Action of 9 January 1921

Action of 9 January 1921
Part of the Southern Front of the Russian Civil War
Sakalave near Le Havre in 1921
Date 9 January 1921 Location off Anapa, Black Sea Result French victory
Belligerents
France	Russian SFSR
Strength
2 destroyers 1 aviso	1 gunboat
Casualties and losses
Unknown	1 gunboat and its cargo (2 motor torpedo boats) lost 12 killed ? wounded

The action of 9 January 1921 was a short naval battle fought during the Russian Civil War by the French Navy and the Soviet Russia.

During the Russian Civil War, the French Navy was engaged as part of the Allied intervention provided assistance to the White movement engaged into the Southern Front. The French Navy suffered a mutiny in 1919 but operations were carried until the end of the conflict.

The action involved the French Arabe-class destroyers Sakalave and Sénégalais, and also the Arras-class aviso Toul, intercepting on sea the Soviet Elpidifor-class gunboat KL No. 7 (ex-Elpidifor No. 415), which had completed mine-laying operation at Ak-Mechet and was carrying two motor torpedo boats built by Thornycroft. After a short gunfire battle, the Soviet ship was hit, grounded and lost with twelve killed and many wounded close Anapa.^[1][2]

Wreck of KL No. 7 (Elpidifor No. 415) was scrapped in situ in 1922, but some wreckages can still be found.^[3]

• [1] Archived 2018-05-02 at the Wayback Machine