Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 41:50-42:25

Russian Black Sea Fleet support for the Dardanelles

There were ideas about Black Sea Fleet support for the Dardanelles, but local naval fighting and the balance of forces complicated the picture.

Gallipoli CampaignRussian Black Sea FleetSMS GoebenWorld War I
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Question

Were there plans for the Russian Black Sea Fleet to support the Dardanelles campaign?

Short answer

There were ideas, but the contested Black Sea and the local force balance made support a more complicated prospect than it first appears.

Notes

Ideas existed for the Russian Black Sea Fleet to assist the Dardanelles campaign. The Black Sea was already an active naval theatre, with Goeben operating against a Russian force that could answer with several pre-dreadnoughts and other vessels. Any support for the Dardanelles therefore sat within an existing naval contest rather than drawing on an idle reserve. The surviving remarks provide this regional context without outlining a firm operational plan.