought the enemy into complete confusion. The Turks could not stand it and, turning through the gybe to the wind, began to disengage from the battle in disarray. When turning, they put their ships under the longitudinal volleys of Russian ships.
In an effort to completely defeat the Turkish squadron, Ushakov raised the signal "Drive the enemy", and he himself began to pursue the flagship of the Turks. The pursuit of the departing enemy ships continued until dark. At 22 o'clock Ushakov, having sent light ships to Ochakov, anchored. With the dawn of the next day, the Turkish fleet was again discovered not far from the Russian squadron. As Ushakov reported later in his report, the Turkish ships were moving in disorder in different directions.
Pursuing the enemy, the Russian squadron cut off two battleships damaged in battle, of which one, the Meleki-Bakhri, was captured, and the other, the flagship Kapudania, on fire, soon exploded. Turkish Admiral Seid-Ali and about 100 officers and sailors from the Kapudaniya were taken prisoner. During the hasty flight of the rest of the fleet to the Bosporus, the Turks lost another badly damaged ship of the line and several small ones. Losses in the personnel of the enemy amounted to more than 2 thousand people. The Russians lost only 41 people, of which 25 were wounded. The captured battleship "Meleki-Bakhri" after correction became part of the Black Sea Fleet under the name "John the Baptist".
The Liman flotilla, due to the headwind, was unable to connect with Ushakov before the battle. After the battle, she was instructed to take the captured ships to Kherson.
A feature of Ushakov's tactics in this battle was a sudden attack of the enemy without rebuilding from marching order to combat. Otherwise, the same methods were used as in the Kerch battle, i.e. the allocation of a reserve of frigates, rapprochement and battle at a distance of a canister shot, an attack on the flagships in order to disable them in the first place.
Soon after the battle of Tendra, Ushakov, based on the combat experience of the last battles (near Kerch and Tendra), proposed to allocate a special group of ships to attack the enemy's flagships, which was approved by Potemkin. Such a group of ships was called the "Keyser flag" squadron.
Ushakov's tactical techniques cannot be considered apart from the whole complex of techniques used in each specific battle. So, for example, in the battle of Tendra on August 28-29, 1790, Ushakov’s attack on the Turkish squadron from the move would not have given an effect in itself without the timely formation of a battle line, allocation of reserves and attacks on flagships, pursuit of the enemy, etc.
The saturation of each of the battles conducted by Ushakov with new techniques, their skillful combination with techniques already known before, clearly confirms with what exceptional speed he oriented himself in the situation and knew how to make the right decision, to what a high degree he possessed the Suvorov "eye".
In the second half of September 1790, when Russian troops were approaching the Danube, it was necessary to send a rowing flotilla from the Dnieper-Bug Estuary to the Danube. Ushakov personally developed a warrant for the passage of the flotilla, which was presented to its commander on September 28, 1790, and a plan for covering the flotilla from the sea from possible interference by the Turkish fleet. The general situation after the defeat of the Turkish squadron near Tendra was quite successful, but unfavorable winds did not allow the flotilla to leave the estuary for a long time, in connection with which Ushakov himself was delayed with the exit. Only on October 16, having received information about the exit of the flotilla, Ushakov went to sea. In his squadron there were 14 battleships, 4 frigates and 17 cruisers. On October 17, after a short stop in Khadzhibey, the Liman flotilla, consisting of 38 rowboats and a detachment of transports with a landing party (800 people), reached the mouth of the Dniester, where the next day it joined the flotilla of Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, consisting of 48 boats and headed for the Sulinsky arm of the Danube. Here, the Turkish river flotilla (23 ships) and two coastal batteries (13 guns) blocked the way.
By decisive actions of the command of the Russian flotilla, this obstacle was quickly eliminated. The batteries were taken in battle by landing (about 600 people) landed from the ships of the flotilla, and the enemy flotilla, defeated in battle, having lost a floating battery and 7 transport ships with ammunition and food, hastily retreated up the Danube. Continuing to operate on the Danube, the Russian Liman flotilla occupied the Turkish fortress of Tulcha on November 6 and 7, and on November 13, the fortress of Isakcha. In battles with enemy flotillas located at these fortresses, a large number of Turkish ships, guns, ammunition and food were destroyed, burned and captured.
