| Conflict: | Battle of Kos (1773) |
| Partof: | the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774) |
| Date: | 16–18 August 1773 |
| Place: | İstanköy, Ottoman Empire |
| Map Type: | Europe#Greece |
| Map Relief: | 1 |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Map Mark: | Battle icon (crossed swords).svg |
| Map Marksize: | 20 |
| Result: | Ottoman victory |
| Commander1: | Osman Pasha |
| Strength1: | 5,000 |
| Strength2: | Over 2,000 |
| Casualties1: | Low |
| Casualties2: | Thousands killed |
The Battle of Kos was a battle fought between 16 and 18 August 1773 on the Ottoman island of Kos (İstanköy in Turkish). The Ottoman force was led by Kelleci Osman Pasha, while the Russian navy was commanded by . The battle was part of the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774), and resulted in an Ottoman victory.
In 1773, the Imperial Russian Navy shifted their focus to the Aegean Sea once more under the general leadership of Grigory Spiridov, who assigned with capturing the Ottoman fortifications in Bodrum and Kos.[1] Elmanov was given four ships of the line (Sv. Georgii Pobedonosets, Trech Svyatitelei, Trech Ierarchov, Saratov); three frigates (Severnyi Orel, Tino, Pobeda); three bomb vessels and thousands of soldiers.[2]
Elmanov first set out for Kos, blockading it from 11 August with two ships of the line (Trech Svyatitelei, Trech Ierarchov) and two frigates (Tino, Pobeda). Elmanov meanwhile sailed to Bodrum the same day and launched an unsuccessful attack on the city.
On 16 August 1773, Elmanov began to personally bombard the town of Kos, the main settlement of the island. After doing this for a while, Elmanov landed nearly 1,500 troops. However, the Russians did not account for the 5,000-strong garrison on the island (including local militia). As such, Elmanov dispatched two additional infantry battalions and seven more mortars to reinforce his weakened forces. Nevertheless, on 18 August, Ottoman troops launched a counter-attack, resulting in heavy losses for the Russians, forcing them to withdraw from the island. The Russian lost thousands of men and seven cannons; leaving behind 10 tons of gunpowder, and a large amount of siege materials.[3]