Meshcherykov, G. A. THE DEFINING ROLE OF THE DON MILITARY FLOTILLA IN THE CAPTURE OF AZOVE IN 1736 // Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2018. No 7 (176). DOI: 10.15393/uchz.art.2018.235


Russian history

THE DEFINING ROLE OF THE DON MILITARY FLOTILLA IN THE CAPTURE OF AZOVE IN 1736

Meshcherykov
G. A. 		Voronezh state agrarian University named after Emperor Peter I
Keywords:
the Don military flotilla
Don expedition
General-field Marshal B. H. Minich
General-field Marshal P. P. Lassi
rear-Admiral P.P. Bredal
galleys
kaikies
prams
bodaries		 Summary: The Purpose of the study is to show the role of heterogeneous forces of the raising of the Russian Navy, operating in the Don river basin and the Sea of Azov, as a determining factor of victory during the long siege of Azov in March-June 1736. By the method of research the author chose a critical analysis of the sources and, first of all, the primary texts that have reached us from the first-hand participants of the events, which gave a description of the individual historical process – the combat activity of the Don military flotilla during the Azov blockade in 1736.This approach allows us to consider the object of research not only from the angle of the skillful use of forces and weapons in one of the operational areas, but also to recognize the facts of slow decision – making by the expedition leadership, and sometimes the lack of organization of command in the implementation of the plans. Nevertheless, providing combat and daily activities of the Don army, the flotilla fully justified its predestination: to disrupt the troop transportation of the enemy, to support and render the land forces assistance with massive artillery shelling of Azov, suppressed the fire of Turkish batteries. All types of vessels of the Don military flotilla, besides to its profile destination, were used as transports for military transportation - when transferring reinforcements, artillery and engineering supplies to the siege parties, and an extremely important circumstance - the supply of provisions of the expedition troops - which predetermined the inevitable fall of the key Turkish Outpost of the whole of Northern Black Sea region.



Displays: 317;