Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
"The Battle of Sinop, or the Battle of Sinope, was a naval battle that took place on 30 November 1853 between Russia and the Ottoman Empire at Sinop, a sea port along the southern shore of the Black Sea.[2] It was a precursor to the Crimean War (1854-1856).[3] During the battle a squadron of Imperial Russian warships led by Russian Admiral Paul Nakhimov struck and defeated a squadron of Ottoman ships anchored in the harbor. The Ottoman forces were led by Vice Admiral Osman Pasha. The battle is noted for proving the superiority of the shell gun against wooden hulls and shots fired from smooth bores.[4] Nearly 3,000 Turks were killed when Nakhimov's forces shelled the town of Sinop after sinking the Turkish ships.[5] It is commemorated in Russia as a Day of Military Honour. . . . The attack was treated by external powers as unjustified and caused a wave of anti-Russian sentiment in western Europe.[15] Much of the British press presented the attack as the "Massacre of Sinope".[15] The attack strengthened the pro-war factions in Britain and France, and provided them with the justification for a war to curb Russian bellicosity." [Wikipedia]