Battle of Elli

Overview

The Battle of Elli or the Battle of the Dardanelles took place near the mouth of the Dardanelles on 16 December [O.S. 3 December] 1912 as part of the First Balkan War between the fleets of the Kingdom of Greece and the Ottoman Empire. It was the largest sea battle of the Balkan Wars.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Elli, fought near the mouth of the Dardanelles on December 16, 1912, was the largest naval engagement of the First Balkan War. Pitting the Greek fleet under Pavlos Kountouriotis against the Ottoman fleet, it was one of the few major fleet actions of the conflict and demonstrated Greece's capacity to contest Ottoman naval power in strategically critical waters. Control of the Dardanelles approaches carried direct operational significance for the broader war, as it affected the ability of the Ottoman Empire to move forces and supplies by sea across the Aegean theater.

Commanders (1)