Birthday anniversary of Feodor Ushakov, eminent Russian naval commander, founder of a new military tactics for the Navy, admiral who knew no defeats

13 (24) February 1745, in the village of Burnakovo, Romanovsky district, Yaroslavl province, in the family of a landed gentry was born the future naval commander, founder of a new combat tactics for the Navy, Admiral Fyodor Ushakov.

Until the age of sixteen Fyodor Ushakov lived in his village, then was sent to St. Petersburg and enlisted in the Marine Cadet Corps. Natural savvy and success in the sciences quickly gained Ushakov’s credibility with students and superiors. After two years of training the young man was promoted to midshipmen. Having graduated from the Marine Corps, in May 1766 Ushakov received the rank of midshipman and was sent to the Baltic Fleet. In 1766-1767, he made his first voyage as part of V. Ya. Chichagov’s expedition from Kronstadt around Scandinavia to Svalbard, then to Arkhangelsk and back.

In 1768, Feodor was transferred to the battleship "Three Hierarchies" under the command of the captain, the future hero of the Battle of Chesma, S. K. Greig. This campaign was a good practical experience for the future admiral.

Due to the declaration of war by Turkey in the autumn of 1768, Russia began to restore the old Don and Dnieper shipyards. By the end of 1768, Ushakov arrived with a party of sailors in Voronezh - the cradle of the Russian Navy, where he took part in the reconstruction of the Don (Azov) fleet. In July 1769, Feodor was promoted to lieutenant. In 1771, Ushakov served on the frigate "Perviy," in 1772 led the rescue operations on the Don, commanded the decked boat "Courier," travelled to Theodosius, Taganrog, stayed on duty near Kerch. In the autumn of 1773, Feodor Ushakov commanded one of the biggest ships in the Azov Flotilla – the 16- gun ship "Modon," which navigated in the Azov and Black seas, participated in repelling the Turks landed at Balaclava.

After the end of the war, Ushakov was transferred from the Azov Flotilla to St. Petersburg naval crew, where he was promoted to captain-lieutenant. In 1776-1779, he participated in the campaign to the Mediterranean Sea with the aim to lead frigates in the Black Sea. In May 1779, Ushakov returned to Kronstadt on board of the ship "St. Paul". At the end of that year, he was sent to Rybinsk and Tver to deliver ship timber.

In 1780, Feodor was appointed commander of the imperial yacht, which at the time was considered as a great success. However, not wishing and not knowing how to intrigue, he soon abandoned the court service and returned to the warship. In September, he was appointed captain of the 64-gun ship "Victor", which, as part of Ya. F. Sukhotin’s squadron, guarded Russian merchant ships in the Mediterranean. In 1782, Ushakov was promoted to the 2nd rank captain.

In 1783, Feodor Ushakov was transferred to the Black Sea Fleet as commander of the 66-gun ship "St. Paul" and sent to the Kherson. Soon after his arrival he had to take active measures to combat the epidemic of plague which broke out in the city. He placed the crew of his future ship in the desert, in tents. Sailors were broken up into cooperatives, aside from the tents was built a hospital and quarantine single tents; having created an isolated camp for healthy sailors, Ushakov managed to cope with the epidemic. In January 1784, Feodor was promoted to the 1st rank captain, and in May was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree. In 1785, aboard the "St. Paul" Ushakov navigated from Kherson to Sevastopol; he supervised the construction of port facilities in the city. In May 1787, he was promoted to captain brigadier rank.

In 1787, the Russian-Turkish War began. 3 (14) July 1788, in the battle near the island Fidonisi, Ushakov’s skillful maneuvers, under the support of three frigates, drew the enemy to flight, causing him considerable damage. In that battle, Feodor successfully applied new tactics, moving away from the classical norms of naval combat. For services in battle, he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree and St. George 4th degree. In April 1789, Ushakov was promoted to rear admiral, and in March 1790 took over the Black Sea Fleet.

8 (19) July 1790, Feodor defeated the Turkish squadron in the Kerch Strait (near Cape Takla), not letting it to land on the coast of the Crimea. Violating all canons of classical tactics, creating a special reserve group, Ushakov won a landslide victory. For this success he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir 2nd degree. A month later, in a two-day battle from the island of Tendra to Khadjibey (Odessa), Ushakov defeated the Turkish fleet, for which, in September 1790, was awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd degree.