In accordance with the plan, Ushakov's squadron approached the Danube on October 21, when the rearguard of the Liman flotilla was already entering the mouth. Ushakov's task was to prevent the penetration of enemy reinforcements from the sea into the Danube and thereby ensure the successful operations of the Russian rowing flotilla allocated to help Suvorov. Ushakov remained at the mouth of the Danube until November 10, after which he went in search of the enemy to the Rumelian shores, and on November 14, 1790, when it became clear that the Turkish fleet could not interfere with the actions of the flotilla on the Danube, he returned to Sevastopol.
On November 18, the rowing flotilla began a systematic bombardment of Izmail and Turkish ships, which were under the protection of the fortress. Between November 18 and 27, the Russian flotilla destroyed 43 coasters, 45 transport ships, 10 boats, a schooner and more than 40 ferries.
Immediately before the assault on Izmail by the troops of the Suvorov flotilla (567 guns), together with the batteries of the island of Chatal, bombarded Izmail, and on the day of the assault took part in the capture of the fortress. It is known that Izmail was taken by a concentric attack of nine columns: six attacked from land and three columns, made up of troops, stormed the fortress from the side of the river.
The flotilla operated in the assault on Izmail in two lines: in the first line there were ships with landing forces, in the second - ships that covered the landing with the fire of their guns. On December 11, in the morning, the flotilla, under the cover of continuous fire from ship's guns, landed troops. His first column quickly took possession of the fortifications on the coast. The second column met stronger resistance, but still took possession of the enemy battery. The third column went ashore in the most difficult conditions, under heavy fire from the enemy redoubt. All three columns, after fierce fighting, united with the troops who stormed the fortress from land. On this day, all the fortifications were in the hands of the Russians. The assault on the city itself began, and among the detachments that were the first to break into the center of the city, there was a landing force landed from the ships of the flotilla.
The capture of Ismail by Suvorov and the actions of Ushakov during this period in the Black Sea theater were based on a single strategic plan. By defeating the Turkish fleet near Tendra and subsequent actions, Ushakov ensured the safe passage of the flotilla to the Danube and covered its operations from the sea during the period of direct advance to Izmail, which rendered a serious service to Suvorov's troops. The actions of the Liman flotilla near Izmail were highly appreciated by Suvorov and Potemkin.
The campaign of 1791 was marked by new successes of the Russian troops. With the support of the river flotilla, the city of Brailov was taken by storm. On June 28, Repnin's troops defeated an 80,000-strong Turkish army near Machin. With the loss of this army, the enemy lost his last reserves. Soon, the peace talks between Russia and Turkey, which had begun even earlier, resumed. The desire of the Russian government to conclude peace as soon as possible was due to the fact that Catherine II, frightened by the revolution that had begun in France, now saw the main content of her foreign policy in the fight against it. Turkey, having suffered heavy defeats on land, was no longer able to wage any effective war, but, relying on a still strong fleet, dragged out negotiations, trying to negotiate more favorable peace terms for itself.
The matter was accelerated by the brilliant victory of the Ushakov squadron over the Turkish fleet at Cape Kaliakria on July 31, 1791. In this battle, the Russians had 16 battleships, 2 frigates, 2 bombardment ships, a firewall and 13 light ships; the Turks have 18 battleships, 17 frigates and 43 light ships. Kapudan Pasha Hussein commanded the Turkish fleet.
On July 29, Ushakov's squadron left Sevastopol and headed for the Rumelian shores. At noon on July 31, Ushakov saw a Turkish squadron anchored near Cape Kaliakria. As well as near Tendra, Ushakov suddenly and swiftly attacked the Turkish squadron, without reorganizing from marching order to combat. In order to take a windward position (the wind was north), Ushakov went between the coast and the Turkish squadron and, despite the fire of the enemy's coastal batteries, at 14 o'clock. 45 min. cut off the Turkish ships from the shore. The appearance of the Russian squadron and the attack of the Turkish fleet were so sudden and swift that part of the personnel sent ashore (it was a Muslim holiday) could not return to the ships. The enemy hurriedly cut anchors and retreated in confusion, trying to line up in the battle line. Continuously attacking the stunned enemy, the Russian squadron continued to be in the march formation of three columns. Kapudan Pasha managed to line up some of the Turkish ships in line on the right tack, but soon the enemy fleet changed lines on the left tack. At 15 o'clock. 30 min. Ushakov, attacking the enemy in the direction of the wind from the north-north-east, reorganized into a battle line parallel to the Turkish fleet.
