ABSTRACT

The naval base at Kherson had been established in 1778, only nine years previously, after the region was annexed. SB had visited Kherson in 1780. By 1787 the military base extended about four miles along the northern shore of the Dnieper. Hostilities against the Turks had begun three days earlier, and focused on command of the Liman, the great bay at the mouth of the River Dnieper. The Turks also controlled Polish trade down the Rivers Dniester, Dnieper and Bug, and had leverage on Polish policy towards Turkey and Russia. The problem of water depth made the Russians dependent upon shallow draught vessels. In the Gluboka were half a dozen transport vessels' into which they endeavoured to put guns. Meanwhile, on 14-15/25-26 October 1787, Russian vessels advancing from the Liman forced the Turkish craft near Ochakov to make for the open sea where they were joined by the larger Turkish vessels.