Battle of Chios (1912)

Battle of Chios
Part of the First Balkan War

Map of Chios and the nearby Çeşme Peninsula
Date24 November 1912 – 3 January 1913; (1 month, 1 week, and 3 days)
Location
Chios, Ottoman Empire (present-day Greece)
Result Greek victory
Territorial
changes
Greeks capture Chios from the Ottomans
Belligerents
Greece Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Ioannis Damianos
Nikolaos Delagrammatikas
Zihne Bey  (POW)
Strength
5,000 2,000
Casualties and losses
36 killed
166 wounded
~200 killed
>1,800 men captured

The Battle of Chios took place from 24 November 1912 to 3 January 1913 during the First Balkan War. It resulted in the capture of the eastern Aegean island of Chios by the Kingdom of Greece, ending almost 350 years of rule by the Ottoman Empire.

The occupation of the island was a prolonged affair. The Greek landing force, commanded by Colonel Nikolaos Delagrammatikas, was quickly able to seize the eastern coastal plain and the town of Chios, but the Ottoman garrison was well equipped and supplied, and managed to withdraw to the mountainous interior. A stalemate ensued, and operations almost ceased from the end of November and until the arrival of Greek reinforcements in late December.

Finally, the Ottoman garrison was defeated and forced to surrender on 3 January 1913.[1]

  1. ^ Erickson 2003, pp. 157–158.