The advance detachment of the Turks under the command of Said-Ali, forcing sails, tried to take a windward position. Then Ushakov on the ship "Christmas" went out of order and attacked the ship Said-Ali. In his report to Potemkin, Ushakov wrote about this moment of the battle: “At the same time, I noticed that Said-Ali, with the vice admiral’s ship of the red flag and other large and several frigates, being himself the advanced one, was in a hurry to separate forward, winning the wind, therefore, to prevent I chased after him with the ship "Christmas of Christ", following our line ahead, and with a signal I confirmed to the fleet to fulfill the behavior and close the distance. Build the line of our fleet at the closest distance against the enemy and catch up with the advanced ship of Pasha Said-Ali, with a signal ordered the entire fleet to descend to the enemy at close range, and the ship under my flag "Christmas of Christ", approaching our advanced ship at a distance of half a cable, attacked it. The Said-Ali ship, having received severe damage in the hull and mast, went down to the wind. Then Ushakov attacked another flagship, which was forced to turn away with heavy damage. The strike on the flagships contributed to the rapid demoralization of the enemy squadron.
The stubborn battle, during which the Turkish ships (especially the flagships) received heavy damage, lasted more than three and a half hours. The decisive attack of the Russian squadron led to the fact that the Turkish ships mixed up in a heap and began to leave in disorder towards the Bosphorus. Ushakov organized the pursuit of the defeated Turkish fleet. About 20 o'clock. 30 min. due to the onset of darkness, the Turkish ships began to disappear from view. Soon the conditions for the pursuit of the Turks were extremely unfavorable, as a calm set in, which was then replaced by a favorable wind for the enemy. Only at 6 o'clock in the morning on August 1, the Russians again saw the Turkish squadron, moving towards Constantinople. Ushakov added as much sail as he could, trying to catch up with the enemy, but the intensifying stormy north wind and heavy seas prevented this. In addition, several ships of the Ushakov squadron were damaged in battle, and on the battleship "Alexander" a dangerous leak formed in the hull from hitting nuclei, which made it impossible to continue the pursuit in stormy conditions. Having sent several ships to cruise to the Rumelian shores, Ushakov approached Cape Emine with the fleet and began to repair the damage. Putting themselves in order, the squadron returned to Sevastopol. In his report, Ushakov wrote: "During the former 31st day of the battle, all the commanders of the ships and various ranks of the Black Sea fleet, the servants on it, with extreme zeal and unparalleled courage and courage, did their duty ..." In the same place, Ushakov emphasizes the role of reserves in this fight. So, a reserve of 24 bombardment ships and one frigate was used in the direction of the main attack, while another reserve, consisting of small bombardment and a large number cruising ships, was used to pursue single enemy ships and destroy boats with Turks fleeing on them. The report says about this: "and during the cruisers sent from me in pursuit of the ships ... many enemy ships were driven ashore, flooded, and some were burned, the fleeing enemy people were beaten and drowned in a multitude ...". In this battle, Ushakov applied a new tactical technique - an attack from the coast, a technique that was then adopted by the English Admiral Nelson, using it seven years later in the battle of Aboukir against the French squadron.
Ushakov's victory at Kaliakria decisively influenced the course of the entire campaign. December 29, 1791 Turkey hurried to make peace on favorable terms for Russia. According to the Peace of Yassy in 1791, the terms of the Kuchuk-Kaynardzhi agreement were confirmed, the new border of Russia along the Dniester was recognized, as well as the annexation of Crimea to Russia.
Showing great skill in naval battles, Ushakov with no less success carried out military operations related to the blockade of the enemy coast, landings, attacking fortresses, etc. In them, just as in naval battles, he was an enemy of inertness and routine. A good example of this is the siege and capture of the island of Corfu, which was considered an impregnable fortress.
