Russian naval infantry of Baltic Fleet of 1788-1798

The Ismail Fortress scheme

The history of Russia’s marines began in November 1705 when, pursuant to a decree of Peter I, the formation of a regiment of naval infantry for boarding, landing and marching service on the ships of the Baltic Fleet started. Since that time the marines have covered a long and glorious way of combat. The Russian marines won victories over the enemy in the Gangut sea battle of 1714, during the rout of the Turkish Navy in Cesme Harbor in 1770, and in taking the Ismail fortress on the Danube in 1790 and the French fortress Corfu in the Ionian Sea in 1799. Within three weeks in that same year a Russian marine landing force took Naples by storm, liberating ally Italy from the French and entered Rome.

In 1812-1813 the Russian naval infantrymen distinguished themselves in the battles against the French near Borodino and Kulma and in the siege of the Danzig fortress. In 1854-1855 the marines defended Sevastopol from the Anglo-French and Turkish troops, and in 1904 defended Port Arthur from the Japanese troops.

The Ismail Fortress

One of the famous General Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov’s (1730-1800) victories became the storm of the very strong Turkish fortress Ismail. This stronghold of the Ottoman Porte on the river Danube banks was built by French and German engineers and was considered unassailable. In Turkish it was called “Ordu Kalesi” because this fortress could accommodate a whole army. It had the shape of an irregular triangle adjacent to the river bank. The length of the earthen rampart was more than 6 kilometers and the height was 6 – 8 meters with earthen and stone bastions. The width of the fortress moat was about 12 meters with the depth of 6 – 10 meters. In many places the moat was filled with water. There were many stone buildings inside the fortress adapted as defensive positions.

The Ismail garrison was 35,000 and 256 guns. The commandant of Ismail was one of the most skilled Turkish commanders – Aydos Mekhmet Pasha. The large Turkish Danube flotilla was based near the fortress walls. Russian troops (31,000 and more than 500 field guns) besieged Ismail and tried to capture it twice, but without any success.

After General Suvorov came to Ismail on December 2, 1790 he decided to take this strong fortress be a surprise attack. Suvorov ordered an exact copy of the earthen rampart of Ismain outer defences to be made in steppe for the special training of soldiers. The troops were trained in secret at nights. 70 big storming ladders and about 3 thousand fascines were made in a very short time.

The Storming of Ismail

Under Suvorov’s plan Ismail was stormed by nine assault columns, three of that were based on the island of Chatal and landed at the city from boats of the rowing flotilla. Two other groups of troops under Lieutenant-Generals P. S. Potemkin and A. N. Samoylov and Major-General M. I. Kutuzov would attack the fortress from dry land. Each column had its own reserves.

To avoid further bloodshed the Russian commander sent a letter to Aydos Mekhmet Pasha with a demand to surrender the fortress, but he firmly refused.

On December 10, 1790 Russian field and warship artillery bombarded the fortress. The next day (December 11) at 3 a.m. the assault columns began moving to their initial positions and at 5.30 a.m. the assault began. The Russians could not begin assault with surprise and the attacking troops were met with strong artillery and rifle fire from the rampart. The Turks also made a sortie. This fighting was especially hard for Don Cossacks who were only armed with shortened lances.

After Russian troops had taken the fortress wall, an intense hand-to-hand fight developed in the streets of Ismail. The entire city was enveloped in flames. And at last, after a very hard and bloody battle, Ismail was captured at about 4 p.m.

The Turkish losses were 26,000 killed and 9,000 wounded men. Russian losses were 1,815 killed and 2,445 wounded, the biggest losses were among officers who went in the very front of the assault columns. The Russian forces captured 265 guns (large-caliber in the main), 42 river boats, 345 colours and bunchuks (Turkish standards).