Greek corsairs of 1820s

Anything and everything about sailing vessels, be they warships, merchantmen or something completely different
AvM
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Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by AvM »

In 1820 there were built two "corsairs" for Greece
TELEMAQUE
ANACREON
Have you any ideas about these ships?

I think 1820 is too early
Last edited by AvM on Tue Feb 13, 2018 11:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
AvM
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820

Post by AvM »

I have a brig of Hydra
Telemachos (Τηλέμαχος)
length 21 Greek Elis
built 25.12.1820 (evry probably launched or set in service)
owned by Lazaros & Georgios Kountouriotai
master Elias Georgzou,

and other
owned by F. & V. Voudouraioi

very probably real warships built in France
AvM
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by AvM »

There were only a few vessels of the independecy war incorporated in 1830 into the new Greek Navy

As corvettes were enlisted :
Psara (Ψαρά) , renamed Renamed Prinkips Maximilianos (Πρινκιπας Μαζιμιλιανός) of 19 guns
Miltiades (Μιλτιάδης) - listed with 60 guns (!)
Spetsai (Σπέτσαι) - former brig Agamemnon (Αγαμέμνων) of Baboulina (the only feminal admiral in the World's history)
Hydra (Υδρα) - former Ottoma corvette seized by frigate Hellas
Makis
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by Makis »

Some words in general.
All Greek Captains of the Revolution were merchants before. They had become rich as blockade runners, supplying france with grain, braking the British blockade. During the Revolution they used their ships as warships, mostly brigs and polacres. When not fighting the Turks, they were notorious privateers in the Archipelago, that was a substantial source of income for the Greek revolutionary government.
You can read the very interesting "La Station du Levant" (vol. II), by the French Admiral Juriene de la Graviere.
https://archive.org/details/lastationduleva00unkngoog
Indeed Agamemnon was Bouboulina's ship, she was Captain and Commodore. She was from Hydra Island, but she had married to two Captains from the nearby Island of Spetses. Both were killed by Algerian pirates. She was born at Constantinople's prison because her father was imprisoned there as a revolutionary (correctly) of the failed revolution of 1770.
Makis
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by Makis »

With regard to Bouboulina one can start here...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laskarina_Bouboulina
AvM
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by AvM »

You could not simply arm a merchant vessel and use them as a warship.
Most of Greek actions were guerilla type (fireships, small boats, etc),
but there were also some naval fights.


Piracy in tha Archipelago is another problem and tgheir were fighted
even during the Independence War by the Royal navy
see
Piracy in the Levant, 1827-1828
Lt. Cdr. C.G. Pitcairn Jones R.N.
Navy Records Society Vol 72 (1934),
Last edited by AvM on Wed Feb 14, 2018 8:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
AvM
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by AvM »

Makis wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2018 12:25 am You can read the very interesting "La Station du Levant" (vol. II), by the French Admiral Juriene de la Graviere.
https://archive.org/details/lastationduleva00unkngoog
Tome I & 2 are both available in Gallica

http://gallica.bnf.fr/services/engine/search/sru?operation=searchRetrieve&version=1.2&collapsing=disabled&rk=42918;4&query=%28gallica%20adj%20%22La%20Station%20du%20Levant%22%29%20and%20dc.relation%20all%20%22cb30669339p%22
AvM
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by AvM »

As it is regarding brig
Agamemnon (Αγαμέμνων)
length 36 Greek Elli - some sources give 48?
Built: 1820 cost 75,000 tall ...
Armed: 18 long-range guns
Owned: Laskarina Bobouolina
Masters: Giannos Giannouzas, Lazaros Koutroumpis, Nikolaos G. Koutsis, Nikolaos I. Raptis, Petros D. Goudis
She was refitted to corvette 1829 and joined Greek Navy. Blown up in Poros by Hydra 30.07.1831.

That ship was evidently built from the beginning as a warship!
Makis
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by Makis »

The length unit of measurement was the greek πήχης, about 75 centimeters.
the cost was 75,000 spanish dollars (talira).
Agamemnon was indeed built as a warship and Bouboulina had serious trouble with the Ottoman authorities.
Giannos Giannouzas was one of her sons fron her first husband.
Makis
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by Makis »

Greek merchant vessels were fitted from the start as blockade runners and carried from 8 to even 14 guns.
The Ottoman navy relied heavily on Greek sailors to man the battle fleet. Every year the Capudan Pasha would send out emmisaries to the islands to gather the crews.
When the revolution broke out the Ottomans lacked those trained sailors.
However, the Greeks hesitated in the beginning to confront directly the Ottoman battle fleet (obviously).
But when they realised that the Ottoman crews were not well trained they gained confidence.
The Admiral Andreas Miaoulis (his actual surname was Vokos) started employing the line of battle tactics with the combined squadrons of the Islands Hydra, Spetses, and Psara (Ipsara).
Several fleet actions occured after the first year of the revolution.
Later on, under the command of Cochrane they even tryed to burn the Egyptian fleet at Alexandria.
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