“The naval battle of Limnos was the greatest naval feat of arms to be recorded in the Aegean following the peerless triumphs of the revolution. Having permanently established Hellenic naval dominance, it has contributed significantly to the victorious outcome of the whole Balkan War, through denying the enemy military supplies.

“Eleftheron Vima”, 6 January 1913

In the first months of the war, despite the capture of Limnos and the beginning of the operations for the liberation of the Aegean islands, the Ottoman fleet remained protected in the Dardanelle straits, without attempting a sortie in the Aegean. However, Kountouriotis’ challenge will be answered by the Turks on 3 December 1912, at 08:20, when the Turkish Fleet was spotted exiting the Straits.

As soon as the Hellenic Navy surveillance units gave the alert concerning the Ottoman units’ sortie, Rear Admiral Kountouriotis, who was planning on a decisive naval battle, made haste to meet the enemy fleet, and sent out the historical, and by now famous signal:

“By the aid of God and the wishes of our King, I am sailing with unstoppable force, and convinced of our victory against our nation’s foe. Kountouriotis”.

The Turks fired first from a distance of 12,500 m., while the Greek fleet waited, firing from a distance of 12.000 m. The Turkish battleships fired mainly against the “Averoff”, at a rapid rate of fire, albeit without success. However, the “Averoff” did not have accurate strikes.

At 09:35, with the two fleets having a distance of 9,500 m. between them, admiral Kountouriotis dismissed the fleet from following the flagship, and taking advantage of the greater speed of the “Averoff” charged at a speed of 21 knots, making an arching movement in front of the line of the Turkish fleet in order to flank the Turkish battleships and place them between the line of fire of the “Averoff” and the rest of the Greek ships.

The “Averoff” single-handedly flanked the enemy, and in the midst of heavy firing from the Turkish fleet and the nearby forts, arrived at a distance of 2,850 m. from the enemy.

When the Ottomans realised that the manoeuvre was going to be executed successfully and that they risked total destruction of their fleet, they made a progressive turn of 160 degrees and re-entered the Straits, under cover from the coastal guns of Seddulbahir and Kumkale forts. “Georgios Averoff” single-handedly continues the pursuit, arriving at a distance of 2,850 metres from the Turkish ships, despite being under attack by the coastal batteries. At around 10:25, Kountouriotis decides to end the pursuit, the naval battle is interrupted, and the Turkish ships enter the Dardanelles.