On this day in 1913, the Georgios Averof devastates Ottoman Navy in the Battle of Lemnos

The Hellenic Navy, led by the Georgios Averof battleship, defeated the second and last attempt by the Ottoman Empire to break the Greek naval blockade against the Dardanelles to reclaim supremacy over the Aegean Sea.

The Greek fleet, led by Rear Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis, was comprised of the 9,960-ton armoured cruiser flagship Georgios Averof, the three old coastal defence battleships Spetsai, Ydra and Psara, and eight destroyers according to greek city times

The Ottoman flotilla included the pre-dreadnought battleships Hayreddin Barbarossa, Turgut Reis and Mesudiye and the cruiser Medjidiye, thirteen destroyers and torpedo ships.

At 08:20 on January 5, 1913, Greek patrols spotted the Ottoman fleet, and the Greek Fleet of Moudros received the signal.

The already prepared Kountouriotis sailed at 09:45 from Moudros Bay, and the two fleets met off Moudros about 12 miles southeast of Lemnos island.

The Turks had the advantage of firepower and protection.

Gunnery exchange started at 11:34, and the Greek column turned left and further closed the distance to allow its older ironclads to open a broadside fire.

The Mecidiye and Turkish destroyers turned northeast, heading back towards the Dardanelles.

Source: pagenews.gr