The Naval Battle of Elli (also known as the Battle of the Dardanelles) marked the first naval engagement between the Greek and Ottoman fleets since the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829). It occurred during the First Balkan War.
The clash took place on the morning of December 3, 1912 (December 16 according to the New Calendar) off Cape Elli (Eles Burun in Turkish) on the Gallipoli Peninsula, near the entrance to the Dardanelles Straits. The battle lasted about an hour and ended in a decisive victory for the Greek forces.
Greek naval supremacy in the Aegean
In the initial months of the First Balkan War, the Greek fleet established dominance over the Aegean Sea. Under the command of Rear Admiral Pavlos Koundouriotis (from Hydra, 1855-1935), the Greek Navy first liberated the island of Lemnos and established its advanced anchorage at Moudros Bay. This was swiftly followed by the liberation of Mount Athos and other islands in 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 within the Dardanelles, avoiding any sortie into the Aegean.
The fleets set sail
Towards the end of November, intelligence indicated that the Ottoman fleet was preparing to enter the Aegean. On the afternoon of December 1, the Greek fleet, commanded by Koundouriotis, sailed from its base at Moudros after receiving reports that the Ottoman cruiser Mecidiye had been sighted at the entrance to the Dardanelles. The Greek patrol continued until the morning of December 3 without encountering the enemy.
At 8:00 AM on December 3, while the Greek fleet was sailing from north to south, the Ottoman fleet was sighted emerging into the Aegean. The Ottoman force included the battleships Hayreddin Barbarossa (Ramiz Bey’s flagship), Turgut Reis, Messudiye, Asar-i Tevfik, the cruiser Mecidiye, and several destroyers.
The Greek Aegean fleet consisted of the flagship Averof (Koundouriotis’s flagship), the three older battleships Hydra, Spetsai, and Psara, four newly built Lion-class scouts, the two new destroyers Nea Genea and Keraunos, and eight older, smaller destroyers (Thiela and Niki classes).
The battle commences
A general alarm was immediately sounded. Koundouriotis ordered his scouts to form a column to the left of the Greek battleships’ line, 1,000 meters apart, while the remaining destroyers took position astern of the battleships.
At 9:00 AM, the Ottoman battleships turned north, hugging the coast. This maneuver was intended to secure cover from coastal fortress artillery and increase their combined firepower. The Greek fleet reacted instantly, changing course to pursue the enemy.
It was then that Admiral Koundouriotis transmitted his historic signal to the Greek ships:
“With the help of God and the King’s wishes, and in the name of Justice, I sail with irresistible momentum and with confidence in victory against the enemy of the Nation.”
The courses of the two fleets began to converge, and at 9:05 AM, they were 14 kilometers apart. Koundouriotis chose to wait for the enemy to fire first, wishing to conserve ammunition until the range was effective.
At 9:22 AM, the Ottoman flagship opened fire from a distance of 12,500 meters. The Averof returned fire, and the battle became general. From the outset, the Ottoman battleships concentrated their fire on the newer Greek flagship. Their barrage was rapid and dense but lacked accuracy. The fire from the Greek side was not significantly more accurate, as the Averof had not completed combat firing exercises, and the older battleships had antiquated guns with primitive targeting systems.
Koundouriotis’s daring maneuver
By 9:35 AM, the distance between the two sides had closed to 9,500 meters. Admiral Koundouriotis decided to execute a long-planned strategy: to exploit the superior speed of his flagship, the Averof, to outflank the enemy battle line from the bow—the so-called “Crossing the T” maneuver, first used by Japanese Admiral Tōgō against the Russian fleet at the Battle of Tsushima (May 27-28, 1905).
Acting independently of the rest of the fleet, he raised the signal flag ‘Z’ and ordered the Averof’s captain, Sofoklis Dousmanis, to increase speed to maximum, rushing fiercely toward the enemy.
Surprised by this aggressive maneuver, the Ottoman Admiral ordered his ships to turn 180 degrees to the right in succession. This development shattered their line, signaling a disorganized retreat toward the Straits around 10:00 AM. The Averof had a golden opportunity to pursue the retreating ships and strike a decisive blow, but its rate of fire had been severely reduced due to problems with the gun breeches.
Meanwhile, the other Greek ships opened fire on the retreating Ottoman fleet from a distance of 5,000 meters. By 10:25 AM, the Greek ships ceased firing as the Ottoman vessels disappeared into the Dardanelles Straits.
Aftermath and strategic importance
The Battle of Elli concluded, adding another glorious chapter to Greece’s naval history. The Greek fleet remained near the Straits until 2:30 PM before returning to Moudros, where it anchored late that evening.
The Greek victory was largely due to Koundouriotis’s bold maneuver and the overall superiority of the Averof over the Ottoman battleships. As a result of the maneuver, the Averof entered the range of coastal artillery and sustained some superficial damage to its superstructure.
The Ottoman ships suffered heavier damage, along with casualties: 58 dead and 40 wounded. Greek losses were minimal, with one deceased petty officer (Signalman Katzitzaris) and Sub-Lieutenant Mamouris, who died a few days later from an infected wound, and seven other wounded.
The Battle of Elli was a victory of immense strategic importance for the Hellenic Navy. It cemented Greek control over the Aegean Sea, preventing the Ottomans from using the sea lanes to reinforce their forces fighting in Macedonia and Thrace.
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