My first object was to drive the Russians, by the fire of the ships, more inland.

This was easy enough, as of course the enemy had no guns with them to compare in range with those on board the ironclads.

Some time after my arrival, however, they brought down two fifteen centimetre Krupp guns from Ardahan, guns that had a considerably longer range than our twelve-ton Armstrongs.

They gave us some trouble; however, the position of the attacking camp was changed so as to be out of range of our guns, a move in every way satisfactory to the Turkish military commander.

This action of our fleet gave great annoyance to the enemy, and it was determined if possible to make our lying at Batoum a dangerous if not impossible matter.