In November 1912, one Battalion from the 1st and two Battalions of the 7th Regiment of the II Division in Thessaloniki, as well as a Krupp Battery were seconded under the Commander of the 7th Infantry Regiment, Delagrammatikas Nikolaos, for the purpose of liberating Chios.
After mustering in the port of Thessaloniki, on 8 November 1912, the 7th Regiment boarded the vessels “PATRIS” and “SAPPHO”, and departed for Chios the next day. In the meantime, the Steamship “ERIETTA”, which carried the Krupp Battery, departed from Piraeus. The vessels berthed near the port of Chios, and the Commander of the Cruiser Squadron, Captain Damianos Ioannis, requested for the surrender of the town within three hours. The commander of the Turkish forces denied the request, hoping he could effectively resist, due to the strong forces (2000 men) and sufficient rations and munitions at his disposal.
After the denial of the Turkish commander, the landing of Greek forces began south of the town of Chios. Having organised defences in the port, the Turks resisted strongly until the evening hours, despite the effective fire of the Hellenic fleet and the threat of landing sections, and were, consequently, forced to abandon their positions and regroup Northwest of Chios, in the mountain region of Karyes village.
The Greek forces entered the town of Chios on 12 November 1912, without meeting any resistance. The welcoming and excitement of the inhabitants was indescribable. The 11th of November 1912 constitutes a landmark, as Chios was liberated from the harsh Ottoman rule.
#ΕλληνικόςΣτρατός #HellenicArmy
