
Naval battle of Patras - 1822

by Panagiotis Mastrantonis
Title
Naval battle of Patras - 1822
Artist
Panagiotis Mastrantonis
Medium
Drawing - Drawing - Chinese Ink On Fabriano Paper
Description
During the Greek War of Independence the three islands of Hydra, Spetses and Psara formed the Greek fleet which for this reason was named "Trinissios" (Three-island). The Greek ships were small merchant vessels, while on the other hand the Ottoman were big, expensive warships.
Thus, the Greeks did not attack in formation but used to harass the enemy ships in order to prevent & intercept the enemy’s course towards the coastal fortresses of the Peloponnese that were in constant danger from ships coming from the coast of Asia Minor.
However, in February 1822, when the Turks headed to the port of Patras and disembarked men, Miaoulis made the bold decision for the first time for the Greek fleet to face the enemy in a line of battle.
The weather was stormy and the sea particularly rough, and although this prevented many of the Greek ships to arrive in time, it also caught the Ottomans by surprise, both because of the weather conditions but also because of the unexpected tactical confrontation by the under-powered smaller Greek ships.
The battle was fierce and lasted over five hours, with Miaoulis and his flagship being the protagonist for some time before the rest of the Greek fleet gathered. Eventually the Greeks managed to completely destroy an enemy frigate and cause severe damage to many more Ottoman ships that were forced to flee to Zakynthos in panic.
The outcome of the battle raised the morale of the Greeks that realized they could attack and confront the enemy in formation.
Part of the collection "Great Naval Battles 1821-1827".
Uploaded
April 28th, 2021
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