Ushakov took possession of the fortress at a time when the big commercial and industrial bourgeoisie, which had come to power in France, intensified its aggressive policy. French expansion was directed primarily against England, but at the same time it also threatened Russia and Turkey. Having received after the defeat of Austria the Venetian possessions - the Ionian Islands and several fortresses in Albania - Bonaparte tried with all his might to keep them behind him. In his report to the Directory dated August 27, 1797, he wrote: "The islands of Corfu, Zante and Kefalonia are more important to us than all of Italy together." Bonaparte primarily took into account the strategic position of the Ionian Islands, the mastery of which made it easier for him to move towards Egypt, Asia Minor, the Balkans and the Black Sea possessions of Russia. In addition, having established himself in the Ionian Islands, Bonaparte became a neighbor of Turkey and could exert strong political pressure on it. This is important to emphasize, because France already had quite a lot of influence in Turkey, and she was already leaning towards an alliance with Bonaparte against Russia.
It is quite understandable that these circumstances caused serious anxiety in the Russian ruling circles. The alarm increased even more when it became known that the French in Toulon and Marseille were intensively preparing for the implementation of active hostilities. A rumor spread that the French fleet under the Turkish flag would enter the Black Sea and begin hostilities against Russia. But soon the direction of French expansion in the Mediterranean was somewhat clarified. Abandoning active action directly against the British Isles, Bonaparte in May 1798 undertook his Egyptian campaign, the main purpose of which was to capture Egypt and from there threaten British possessions in India. By their invasion of Egypt, the French committed direct aggression against Turkey, of which Egypt was a province at that time, and created a direct threat to the Turkish Empire, forcing the latter to ask for help from Russia.
The Egyptian campaign of Bonaparte also affected the interests of Russia. Having established their dominance in Egypt, the French could constantly threaten the Black Sea straits, and consequently, the Black Sea possessions of Russia. In addition, it was quite obvious that without the help of Russia, Turkey would not be able to protect the passages to the Black Sea.
Thus, French expansion in the Mediterranean created an extremely difficult military and political situation not only in the Mediterranean region, but throughout Europe. The complexity of this situation was aggravated by the fact that at that time a sharp internal struggle unfolded in Italy: the power of the Bourbons was overthrown, and the king of Italy was forced to flee and ask for help from the Russian Tsar Paul I. In this situation, Russia opposed France.
To participate in the war in the Mediterranean, a squadron under the command of Admiral Ushakov was allocated, which left Sevastopol on August 13, 1798, consisting of 6 ships, 7 frigates and 3 messenger ships. The ships carried 1,700 Marines. Upon the arrival of the squadron in the Dardanelles, a Turkish squadron consisting of 4 ships, 6 frigates and 14 gunboats entered into submission to Ushakov. On September 12, Ushakov sent 4 frigates and 10 gunboats under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Sorokin to blockade Alexandria and destroy French batteries in Aboukir, since Nelson's English squadron after the victory over the French itself turned out to be so shabby that it was no longer able to solve combat missions and intended to leave for Sicily. On September 20, the Russian and Turkish squadrons left the Dardanelles. In a short time, from September 28 to November 5, Ushakov expelled the French from the islands of Tserigo, Zante, Kefalonia and Santa Maura. Following this, he undertook an effective blockade of the island of Corfu with the aim of capturing it.
Corfu has long been considered the key to the Adriatic Sea. For five centuries it was owned by the Venetians, who did a lot to strengthen it. After the capture of the island by Napoleon, French engineers significantly strengthened the fortifications of Corfu, turning it into an impregnable fortress. By the beginning of the siege of the fortress, she was armed with up to 650 fortress guns, a garrison of 3,000 people and a six-month supply of food. From the sea, the fortress was covered by two islands - Vido and Lazaretto; on the first of them there were powerful fortifications with a large number of artillery pieces.
In the twentieth of October, a detachment of captain 1st rank Selivachev approached Corfu, who, on the orders of Ushakov, began to implement the blockade. On November 9, Ushakov approached Corfu with the main forces. The squadron anchored south of the fortress. The allied fleet experienced an acute shortage of food. In addition, there were not enough landing troops to attack the fortress. The troops promised by Turkey did not arrive, and the receipt of reinforcements was delayed by lengthy negotiations.
Despite all the difficulties, Ushakov established a tight blockade of Corfu, depriving the French garrison of the opportunity to receive any outside help. In addition, in order to stop the attempts of the French to procure provisions for themselves by robbing local residents, a small landing force was landed on Corfu, and batteries were installed at the ends of the island. The battery, built on the northern side of the island, already in November 1798 began a systematic bombardment of the French fortifications.
