anchored to the north within his sight. Neither fleet attempted to move that morning due to the prevailing winds, but at approximately 2 pm when the winds shifted to the southwest, Senyavin ordered his fleet to weigh anchors and move to attack the Turks. Simultaneously, Seyid Ali ordered his squadron to weigh anchor and flee to the safely of the Dardanelles. At approximately 6 pm, the Russians caught up with the sternmost of the Ottoman ships. The Russian frigate Venus kept under the stern of the heavier Turkish battleships and attacked with relative safety. The Russian battleship Uriil swept across the bows of the Turkish second-in-command and carried away the jib-boom. The Russian battleship Tverdyi commanded by Admiral Senyavin sailed between the battleships of Turkish Rear-Admiral Baker Bey and Seyid Ali and engaged in a broadside to broadside at close range. As the evening fell the two fleets intermixed and engaged in battle at the mouth of the strait. At times some of the Russian ships including Senyavin's battleship veered close to the shore and within range of the Turkish forts and their shore batteries. The battle continued till about 9 pm with most of the Turkish ships traveling deep into the safety of the strait. Three Ottoman ships, however, remained outside the strait appearing to have been run aground. As the day ended, the Russians anchored their fleet just outside and clear of the strait. In the morning of 23 May, the Russians observed the Turks attempting to move three battleships into the safety of the Dardanelles. Two of the battleships were being towed by rowing craft. To prevent their salvage, Senyavin sent four battleships and the frigate Venus in pursuit. Before putting themselves in danger from Turkish shore batteries, the Russians battered the struggling battleships with their guns and caused all three to be run aground. Aftermath The engagement must be considered as a victory for the Russians. The Ottomans might have suffered as many as 2,000 casualties and were unable to break the blockade. Three of their battleships were damaged so badly that they were ultimately deemed unfit for further service. The Russians suffered 82 casualties but lost no ships and continued to block the Dardanelles for an additional month until they re-engaged the Turks at the Battle of Athos. See also Dardanelles Gun Dardanelles Operation Citations References Naval battles of the Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812) Conflicts in