Osman Pasha requested heavier reinforcement, but the Ottoman ships of the line were still unfit for service during Slade's incomplete modernization program. Refusing a senior commander's request without explanation would cause political trouble, while publicly admitting the fleet's weakness would embarrass the sultan and naval leadership. Slade was well placed to tell the British ambassador exactly what the fleet could deploy. In this interpretation, the ambassador's advice against sending ships of the line provided diplomatic cover for a practical inability. The episode shows how readiness problems can be concealed inside apparently strategic advice.
Notable Point · 44:53-47:56
Why Ottoman ships of the line could not reinforce Sinop
A British warning against reinforcement also concealed the harder fact that Ottoman ships of the line were not ready to deploy.