Poros History -
History of Poros & Trizina Area and
Historic Sites in Central Greece
~ Poros Museum
~ Site Sources ~ Links ~
~ Saga Hotel, Poros ~
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Poros History -
~ Poros Museum
~ Site Sources ~ Links ~ |
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Introduction :
The Battle of Poros was the first serious civil war between the newly-formed Government of Greece under I. Kapodistrias and insurgents under Admiral A. Miaoulis of Hydra. At that time, the three nations who had destroyed the Turkish fleet at Navarino Bay were seen as useful protectors, so three different parties had emerged in support of each nation as a permanent protector. Despite having its own Governor, Greece was still very much a disparate group of communities, with their main link being language and the Greek Orthodox Church. Kapodistrias had come to power with the support of the 'Russian' faction, but Miaoulis and the 'English' faction wanted to operate under a British protectorate, as the Ionian islands had done for some years. The transition from dependents of one nation or another to independence as the Greek (Hellenic) state took some time to enter the national consciousness, with the Battle of Poros as its most painful episode.
Hydra's Connection with Poros :
The Hydrans and other Aegean islanders were deeply suspicious of the motives of those in the mainland Peloponnese, an area then called Morea, wanting to preserve their autonomy under British Protectorate. It must be remembered that the Hydriotes had been semi-independent under the Ottoman Empire and their merchants were extremely rich; apparently, it was the patriotism of the common seamen that had forced the rich Hydran merchants to declare for the Revolution. Furthermore, because the harbour of Hydra was exposed to westerly winds, the merchant fleet of Hydra generally moored in the massive harbour of Poros. This goes a long way to explain why Hydra wanted to retain its autnomy and why the Poriotes felt obliged to support them.
Most of the personalities involved had fought the Turks, most doing so with success, Alexandros Mavrocordatus of Hydra even being nominated as President of the government, but instead Ioannis Kapodistria was to become the first (and only) Governor of independent Greece. Admiral Miaoulis had been a successful commander of some of the scratch forces of armed merchant ships and fireships used to attack the Turkish-Egyptian Navy, so was regarded as something of a local and national hero. Unfortunately, the Admiral had felt that he had to support his colleagues in Hydra, rather than coming to a compromise with Capodistrias, so was at Hydra when matters came to a head.
The Hellenic Navy at July 1st 1831 :
By purchase, donation and bequest, the Hellenic Navy then in being - and chiefly anchored or moored in the harbour at Poros - was as follows :-
 The Hellas aflame 1st August 1831 |
Start of the Conflict - 14th July 1831 :
Capodistrias and his government felt they had little choice but to somehow neutralise Hydra, which was threatening to link up with rebels on Syros and declare autonomy. The Poros Naval Station contained the main Hellenic Navy squadron and as such was a threat to Hydran interests. Commander Konstantin Kanaris, previously captain of the 'Hellas', of the Poros Naval Station, received secret orders to prepare the fleet to blockade Hydra and to re-establish control in the Aegean. Unfortunately, the Hydra rebels learnt of this scheme and held a secret conference of their own, Alexandros Mavrokordatus making proposals that commissioned Miaoulis and a force of 2000 Hydrans to seize Poros naval station and all the ships. Mavrokordatus went along as political counsellor, thinking presumably to negotiate with the Kapodistrias administration from a position of strength. According to Finlay's 'History of the Greek Revolution', Miaoulis only managed to asseble a force of 200 Hydrans, but with the assistance of Poriote sympathisers, the Hydrans arrived at dawn on 14th July 1831, seizing the entire fleet. It is worthwhile recalling that many of the crew of the fleet would have come from Spetses (also then called Spezzia) and from Hydra itself, so had few loyalties to the government then at Nauplion. It is unclear what happened to Canaris, although he did survive the incident; there are references to 'the commander of Poros' being allowed to enter the city later in the aftermath and Canaris did become a politician later in life.
In addition, the fort of Poros on Aghios Konstantinos (Bourtzi) was occupied by Hydrans or Poriote sympathizers, giving Miaoulis control of the strait between Spheria and the mainland. This was important, as with a southerly or easterly wind it blocked the easiest entrance to the harbour. Miaoulis appeared to hold all the cards in this tactical success, but he and his friend Mavrokordatus had underrated one key element - the presence near Poros of the Russian naval squadron under Admiral Richord, and of its vessels elsewhere. Although British forces had been the largest in the Navarino Bay battle, the Russians had stuck by their Orthodox friends, presumably hoping eventually for warm-water ports in the Aegean.
