The naval Battle of the Dardanelles took place on 22 May 1807 as a part of the Napoleonic Wars during the Russo-Turkish War of 1806–1812. It was fought between the Russian and Ottoman navies near the Dardanelles Strait. Background In December 1806, Ottoman Sultan Selim III felt threatened by Russian activities associated with the Napoleonic War, closed the Turkish Straits to Russian shipping, and declared war on the Russian Empire. In response, Russia retaliated in March 1807 by sending a small fleet of ten battleships and a frigate under the command of Russian Admiral Dmitry Senyavin to blockade the Dardanelles Strait at the Aegean Sea. The Dardanelles Strait was the maritime gateway between Constantinople, the Ottoman capital, and trade routes to the Mediterranean Sea. The citizens of Constantinople depended heavily on the supply of food and materials by sea, and the Russian naval blockade of the Dardanelles created severe hardships for the Turks. Sea maneuvers and the battle On the morning of 19 May, Seyid Ali, the Kapudan Pasha or Grand Admiral of the Ottoman navy, took a squadron of 8 ships of the line, 6 frigates and 55 smaller vessels, slipped out of the Dardanelles strait on the morning of 19 May, moved to a position between Mavro Island the Asiatic coast, and prepared to attack the island of Tenedos, which served as the base for the Russian navy in the Aegean. Senyavin, who had been anchored at Tenedos, observed the Ottoman activity and took his fleet south of Tenedos that evening intent upon turning north to the mouth of the Dardanelles in order to block Seyid Ali's squadron from retreating back to the safety of the strait. Unfortunately for Senyavin's fleet, the winds were calm on May 20 and the Russians were unable to either reach the Dardanelles or return to Tenedos. At Tenedos, Seyid Ali took advantage of the weakened defenses and began an attack of the Russian naval base by means of gunboats and land forces. The Russian garrison on Tenedos, however, proved to be quite capable of defending the base and drove the Turks off with heavy losses. On 21 May, there was rain and squalls in the Aegean Sea with winds from the northeast. Senyavin abandoned his plan to block the retreat of the Ottoman squadron and returned to Tenedos. The next morning while anchored at the naval base, Senyavin observed Seyid Ali's squadron