Η ναυμαχία της Τενέδου 28 Οκτωβρίου 1822 και ο ρόλος των πυρπολικών. Κρίστυ Εμίλιο Ιωαννίδου.

Kristi Emilio Ioannidou: Invitation to Speak on the Battle of Tenedos (28 October 1822)

Kristi Emilio Ioannidou—naval historian and researcher specializing in ancient Greek navigation—is invited to speak about the Battle of Tenedos (28 October 1822), with a focus on the role of Greek fireships used during the naval fighting.

Main Points of Her Analysis / Report

Context of the Battle (1822)

• After an unfortunate Greek landing from Mykonos, Kapoudan Pasha sails toward the straits, aiming for Lesbos via Chios.
• Weather forces him to anchor at Tenedos, which creates an opportunity for the Greek side (attributed to a decision by Psaras) to attack using fireships and warships.

What Fireships (“Fire Engines”) Were and How They Worked

• Disposable vessels: fireships were built for a single mission, fully expected to be destroyed or rendered unusable if the operation failed.
• Construction details: flammable materials were placed below the deck, and the ship was coated with tar and combustible substances so it could ignite quickly.
• Attack method:
  • The fireship was hooked to an enemy ship.
  • The fire was set so it would spread toward the Ottoman vessel.
  • The crew escaped using small boats referred to as “scabavia/scapare + via” (escape means).

Effectiveness and Recorded Success Rates (1821–1827)

• Scholarly estimates suggest that 112 fireships were used in attacks during 1821–1827.
• Reported success rate: about 37%.
  • Failures are attributed to cases where fireships got close but did not properly hook, and to Ottoman countermeasures, including pulling away with hooks and firing to stop the mission.
• Some fireships were blown off by wind and burned out without destroying their intended targets.

Damage Inflicted on the Ottoman Fleet

• She emphasizes that fireship tactics helped destroy major Ottoman vessels, arguing strategically that:
  • 15 large ships were destroyed (as part of her case that the tactic mattered strategically).

Named Fireships and Mission Participation

• From archive materials, she notes Ottoman-era records using different ship terms (e.g., “ifistia” and “burlota”) and highlights the predominance of certain vessel types (described as barges).
• She notes that fireships were built with care and sometimes assigned mythic/religious-sounding names, such as:
  • Charon, Medusa, Cerberus, Pyriphlegethon (among others).
• She points to documented participation by known figures, including:
  • Konstantinos Kanaris (12 missions)
  • Pipinos (8)
  • Anastasios Rombotsis (8)
• She stresses that many additional participants remain less known but were nonetheless committed and essential.

Strategic Purpose Beyond Destruction

• Compensating for naval inequality: Ottoman forces had larger cannon-carrying ships, so fireships offered an asymmetric method to counter that advantage.
• Targeting command power: the Greeks aimed at the largest Ottoman vessels—flagships and sub-flagships—to weaken command, and then fight the remaining smaller ships under more balanced conditions.
• Psychological warfare: the sight of burning ships approaching would cause confusion and disorder, making coordinated fleet responses difficult.

The Specific Night Operation (27/28 October 1822)

• She describes a plan to send two fireship patrols at night, involving:
  • Konstantinos Kanaris
  • Philippos Antoniou, plus additional ships/units (including “two Polemikas,” described as Greek ships)
• Tactics included:
  • Making the fireship approach invisibly
  • Using an Ottoman-flag deception so the approaching ships were not immediately recognized as hostile
• Key moments:
  • Kanaris attached to a “sleeping” Ottoman ship and set it on fire; once discovered, the Ottomans failed to stop the burning.
  • Antoniou’s effort partially failed: Ottomans managed to unstuck the fireship, which then burned and drifted by wind toward Ottoman positions.
• The drifting fire produced fear and chaos:
  • Ottoman crews lowered boats, and many people jumped into the sea.
  • Ottoman fortresses fired cannons “at random,” increasing casualties and panic.

Aftermath and Interpretation

• She contrasts Greek success with Ottoman failure, noting that:
  • The sultan ordered the beheading of Kapudan Pasha due to the losses and failures associated with this battle.
• Thematically, she frames fireships as symbols of Greek boldness and intelligence, arguing that their flames helped alter the course of history and rekindle hope for freedom.

Presenters / Contributors

• Mrs. Kristi Emilio Ioannidou (speaker)
• Nikolaos Mantikas (mentioned as president of the city association/inviter)