On November 22, a schooner and two brigantines with food came to Ushakov from Sevastopol. On December 30, Rear Admiral Pustoshki arrived from Sevastopol with two new 74-gun ships. By January 1, 1799, Ushakov already had 12 ships, 11 frigates and several small vessels at his disposal. By 25 January additional forces had arrived.
The entire period of the siege of the island of Corfu, which lasted three and a half months, was full of numerous combat clashes between the ships of the Russian squadron and the French ships stationed near the island. These duels of ships, as well as the systematic shelling of the fortress by Russian batteries, exhausted the enemy. However, a decisive assault on the fortress required concerted action by all forces. Meanwhile, the Turkish command did not fulfill its supply obligations and delayed the sending of the promised landing force, which put Ushakov in a difficult position.
Despite this, Ushakov actively prepared for the assault. Having studied the approaches to the island of Corfu, he correctly concluded that the sharp Vido was the key to the fortress. At the same time, he understood that it would be extremely difficult to take the heavily fortified island of Vido only by landing forces, but Ushakov firmly decided to take it. The general signal for the assault on the island of Corfu was to be given simultaneously with the assault on the island of Vido. On the eve of the assault, a council of admirals and ship commanders was convened, at which Ushakov announced his decision and plan of action.
Preparing for the assault, Ushakov conducted a series of exercises, during which he devoted Special attention the manufacture of siege ladders and fascines and the ability to use them. Much attention was also paid to communication issues, for which a table of 130 conditional flag signals was developed.
The attack on Vido Island began on February 18, 1799 at 7 am. Frigates, sailing, opened fire on the batteries and coastal structures of the island. This was followed by a powerful fire on manpower and coastal batteries of the enemy and from the rest of the ships, which anchored according to the disposition. Several ships were assigned to a separate detachment with the task of bombarding the raid and counteracting any supply of reinforcements to the island of Vido. The same detachment was instructed to fire on enemy ships and frigates located on the western side of Vido Island.
Ushakov, on the ship "St. Pavel", accompanied by a frigate, personally checked the correct placement of ships according to the disposition, and then, approaching the distance of a canister shot to the largest battery, together with the frigate destroyed it in a short time. By 11 o'clock the fire of the enemy batteries had considerably weakened. A signal was raised on the flagship: "to begin the landing." In total, more than 2,000 people were landed. Naval artillery fire continued during the landing. By 2 p.m. Vido Island was taken. Of the garrison, numbering up to 800 people, 422 people were taken prisoner.
At the same time, a general assault on the fortress of Corfu began. The troops landed on the island immediately rushed to attack the outer defensive structures of the fortress. The first attack was repulsed, and only when reinforcements were received, the second attack ended in success. The French commandant sent Ushakov a letter asking for a truce for 24 hours, during which he undertook to sign a surrender. The next day, the French General Chabot arrived on Ushakov's ship St. Paul, signing the terms of unconditional surrender.
The capture by Ushakov of the strongest sea fortress of Corfu was an unprecedented victory for that time. Ushakov again demonstrated high naval art, and Russian sailors showed excellent fighting qualities. The success of this battle was largely facilitated by the fact that Ushakov, having correctly assessed the situation, decided to attack Vido Island first from the sea and then from land, although this was contrary to obsolete traditions, according to which the fleet can only block coastal fortresses.
During the period of the siege and capture of the fortress of Corfu, Ushakov showed an incomparably higher skill than the famous English admiral Nelson, who besieged the island of Malta and the much less powerful fortress on it, La Valetta, in the same period. If it took Ushakov only three months to capture Corfu, then Nelson spent more than a year on the siege of Malta. At the same time, he himself did not wait for the capture of Malta, leaving for England.
Having received the news of Ushakov's victory on the island of Corfu, Suvorov exclaimed: "Our Great Peter is alive! "- even now we see. Hurrah! To the Russian Fleet! .. Now I say to myself: why was I not even a midshipman at Corfu?"
