The action of 9 January 1921 was a short naval battle fought during the Russian Civil War by the French Navy and the Soviet Russia.
Background
During the Russian Civil War, the French Navy was engaged as part of the Allied intervention provided assistance to the White movement engaged into the Southern Front. The French Navy suffered a mutiny in 1919 but operations were carried until the end of the conflict.
Action
The action involved the French Arabe-class destroyers Sakalave and Sénégalais, and also the Arras-class aviso Toul, intercepting on sea the Soviet Elpidifor-class gunboat KL No. 7 (ex-Elpidifor No. 415), which had completed mine-laying operation at Ak-Mechet and was carrying two motor torpedo boats built by Thornycroft. After a short gunfire battle, the Soviet ship was hit, grounded and lost with twelve killed and many wounded close Anapa.[1][2]
Aftermath
Wreck of KL No. 7 (Elpidifor No. 415) was scrapped in situ in 1922, but some wreckages can still be found.[3]
References
- ^ Lacroix, Christophe (January 2004). "L'amiral Émile Lacroix (1883-1949)" [Admiral Emile Lacroix (1883–1949)]. Guerres mondiales et conflits contemporains (in French) (213). Paris, FR: Presses universitaires de France: 25–38. ISSN 0984-2292. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
- ^ Alekseev, Igor V.; Zablotsky, Vladimir P.; Levitsky, Vladimir A. (February 2012). Десантные пароходы типа «Эльпидифор» [Elpidifor-class Landing Steamships] (PDF). Morskaya Kampaniya Морская кампания (in Russian). No. 1 #46. Moscow, RU: Isdatelstvo VERO Press. p. 45. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 23, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
- ^ "Elpidifor No. 415 (+1921)". Retrieved 2 May 2018.
External links
- [1] Archived 2018-05-02 at the Wayback Machine