Anzali Operation
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The Anzali Operation was a naval and amphibious action carried by the Caspian Flotilla during the Russian Civil War.
| Anzali Operation | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Southern Front of the Russian Civil War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom |
 Russian SFSR | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Hugh Bateman-Champain  |
Fedor Raskolnikov | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
10 auxiliary cruisers other auxiliary ships |
4 auxiliary cruisers 4 destroyers 1 transport minor ships | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| All surrendered | none | ||||||
  Bandar-e Anzali Location within Iran  Bandar-e Anzali Bandar-e Anzali (Caspian Sea) | |||||||
Background
The Russian Civil War in Caspian Sea saw previous confrontation between the Soviet Russian Caspian Flotilla against the British Caspian Flotilla, the latter supporting the White movement as part of the Allied intervention. British/White Russians scored a victory during the Battle of Alexandrovsky Fort, but the harbor was reconquered in April 1920.
Action
The Soviet Russian Caspian Flotilla gathered a considerable force to attack Anzali. The task force was composed of four auxiliary cruisers (Proletariy, Rosa Luxemburg, Pushkin, Bela Kun), four destroyers (Karl Liebknecht, Delnyi, Deyatelnyi, Rastoropnyi), two gunboats (Kars and Ardagan) the transport Gretsiya and other minor units. Complete surprise was achieved, a naval shelling in early morning nearly hit the main British headquarters and British resistance from the 2000-strong garrison stationed was quickly stifled. Subsequently, negotiators were sent by the British by boat to agree on capitulation terms.
The Persian governor formally accepted the Soviet Russian presence, the British/White detachment fled the city on ground and the entire flotilla was seized without much resistance. Seized ships included: auxiliary cruisers President Kruger, America, Europe, Africa, Dmitry Donskoy, Asia, Slava, Mylutin, Opyt and Merkur, the motor-torpedo-boat carrier (previously seaplane carrier) Orlenok, the seaplane-carrier (previously m.t.b. carrier) Volga, four seaplanes, four motor torpedo boats, ten merchants, a number of support, auxiliary and minor units in addition to large amount of supplies and ammunition.
Aftermath
The Anzali Operation marked the ending of the Russian Civil War naval confrontation on Caspian Sea. The action also established the short-lived Persian Socialist Soviet Republic, with little British resistance, while a detachment of 800 Cossacks surrendered to the Soviets and Persian communists "Jangalis".
References
- ^ John Guard. "The Royal Navy in the Caspian Sea 1918-1920". gwpda.org.
- ^ "Soviet Naval Battles during Civil War (re-done)". soviet-empire.com. Archived from the original on 2018-05-02. Retrieved 2018-05-10.
- ^ Institute of Strategic Studies of the Caucasus, The Caucasus & Globalization, Volume 1, CA & CC Press, 2006, page 177
- ^ Steven R. Ward, Immortal, Updated Edition: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces, Georgetown University Press, 2014, page 127