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Battle of Elli
Part of theFirst Balkan War
Battle of Elli,Vasileios Hatzis.
Date 16 December [O.S. 3 December] 1912 Location Off theDardanelles,Aegean Sea 40°12′N26°24′E / 40.2°N 26.4°E /40.2; 26.4 Result Greek victory
Belligerents
Greece	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Pavlos Kountouriotis	Ramiz Bey
Strength
1 armoured cruiser 3 ironclad battleships 4 destroyers	3 battleships 1 ironclad 1 protected cruiser 4 destroyers
Casualties and losses
2 killed	18 killed 41 wounded 1 battleship damaged[1]

TheBattle of Elli (Greek:Ναυμαχία της Έλλης,Turkish:İmroz Deniz Muharebesi) or theBattle of the Dardanelles took place near the mouth of theDardanelles on 16 December [O.S. 3 December] 1912 as part of theFirst Balkan War between the fleets of theKingdom of Greece and theOttoman Empire. It was the largest sea battle of theBalkan Wars.^[2]

Since the start of the war theRoyal Hellenic Navy acted aggressively, while theOttoman Navy remained in theDardanelles. Rear AdmiralPavlos Kountouriotis landed atLemnos, while the Greek fleet captured a series of islands. On 24 October (O.S.), Kountouriotis sent a telegram to the Ottoman admiral:"We have captured Tenedos. We await the exit of your fleet. If you need coal, I can supply you." On 3 December (OS), the Ottoman fleet left the Dardanelles.

The Royal Hellenic Navy, led by Kountouriotis on board of the flagshipAverof, defeated the Ottoman Navy, led by Captain Ramiz Bey, just outside the entrance to theDardanelles (Hellespont). During the battle, Kountouriotis, frustrated by the slow speed of the three older Greek ironcladsHydra,Spetsai andPsara, hoisted theZ flag which stood for "Independent Action", and sailed forward alone at a speed of 20 knots, against the Ottoman fleet. Taking full advantage of her superior speed, guns and armour,Averof succeeded incrossing the Ottoman fleet's "T" and concentrated her fire against the Ottoman flagshipBarbaros Hayreddin, thus forcing the Ottoman fleet to retreat in disorder. The Greek fleet, including the destroyersAetos,Ierax andPanthir continued to pursue the Ottoman fleet off-and-on between December 13 and December 26, 1912.

The Ottomans suffered 7 killed and 14 wounded on theBarbaros Hayreddin, 8 killed and 20 wounded on theTurgut Reis, and 3 dead and 7 wounded on theMesudiye.^[1]

This victory was quite significant in that the Ottoman Navy retreated within the Straits and left the Aegean Sea to the Greeks who were now free to liberate the islands ofLesbos,Chios,Lemnos andSamos and others. It also prevented any transfer of Ottoman troop reinforcements by sea and effectively secured Ottoman defeat on land.

• Greek cruiser Elli (1912)
• Greek cruiser Elli (1935)
• Greek frigate Elli (F450)

• Erickson, Edward J.; Bush, Brighton C. (2003).Defeat in Detail: The Ottoman Army in the Balkans, 1912–1913. Greenwood Publishing Group.ISBN 0275978885.
• Fotakis, Zisis (2005).Greek Naval Strategy and Policy, 1910–1919. Routledge.ISBN 978-0-415-35014-3.

• 1912 in Greece
• 1912 in the Ottoman Empire
• Conflicts in 1912
• Naval battles of the First Balkan War
• Naval battles involving Greece
• Naval battles involving the Ottoman Empire
• History of the Aegean Sea
• History of the Dardanelles
• December 1912

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