April 22, 1453 · Galata to Golden Horn, via dry land Theater
April 22, 1453
Unable to force his navy through the chain blocking the Golden Horn entrance, Mehmed executed one of the most audacious logistics operations in siege history: he had 70 ships dragged overland on greased wooden rollers, across the Galata hill and down the other side into the Golden Horn. The operation was conducted overnight to maximize surprise. Dawn revealed an Ottoman fleet already assembled within the harbor, threatening the northern walls that had never required serious defense. The Byzantine garrison — already desperately thin — now had to split its forces. A Venetian plan to fire-bomb the transported fleet was betrayed to the Ottomans, and the attack failed.
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