Planning the Blockade of the Bosphorus by the black sea fleet in 1916. Part 3 [Планирование блокады Босфора силами Черноморского флота в 1916 г. Часть 3]

The article deals with the issues of planning the blockade of the Bosphorus by the Black sea fleet during the 1916 campaign of the First World War. The special attention is paid to the calculations of the elements of force, as well as the ratio of the Turkish and Russian fleets. The study was carried out on the basis of previously unpublished documents of the Russian state archive of the navy (St. Petersburg, Russian Federation). Previously, these documents were not published. The plan for the blockade of the Bosphorus, which was prepared by Captain 2nd Rank B. Tyagin on July 1, 1916 at the Sevastopol roadstead, is important in the work. In methodological terms, the study is based on the basic principles of historical research, namely, the principles of objectivity and reliability. The problem-historical method, which allowed us to consider the planning of the blockade of the Bosphorus in the context of the specific historical situation that developed in 1916 is of great importance in the study. In conclusion, the authors state that, according to the planning of the operation to blockade the Bosphorus, it was assumed that it would be conducted by the Black sea fleet in three shifts. The blockade was to be accompanied by a barrier of the Bosphorus against submarines and surface vessels. It was to be preceded by serious secret and ship reconnaissance, as well as simultaneously active operations against submarines throughout the Black sea and the defense of the coasts and the fleet from submarine attacks in ports and the sea. The involvement of hydroaeroplanes in reconnaissance, fighter and bomber activities should have been sharply increased; new units have been formed to combat enemy submarine bases; civilian vessels have been re-equipped and equipped to perform military tasks. If we take into account the volume of available resources of the Black sea fleet on the Caucasian theater of operations, then the forces that the fleet had were quite sufficient to fulfill the task of blockading the Bosphorus. © 2021 International Network Center for Fundamental and Applied Research. All rights reserved.