Siege of Ochakov (1737)

The Siege of Ochakov (1737) was a siege in which the Russian army, led by Burkhard Christoph von Münnich, captured the Ottoman fortress of Ochakov. It took place in 1737 in the town of Ochakov.

The Siege
The first Russian attack was repelled with heavy losses, but as a result of Russian mortar fire on the houses within the fortress, fire broke out, and on the second day of the siege the powder magazine within the city blew up, killing an estimated 6,000 defenders. Thereafter the fortress capitulated, and in the ensuing slaughter, in spite of the white flag, all but 3,000 of the garrison were killed. The stench of decaying corpses was such that the Russians had to withdraw 15 miles from the fortress.