The action of 10 May 1915 was a naval encounter between the

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

pre-dreadnought Pre-dreadnought battleships were sea-going battleships built between the mid- to late- 1880s and 1905, before the launch of in 1906. The pre-dreadnought ships replaced the ironclad battleships of the 1870s and 1880s. Built from steel, protec ...

squadron and the Ottoman battlecruiser ''Yavuz Sultan Selim'' in the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...

. After a brief exchange of fire the Ottomans withdrew.

Background

On 9 May 1915, a Russian squadron attacked Ottoman shipping between Kozlu and Eregli, sinking four steamers and many sailing ships. The battlecruiser ''Yavuz Sultan Selim'', under Captain Richard Ackermann, immediately put to sea in order to intercept the Russians. Early on the morning of 10 May, a bombardment force detached from the Russian squadron in order to attack the Bosphorus forts. This consisted of the obsolete

s and '' Panteleimon'', the

seaplane carrier A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, known as seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are rega ...

s ''Almaz'' and ''Imperator Alexander I'', as well as a screen of destroyers and

minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

Battle

The Ottoman destroyer , acting as a guard ship at the mouth of the Bosphorus, sighted the bombardment force and radioed a warning to ''Yavuz''. Captain Ackermann promptly set his ship on a course to intercept at . The destroyer proceeded to engage the minesweepers but was forced to withdraw under heavy fire from the battleships. The

protected cruiser Protected cruisers, a type of naval cruiser of the late-19th century, gained their description because an armoured deck offered protection for vital machine-spaces from fragments caused by shells exploding above them. Protected cruisers re ...

then spotted ''Yavuz'' and reported it to the fleet, giving the bombardment force time to break off before it was sighted. Cruising off of the Bosphorus at was Russian Admiral

Andrei Eberhardt Andrei Avgustovich Ebergard (russian: Андрей Августович Эбергард; 9 November 1856 – 19 April 1919), better known as Andrei Eberhardt, was an admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy of German ancestry. Biography Eberhardt w ...

's covering force, consisting of the newer pre-dreadnoughts (the flagship), , and . Ackermann was unaware of this, and ran right into the squadron. At 07:53 hours, Eberhardt's force met ''Yavuz'' sailing along a parallel course. Ackermann believed this to be the bombardment detail, though he was confused as to why he was facing three battleships instead of two. He soon realized his mistake when ''Tri Sviatitelia'' and ''Panteleimon'' joined the Russian battle line. The Ottoman battlecruiser fired 160 shells in the ensuing engagement, but scored no hits and caused no damage. One near miss on ''Evstafi'' sent a cascade of water over the

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, drenching Admiral Eberhardt and his staff. In return, the Russians landed one heavy caliber shell on ''Yavuz''s forecastle, and another on her forward armoured belt. Outnumbered and outgunned, Captain Ackermann ordered his ship to disengage at 08:12. The Russians pursued the battlecruiser to the north before it doubled back and returned to Ottoman waters.

Aftermath

Though the Ottomans had been forced to retreat, the damaged they suffered was minimal and they disrupted the Russians' planned bombardment in the Bosphorus. The action also made the Russians more wary about dividing their pre-dreadnought squadron.

References

{{reflist, 30em Naval battles of World War I involving Russia Naval battles of World War I involving the Ottoman Empire Black Sea naval operations of World War I Conflicts in 1915 May 1915 events