Ushakov rejected linear template tactics and applied new tactics, maneuverable tactics of the sailing fleet, based on a combination of maneuver and fire. In linear tactics ships were distributed evenly across the line. Create superiority in forces to attack this or that part of the enemy fleet was impossible, since it entailed a violation of order. Battles were fought in parallel motion of fleets and it was necessary that vanguards, centers and rears of the opponents were arranged opposite one another. Attack was permitted only if the fleet held the windward position. Ushakov created superiority of forces in the direction chosen for the attack. Fighting the Turks, he chose to strike the enemy flagships mainly. Attack with superior forces of the flagships led to a breach of command and control, and to the dismay of the Turkish Navy. Field formation was at the same time the one used in the battle which enabled rapid deployment of forces and achievement of tactical surprise. Admiral believed that victory in war depended on morale and military skill of the personnel, so he led the education and training in the Navy accordingly.

July 31 (August 11) 1791, at Cape Kaliakra (North Bulgaria) a legendary battle took place. Ushakov defeated the Turkish fleet which had numerical superiority. Feodor attacked the Turkish- Algerian fleet anchored against the wind, under the cover of the shore batteries. In the four-hour battle, the Turks were defeated, suffered heavy losses and fled to Istanbul. This victory created a threat to the Turkish capital from the sea and forced the sultan to conclude the Treaty of Jassy quite profitable for Russia. Ushakov himself was awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky and after the war engaged in furnishing of Sevastopol as the main base of the Black Sea Fleet.

In September 1793, Ushakov was awarded the rank of Vice Admiral.

With the formation of the second anti-French coalition (Russia, Turkey, England, Austria) Ushakov, appointed commander of the joint Russian-Turkish fleet, had to act against France. The task of the Russian and Turkish fleets was the liberation of the Ionian Islands from the French. After the capture of several islands, the allied squadron led by Ushakov seized the island fortress of Corfu considered impregnable (1799). It was a victory unprecedented at the time. For this brilliant operation Ushakov was promoted to full admiral, and was awarded the highest award of the Ottoman Empire - diamond jewelry for turban (or hat). In the Ionian Islands the Free State of seven islands was created under temporary joint auspices of Russia and Turkey. Ushakov was charged with organization of the new authorities of the Republic and provision of a Constitution to it.

Before returning to Sevastopol in September 1800, Russian ships managed took part in support of the troops of Alexander Suvorov, the blockade of Genoa and the liberation of Rome and Naples. Alexander I, who ascended the Russian throne in 1801, did not appreciate Ushakov, and in May 1802 appointed him to the minor post of commander in chief of the rowing fleet in the Baltic.

Five years later, in January 1807, Feodor resigned and settled in his estate in the village of Alekseevka, Temnikovsky district, Tambov province. Living modestly and in solitude, he donated large sums for charity. During the Patriotic War of 1812, Feodor was elected by the nobility of the Tambov province chief of the national militia, but refused the post due to illness.

2 (14) October 1817, talented naval commander, Admiral, who knew no defeat, Feodor Ushakov died in his estate, and was buried in Synaxarium monastery founded by his grandfather near the town Temnikov.

The name Ushakov was given to an island in the north of the Kara Sea, a bay in the Gulf of Anadyr Bay of the Bering Sea, and a cape on the northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. In honor of him was also named coastal defense battleship "Admiral Ushakov". During the Great Patriotic War, March 3, 1944, the Medal of Ushakov and the Order of Ushakov, 1st and 2nd degree, were established.

In 2001, the Russian Orthodox Church canonized Feodor Ushakov as "Righteous Warrior Feodor Ushakov."

Lit.: Адмирал Ушаков / Под ред. и со вступ. статьей Р. Н. Мордвинова. Т. 1-3.-М., 1951-1956; Адмирал Ушаков: письма, записки. М., 2004; Ганичев В. Н. Флотовождь: [О Ф. Ф. Ушакове]. М., 1994; Зонин А. И. Фёдор Фёдорович Ушаков. М., 1944; Лебедев А. А. Черноморские сражения Ф. Ф. Ушакова: неизвестные итоги известных побед // Гангут. 2013. № 76; Овчинников В. Д. Святой адмирал Ушаков (1745-1817). Историческое повествование о земном пути святого праведного воина. М., 2003; Петров М. Т. Адмирал Ушаков. М., 1996; Снегирёв В. Л. Адмирал Ушаков. М., 1947; Станиславская А. М. Политическая деятельность Ф.Ф. Ушакова в Греции, 1798-1800 гг. М., 1983; Тарле Е. В. Адмирал Ушаков на Средиземном море // Под Андреевским флагом: Век. М., 1994.

Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:

Анциферов В. Адмирал Ушаков. М.; Л., 1940;

Ильинский В. П. Адмирал Ф. Ф. Ушаков в Средиземном море (1799 г.). СПб., 1914;

Лялина М. А. Подвиги русских адмиралов Петра Михайлова, Спиридонова, Ушакова, Сенявина, гр. Гейдена, Лазарева, Нахимова, Корнилова и их сподвижников : с 33 рисунками. СПб., 1900. С. 58–110 (сканы 71–121).