After the capture of the island of Corfu, the combat operations of the Ushakov squadron were transferred to the coast of southern Italy. Suvorov, who at that time commanded the allied Russian-Austrian armies, suggested that Ushakov send a detachment of ships to the Adriatic coast of Italy to blockade Ancona, since the French ships stationed there could intercept Austrian transport ships and thereby threaten communications important for Russia's ally - Austria. At the request of Suvorov, in May 1799, Ushakov sent 3 battleships (one Turkish), 4 frigates (2 Turkish) and 5 small ships to the shores of Ancona, entrusting the command of this detachment to Rear Admiral Pustoshkin. Somewhat earlier, he was sent to Otranto under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Sorokin, another detachment, which included 4 frigates, 2 light ships and 4 gunboats. On May 9, this detachment landed on the east coast of the Apennine Peninsula (between Brindisi and Manfredonia) under the command of Lieutenant Commander Belli, which played an important role in the fighting of Russian troops in Italy. With a landing force, the number of which was increased to 600 people, Belli crossed the peninsula from east to west and, reaching the shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea (June 3, 1799), took part in the capture of Naples.
Ushakov at the end of June 1799 moved with the main forces of his squadron (10 battleships, 7 frigates and 5 other ships) to the coast of Sicily.
Having expelled the French from all of Northern Italy, Suvorov in early August 1799 began to prepare for an attack on the Genoese Riviera. In terms of the attack on the Riviera, Suvorov gave the fleet a significant place. He wrote: "and the united fleet should be informed of our intentions and assist us both in covering water transports, and also in repairing others."
Being in Messina in early August, Ushakov received a letter from Suvorov, in which the field marshal asked that a group of ships be sent to blockade Genoa in order to prevent the supply of supplies to the French army by sea.
Ushakov urgently sent a detachment of two battleships and two frigates to Genoa under the command of Rear Admiral Pustoshkin, who had previously operated near Ancona. Sorokin was now sent to Naples. Pustoshkin's detachment assisted Suvorov until the very end of his stay in Italy.
On September 13 and 14, the great commander fought his famous crossing over St. Gotthard and the Devil's Bridge. At this time, Ushakov's squadron continued to remain in Italy, actively preparing for a campaign against Rome. Ushakov personally developed a plan for this campaign. They formed a detachment of 820 grenadiers and 200 sailors of the squadron under the command of Colonel Skipor. The detachment was given 2500 people from the troops of the Neapolitan king. During the preparation of the campaign against Rome, the English Admiral Nelson arrived in Naples. Not wanting the Russians to take over Rome, the English admiral secretly sent a warship to the port of Civita Vecchia (near Rome) with a proposal to the French to capitulate before the Russians approached Rome. The terms of surrender proposed by Nelson were extremely beneficial to the French. So, for example, the French were not deprived of their weapons and they were not deprived of the right to conduct hostilities again. The British promised to transport them to France on their ships. The French, of course, agreed to such a "surrender", especially since France could throw these troops against the allies on the Genoese coast. Ushakov was deeply indignant at this betrayal of the English admiral, but did not cancel the campaign against Rome. The solemn entry of Russian sailors into Rome, abandoned by the French under the terms of surrender, ended the actions of the squadron landing in the 1799 campaign. In 1800, Ushakov's squadron was recalled by Paul I to the Black Sea.
Ushakov's strategy and tactics were subordinated to one goal - the destruction of enemy forces. Like Suvorov, Ushakov was always looking for a decisive battle. This gave his tactics a pronounced offensive character, and Ushakov's offensive maneuver tactics were fuller and richer than those of Western European admirals. Ushakov was never afraid to engage in battle with a numerically superior enemy. With all this, adventurism was alien to him, he never neglected caution.
Ushakov paid exceptionally great attention to the combat training of the squadron. Intense combat training, both in peacetime and in wartime, was the style of the admiral's daily work. In the most difficult days preceding the Battle of Kerch, Ushakov did not interrupt his studies on the squadron and, in his order of July 5, 1790, gave specific instructions to ship commanders on training gunners. The order spoke of the need to carry out daily exercises in rapid firing from cannons, to practice aiming guns, for which it was proposed to attach three gunners to each gun, changing them to perform duties in turn. On each ship, the commanders were required to arrange a personal examination of the gunners. To sum up the results of the artillery preparation, Ushakov planned to conduct a general exercise of the entire squadron with firing.