The official Hellenic Navy website states that the Kapodistrias government wanted to hand the 'Hellas' over to Admiral Richord, but this does not square with Kapodistrias's reaction to what actually took place. Greece had few enough ships as it was, without disposing of the flagship to the Russians. There is also the curious matter of the 'Emmanuil'/'Emmanuel', referred to earlier in this page, a Russian-origin corvette/battleship (warship ?). The events recorded here are a summary of Kostas. Kiriakopoulos's account, as given in his book 'Poros - Trizina', which the writer recommends. Material is also taken from Finlay's book, although his bias against Kapodistrias may have influenced his reporting.
Russian and Government Counter-Attack - 24th July 1831 ...
The Greek government were faced by a serious problem, but in the Russians they had a useful ally. There seem to have been almost daily skirmishes in the Poros area, with the government testing its opponents and gradually bringing up the army of General Kallergis. On 24th July, Russian boats were directed by Admiral Richord to move Kallergis's troops to Poros. The people of Poros rebelled on 25th July, but their leader Christodoulos Poriotis (literally, 'of Poros') was killed in fighting and the others routed. As Poros town was not at this stage occupied by Kallergis, the fighting must have taken place elsewhere, possibly above Galatas or in the western part of Kalavria island.
Naval Battle of Poros - 26th - 27th July 1831 ...
Richord and Kallergis had realised that a combined assault was needed, so on 26th and 27th July there was more heavy fighting, mainly with the Hydrans, with the Russians attempting to force the strait between Poros and Galatas, whilst Kallergis seized the hills and coast of the Galatas area. Richord appears to have been determined to destroy the rebel ships, and despite the Russian ship 'Ulysses' being bombarded by the cannon on Bourtzi, the corvette 'Isle of Spetses' was destroyed and another corvette (possibly 'Psara') was badly damaged and seized by the Russians. At this time, the government forces may have seized Bourtzi, ending its threat to the Russian squadron and routing most of the Hydran sailors, who may have withdrawn to the fleet anchored in Poros Harbour.
 Bourtzi Island and Fortress |
Hydran Withdrawal and the Surrender of Poros Town - 30th to 31st July 1831 ...
The seizure of the corvette by the Russians and of Bourtzi, must have forced the Hydrans to realise that they faced a hopeless naval battle with superior Russian forces. This appears to have been the last straw for the ordinary Hydran seamen, who deserted their ships in the night, leaving Miaoulis with only twenty officers and men on the 'Hellas'. Other ships in the Greek fleet had been virtually deserted, whilst the Poriotes (even those who had supported Miaoulis) decided to negotiate with Richord. The Poriotes apparently were afraid of reprisals and were running short of food and ammunition, as they had presumably not expected the intervention of the Russians. Kallergis's forces were allowed to enter the town, which apparently took place unopposed on 1st August.
Destruction of the Fleet and the Sack of Poros - 1st August 1831 ...
When dawn broke on 1st August, the position of the remaining Hydrans on the ships was plainly hopeless. It is not clear whether the fort had been taken, but Admiral Miaoulis would be unable to escape with the remaining ships as he had too few crew to man them. Instead, he managed to set gunpowder charges in the frigate 'Hellas', the corvettes 'Hydra' and 'Emmanuel' and the steamship 'Karteria' ('Kalavria'?). At 9:30 am, seeing a Russian ship standing into Monastery Bay and anticipating an attack, Miaoulis ordered the fuses lit, he and his men escaping in a launch, avoiding the cannon and musket fire from both sides of the strait and the Russian ships. It is possible that he caught the Russians napping by sailing between the Bourtzi and Lazareta islands and the mainland, to get some protection from the Russian ships. In any case, despite being shot at by even his former allies - who naturally felt betrayed - Miaoulis and his men managed to escape to Hydra, leaving the Poriotes to their fate.
