Siege of Ochakov (1737)

Siege of Ochakov
	Part of the Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739)
Date	10 July (29 June O.S.) – 13 July (2 July O.S.), 1737
Location	Özi/Ochakov, Özü Eyalet; (now Ochakiv, Ukraine)
Result	Russian victory
Belligerents
Ottoman Empire	Russian Empire; Zaporizhian Cossacks;
Commanders and leaders
Hatibzade Yahya Pasha (POW); Mustafa Pasha (POW)	Burkhard Christoph von Münnich; Alexander Rumyantsev; Ludwig Gruno
Strength
20,000	60,000
Casualties and losses
17,000	4,000

The siege of Ochakov (1737) took place during the Austro-Russian–Turkish War (1735–39) in which the Russian army, led by Burkhard Christoph von Münnich, captured the Ottoman fortress of Ochakov. It took place in 1737.

Siege

The first Russian attack was repelled with heavy losses, but as a result of Russian mortar fire, a fire broke out, and on the second day a powder magazine within the city blew up, killing around 6,000 defenders.^[2] The fortress quickly surrendered and in the ensuing slaughter, all but 3,000 of the garrison were killed.^[2] The stench of decaying corpses was such that the Russians had to withdraw 15 miles from the fortress.^[2]

Aftermath

The Russians razed and abandoned Özi in late 1738 after a disease ravaged the Russian garrison of the fortress, killing 60,000 people.^[7] It would not be attacked again until July 1771 when V. M. Dolgorukiy launched a failed siege on the city. The Russians only managed to regain Özi in December 1788.^[8]

Notes

^ As a result of Russian mortar fire on the houses within the fortress, fire broke out, and on the second day of the siege, the powder magazine within the city blew up, killing an estimated 6,000 defenders. Thereafter the fortress capitulated, and in the ensuing slaughter, in spite of the white flag, all but 3,000 of the garrison were killed.^[2]

References

^ Stone 2006, p. 66.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Aksan 2013, p. 107.
^ ^a ^b ^c Баиов А. К. Русская армия в царствование императрицы Анны Иоанновны. Война России с Турцией в 1736-1739 гг. P. 391.
^ Henry C. Lodge. The History of Nations. V. XIV. P. F. Collier. 1913. P. 309
^ Керсновский А. А. История Русской армии. 2014. P. 74
^ Grinevetsky S., Zonn I., Zhiltsov S., Kosarev A., Kostianoy A. The Black Sea Encyclopedia. Springer. 2014. P. 579
^ Aksan 2013, pp. 112, 114.
^ Duffy C. Russia's Military Way to the West: Origins and Nature of Russian Military Power 1700–1800. Routledge & Kegan Paul Books Ltd. 1985. p. 187

Sources

Aksan, Virginia H. (2013). Ottoman wars 1700-1870. Routledge.
Europe and the world, 1650–1830, Jeremy Black
Stone, David R. (2006). A Military History of Russia: From Ivan the Terrible to the War in Chechnya. Greenwood Publishing Group.

[4] As a result of Russian mortar fire on the houses within the fortress, fire broke out, and on the second day of the siege, the powder magazine within the city blew up, killing an estimated 6,000 defenders. Thereafter the fortress capitulated, and in the ensuing slaughter, in spite of the white flag, all but 3,000 of the garrison were killed.^[2]

[FOOTNOTEStone200666-1] Stone 2006, p. 66.

[FOOTNOTEAksan2013107-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Aksan 2013, p. 107.

[B.A._page_391-3] Баиов А. К. Русская армия в царствование императрицы Анны Иоанновны. Война России с Турцией в 1736-1739 гг. P. 391.

[5] Henry C. Lodge. The History of Nations. V. XIV. P. F. Collier. 1913. P. 309

[6] Керсновский А. А. История Русской армии. 2014. P. 74

[7] Grinevetsky S., Zonn I., Zhiltsov S., Kosarev A., Kostianoy A. The Black Sea Encyclopedia. Springer. 2014. P. 579

[FOOTNOTEAksan2013112,_114-8] Aksan 2013, pp. 112, 114.

[9] Duffy C. Russia's Military Way to the West: Origins and Nature of Russian Military Power 1700–1800. Routledge & Kegan Paul Books Ltd. 1985. p. 187

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