Trebizond Campaign

Lazistan Offensive

Timeline

• 1916 –
• * 2nd half of January; Russians occupied the territory between the coruh and the Russian frontier. Makriali was taken.
• * January 17–20; Russian destroyers crushed a large number of Turkish sailing crafts along Lazistan coast that were supplying Turkish army.
• * February; Turkistanski Regiments occupied Hopa.
• * February 5; Russian squadron heavily damaged Turkish trenches beyond the Arhavi river.
• * February 6: Turks abandoned their lines, leaving 500 dead behind.
• * February 15–16: The same sequence of events was repeated at Vitze. Turks retrenched behind the Buyuk-dere river. Several Turkish battalions reinforced Rize from Trebizond. General Lyakhov in conference with naval officers accepted proposal to land infantry in the rear of the Turkish position.
• * March 4–5; Rostislav and the gunboats Kubanetz and Donetz supported the amphibious landing at Atina. Turks on the Buyuk-dere position fled into the mountains.
• * March 6–7; The landing operation was repeated at Mapavri and met with only slight resistance.
• * March 8; Russians occupied Rize and pushed their patrols forward to the River Kalopotamos to the east of the small town of Of. Here the advance of the Black Sea coast detachment was temporarily halted.

  Effect on Armenians