Action of 9 January 1921

Action of 9 January 1921
Part of the Southern Front of the Russian Civil War

Sakalave near Le Havre in 1921
Date9 January 1921
Location
off Anapa, Black Sea
Result French victory
Belligerents
 France  Russian SFSR
Strength
 1 gunboat
Casualties and losses
Unknown

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, Sénégalais and 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 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

  1. ^ Lacroix, Christophe (January 2004). "L'amiral Émile 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.
  2. ^ Alekseev, Igor; Zablotsky, Vladimir; Levitsky, Vladimir (February 2012). Десантные пароходы типа «Эльпидифор» [Elpidifor-class Landing Steamships] (PDF). Morskaya Kampaniya Морская кампания (in Russian). No. 1 #46. Moscow, RU. p. 45. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 23, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  3. ^ "Elpidifor No. 415 (+1921)". Retrieved 2 May 2018.