At 10:30 am the fuses burnt to the powder kegs in 'Hydra', blasting her open and leaving her half-submerged with her stern on the bottom, then in 'Hellas', which sank. The other two ships mined were saved, thanks to a sailor from Mykonos and a soldier, who managed to board both ships at the risk of their lives and remove the fuses. Nevertheless, it was a crippling blow to the infant Greek Navy and seems to have been regarded as a breach of faith by the hapless Poriotes. The furious government troops rushed into the town, seized the 'gun house' (Battery? Arsenal? Naval Station?) and began to plunder the houses and properties of the town as if it were a captured enemy city. According to Finlay, the Greek Army and its irregular supporters took so much plunder that they stole horses in Trizina to carry their loot away. This devastating mistreatment of the Poriotes was seen by Finlay as just another example of Kapodistrias's ineptness and corruption, but it probably had more to do with the Army being full of men used to banditry rather than discipline. Even the British Army lead by Wellington in the early 1800s regarded the sack of a captured city as a punishment for resistance and a reparation for their own losses.
The Hellenic Navy website, repeated in Wikipedia, says that the affected ships were burnt, which is logical in view of the experience of Admiral Miaulis in using fire-ships against the Turks. Unfortunately, that would not explain the saving of two other ships by removal of the fuses. The writer's analysis is that the ships may have caught fire after the explosions, or that fire was used to ruin the hulls and rigging to prevent salvage of ships and guns. As shall be seen, the guns of the destroyed ships still have their part to play in Poros and the adjacent islands.
The Aftermath ...
Canaris informed his superior Capodistrias of the disastrous loss of the two ships by the end of the 1st August and on
3rd August Kapodistrias published an announcement to the general public.
Whilst ships could be commandeered or rebuilt, the most serious loss may have been cannon. Frances McCallum, resident at Poros, reported that the decorative cannon at Hydra, Aegina, Spetses and Poros, had been recovered from the sea opposite the Poseidon Taverna. Admiral Miaulis would probably have 'spiked' the cannon by driving nails into the touch-holes, making them unusable unless the nails could be drilled out. In view of the large number of cannon aboard the 'Hellas' and 'Hydra', this would explain why so many 'waste' guns were available as decoration. The 'Emmanuel' corvette was later to be the largest ship of the Hellenic Navy in the 1832 war with Turkey, so Kapodistrias was right to lament the loss.
 'Waste' Cannon from Poros Harbour Possibly from the 'Hellas' or 'Hydra' which sank opposite this location |
 Anchor memorial to founding of the Navy Grapnel, Admiralty Pattern and Stockless Anchors |
 Obelisk of Kapodistrias |
Size of the Greek Navy in 1832 :
The damage done to the Hellenic Navy had, ironically, to be made good by Miaoulis and his successors over the following decades. At the time when Prince Otto of Bavaria was imposed on Greece as its first King, the Navy consisted of the following meagre collection of vessels :-
Poros Naval Station was enlarged into Greece's principal naval base by 1848, only losing that position in the 1878 move to Piraeus. The Russian Naval Station at Russian Bay had been damaged during the fighting, but was expanded in 1834 by convict labour (apparently rebel Poriote prisoners) remaining in being as a naval base and trading post until 1917. In that year, the two ships on station declared for the Bolsheviks and sailed back to Russia; they discharged their guns before leaving, half-demolishing the buildings of the naval base, which remain in ruins to this day.
Admiral Miaoulis survived the political uproar that followed his escapade, later in life becoming a member of the Greek government. Each mid-June weekend, Hydrans celebrate the Mioulia Festival, honouring the Admiral; this may seem ironic in view of the destruction of the fleet, but one man's villain is often another's hero. Robert Bruce, though later King of Scotland, did assist in the destruction of his rivals William Wallace and the Red Comyn, murdering the latter in a church in Dumfries. Ioannis Kapodistrias did not survive; the architect of the Greek nation was assassinated on 9th October 1831 outside a church in Nauplion, by relatives of Petrobey Mavromichaelis. The native Greek governorship lapsed, Greece becoming a Kingdom under the Bavarian, Otto. The under-age Otto had come with unpopular Bavarian advisers, who installed a highly unpopular central taxation system. Otto had strife at home as well as attempting to balance the Great Powers, but in 1864 he was forced to abdicate. The Greeks were made to chose a Danish Prince who became King George I. The republic was only to return in 1974, when King Constantine was deposed. Otto's mark on Poros was his summer palace, a beautiful structure that became the Naval Academy building and still stands at the heart of TE Poros.
The Picture of The Battle of Poros ...
The one illustration of the event is on pages 82-83 of 'Poros - Trizina', although a smaller image can be seen on the municipal website. It is interesting for several reasons :-
 The Navy at the time of the Battle of Poros 1831 And see K.Kiriakopoulos's 'POROS - TRIZINA' excellent book, published 1994. |
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© 2006 Richard Edkins, Dalbeattie Internet.
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