The Naval Battle of Elli: Greece Achieves Strategic Victory and Control of the Aegean

The flagship of the Greek Navy Averof. Credit: AMNA

The Naval Battle of Elli (also known arsenic the Battle of the Dardanelles) marked the archetypal naval engagement betwixt the Greek and Ottoman fleets since the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829). It occurred during the First Balkan War.

The clash took spot connected the greeting of December 3, 1912 (December 16 according to the New Calendar) disconnected Cape Elli (Eles Burun successful Turkish) connected the Gallipoli Peninsula, adjacent the entranceway to the Dardanelles Straits. The conflict lasted astir an hr and ended successful a decisive triumph for the Greek forces.

Greek naval supremacy successful the Aegean

In the archetypal months of the First Balkan War, the Greek fleet established dominance implicit the Aegean Sea. Under the bid of Rear Admiral Pavlos Koundouriotis (from Hydra, 1855-1935), the Greek Navy archetypal liberated the land of Lemnos and established its precocious anchorage astatine Moudros Bay. This was swiftly followed by the liberation of Mount Athos and different islands successful the Northern and Eastern Aegean, including Thasos, Samothrace, Imvros, Tenedos, Agios Efstratios, Mytilene (Lesbos), and Chios.

In stark contrast, the Ottoman fleet, led by Admiral Ramiz Bey, remained protected wrong the Dardanelles, avoiding immoderate sortie into the Aegean.

The fleets acceptable sail

Towards the extremity of November, quality indicated that the Ottoman fleet was preparing to participate the Aegean. On the day of December 1, the Greek fleet, commanded by Koundouriotis, sailed from its basal astatine Moudros aft receiving reports that the Ottoman cruiser Mecidiye had been sighted astatine the entranceway to the Dardanelles. The Greek patrol continued until the greeting of December 3 without encountering the enemy.

At 8:00 AM connected December 3, portion the Greek fleet was sailing from northbound to south, the Ottoman fleet was sighted emerging into the Aegean. The Ottoman unit included the battleships Hayreddin Barbarossa (Ramiz Bey’s flagship), Turgut Reis, Messudiye, Asar-i Tevfik, the cruiser Mecidiye, and respective destroyers.

The Greek Aegean fleet consisted of the flagship Averof (Koundouriotis’s flagship), the 3 older battleships Hydra, Spetsai, and Psara, 4 recently built Lion-class scouts, the 2 caller destroyers Nea Genea and Keraunos, and 8 older, smaller destroyers (Thiela and Niki classes).

The conflict commences

The Battle of Elli concluded, adding different glorious section to Greece’s naval history. Public Domain

A wide alarm was instantly sounded. Koundouriotis ordered his scouts to signifier a file to the near of the Greek battleships’ line, 1,000 meters apart, portion the remaining destroyers took presumption astern of the battleships.

At 9:00 AM, the Ottoman battleships turned north, hugging the coast. This maneuver was intended to unafraid screen from coastal fortress artillery and summation their combined firepower. The Greek fleet reacted instantly, changing people to prosecute the enemy.

It was past that Admiral Koundouriotis transmitted his historical awesome to the Greek ships:

“With the assistance of God and the King’s wishes, and successful the sanction of Justice, I sail with irresistible momentum and with assurance successful triumph against the force of the Nation.”

The courses of the 2 fleets began to converge, and astatine 9:05 AM, they were 14 kilometers apart. Koundouriotis chose to hold for the force to occurrence first, wishing to conserve ammunition until the scope was effective.

At 9:22 AM, the Ottoman flagship opened occurrence from a region of 12,500 meters. The Averof returned fire, and the conflict became general. From the outset, the Ottoman battleships concentrated their occurrence connected the newer Greek flagship. Their barrage was accelerated and dense but lacked accuracy. The occurrence from the Greek broadside was not importantly much accurate, arsenic the Averof had not completed combat firing exercises, and the older battleships had antiquated guns with primitive targeting systems.

Koundouriotis’s daring maneuver

The Averof has ne'er erstwhile lowered the Greek flag. Credit: AMNA

By 9:35 AM, the region betwixt the 2 sides had closed to 9,500 meters. Admiral Koundouriotis decided to execute a long-planned strategy: to exploit the superior velocity of his flagship, the Averof, to outflank the force conflict enactment from the bow—the alleged “Crossing the T” maneuver, archetypal utilized by Japanese Admiral Tōgō against the Russian fleet astatine the Battle of Tsushima (May 27-28, 1905).

Acting independently of the remainder of the fleet, helium raised the awesome emblem ‘Z’ and ordered the Averof’s captain, Sofoklis Dousmanis, to summation velocity to maximum, rushing fiercely toward the enemy.

Surprised by this assertive maneuver, the Ottoman Admiral ordered his ships to crook 180 degrees to the close successful succession. This improvement shattered their line, signaling a disorganized retreat toward the Straits astir 10:00 AM. The Averof had a aureate accidental to prosecute the retreating ships and onslaught a decisive blow, but its complaint of occurrence had been severely reduced owed to problems with the weapon breeches.

Meanwhile, the different Greek ships opened occurrence connected the retreating Ottoman fleet from a region of 5,000 meters. By 10:25 AM, the Greek ships ceased firing arsenic the Ottoman vessels disappeared into the Dardanelles Straits.

Aftermath and strategical importance

The Battle of Elli concluded, adding different glorious section to Greece’s naval history. The Greek fleet remained adjacent the Straits until 2:30 PM earlier returning to Moudros, wherever it anchored precocious that evening.

The Greek triumph was mostly owed to Koundouriotis’s bold maneuver and the wide superiority of the Averof implicit the Ottoman battleships. As a effect of the maneuver, the Averof entered the scope of coastal artillery and sustained immoderate superficial harm to its superstructure.

The Ottoman ships suffered heavier damage, on with casualties: 58 dormant and 40 wounded. Greek losses were minimal, with 1 deceased petty serviceman (Signalman Katzitzaris) and Sub-Lieutenant Mamouris, who died a fewer days aboriginal from an infected wound, and 7 different wounded.

The Battle of Elli was a triumph of immense strategical value for the Hellenic Navy. It cemented Greek power implicit the Aegean Sea, preventing the Ottomans from utilizing the oversea lanes to reenforce their forces warring successful Macedonia and Thrace.

Related: Historic Battleship Averoff Sails the Aegean aft 70 years