Ushakov achieved great success in organizing vigilant service on ships and in coastal fortresses, for which he widely used Peter's traditions - the exchange of prearranged signals when ships meet at sea and when ships approach fortresses. Ushakov paid much attention to organizing reconnaissance in the theater and studying the enemy.
The flourishing of naval art in Russia in the second half of the 18th century naturally coincided with the flourishing of all Russian military art during this period. From the moment of the organization of the regular army and navy under Peter I, the development of military art went in parallel with the naval art, expressing the growth of the regular armed forces of the Russian state. In this situation, Ushakov showed a correct understanding of the importance of the fleet for Russia and its place in the system of the armed forces.
This allowed Ushakov to become a great master of organizing the interaction of the fleet with the ground forces. Ushakov attached particular importance to the organization of regular formations of the ground forces (marine infantry) in the fleet. Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov devoted his entire life to the fleet. If, thanks to Rumyantsev and especially Suvorov, the Russian army not only preserved the glorious military traditions, but also significantly increased them, then in the fleet this merit belonged to Ushakov.
Ushakov did not lose a single naval battle, and he considered the stamina and courage of the squadron sailors to be the main factor in his victories. Ushakov himself tirelessly took care of the team and often spent his personal funds on food and the needs of the squadron during the period of interruptions in the supply of the squadron. The humane attitude towards the sailor and the well-thought-out system for educating the personnel of the squadrons in many respects made Ushakov related to Suvorov. Ushakov, like Suvorov, highly valued the moral qualities of Russian soldiers.
Suvorov and Ushakov's principles of education and training of army and navy personnel at that time found some support only among the most far-sighted representatives of the highest court nobility, such as, for example, Rumyantsev and Potemkin. They understood perfectly well that in order to fight external enemies, a strong army was needed, which could not hold on to only one stick drill. Potemkin and his like-minded people understood that only an authoritative commander could confidently lead personnel into battle. F.F. was such a chief in the fleet. Ushakov, who had great authority and earned the boundless trust and devotion of the squadron personnel.
The characterization of Admiral Ushakov's naval activities will be incomplete if we do not mention his diplomatic abilities and political outlook, which he showed with particular force in the period 1798-1800.
Ushakov's activities in the Mediterranean were greatly complicated by the hostile attitude towards him on the part of the commander of the "allied" English squadron, Admiral Nelson. The latter sought to divert the Russians from Malta and the Adriatic Sea and send the Russian squadron to the Levant, thereby securing freedom of action against Malta and preventing the Russians from gaining a foothold in the Ionian archipelago. Nelson hoped in this way to release the English forces operating in the Levant, and send them to strengthen the Maltese direction, which was more important for England during this period. Nelson tried to use any dishonest means to do this. On the one hand, he flattered Emperor Paul I as "Grand Master of the Order of Malta", sent him honorary reports and gifts. On the other hand, he constantly demanded from the commanders of his ships not to allow the hoisting of the Russian flag in Malta in any case, he tried to arouse distrust of the Russians on the part of the Turkish admiral, who acted together with Ushakov.
Ushakov did not succumb to the cunning tricks of the English admiral, he boldly and honestly expressed his disagreement with him and led a firm and consistent line aimed at protecting Russia's interests in the Mediterranean.
Ushakov's naval art could have been even more developed if not for the numerous intrigues on the part of individual officials and soulless representatives of the bureaucratic autocratic regime.
Upon returning to his homeland, Ushakov did not receive real recognition from the tsar and the government. At the beginning of 1802, he was appointed commander of the Baltic galley fleet, which essentially meant the removal of the famous naval commander from military affairs, since the importance of the galley fleet at that time was becoming secondary. In 1807, Ushakov was completely dismissed, and ten years later, on October 4, 1817, he died in his estate in the Temnikovsky district of the Tambov province.
But Ushakov was not forgotten by the Russian people and the Russian fleet. His tactical skill was further developed in the combat activities of Ushakov's closest student and comrade-in-arms - Admiral Dmitry Nikolayevich Senyavin - and through him became the property of the "Lazarev school" and the famous Russian admirals of a later period in the development of the Russian fleet.
The memory of the naval commander is carefully preserved by the Russian people. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 3, 1944, the Order and Medal of Ushakov were established, which were awarded to many officers and sailors of the Soviet Navy, who distinguished themselves during the Great Patriotic War in battles against the Nazi invaders.