Battle of Samos
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Battle of Samos | |||||||
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Part of the Greek War of Independence | |||||||
Artwork by Zografos and Makriyannis | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
First Hellenic Republic | Ottoman Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Georgios Sachtouris Konstantinos Kanaris | Koca Hüsrev Mehmed Pasha | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
6 fireships spent 3 dead[1] |
3 ships and 100 guns destroyed 1,000 killed[1][2] |
The Battle of Samos (Greek: Ναυμαχία της Σάμου) was a naval battle fought on August 5–17, 1824 off the Greek island of Samos during the Greek War of Independence.
Background
The island of Samos, under its leader, Lykourgos Logothetis, had successfully rebelled against the Ottomans in 1821, and established its own autonomous government. The island's position, however, a few miles off the Anatolian coast, made it vulnerable to a potential Ottoman attack. In the summer of 1824, following the destruction of Psara, the Ottoman fleet and troops assembled on the Anatolian coast, with the intention of capturing the island. Anxious to avoid repeating the failure to protect Psara, the Greek fleet, under Admiral Georgios Sachtouris, assembled to guard the island. After some minor engagements on the previous days, the decisive battle occurred on August 17.[3]
Battle
The Ottomans attempted to drive the Greek forces from their position in the straits, an Ottoman frigate began the cannonade, while the Ottoman fleet attempted to pass between the Anatolian coast and the Greek fleet's left-wing. At ten o'clock in the morning, the Greek
Aftermath
Together with the victory at the strait of Gerontas soon after, the battle of Samos ensured the safety of the island at that time. However, it was not included in independent Greece; rather, it became an autonomous principality under Ottoman suzerainty until the Balkan Wars.
References
- ^ a b Thomas Gordon, History of the Greek Revolution, T2, Blackwood, 1832, p. 148
- ISBN 9780313335396.
- ^ a b T. Gordon, History of the Greek Revolution, T2 pp. 147–148