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Nikolaos VotsisGreek naval officer
Date of Birth: 01.01.1877
Country:  Greece |
Content:
Early Life and Education
Dimitrios Voitsis was born into a family of renowned Greek sailors in the island of Hydra on an unknown date. His ancestors had fought in the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829). After completing his education at the Hellenic Naval Academy, Voitsis furthered his training in the French Navy from 1904 to 1906.
The Sinking of the "Fethi Bulent"
At the outbreak of the First Balkan War in October 1912, Lieutenant Voitsis commanded the aging torpedo boat Destroyer No. 11. On October 31, he navigated his vessel past enemy searchlights and into the harbor of Thessaloniki, then under Ottoman control.
Inside the harbor, protected by minefields and coastal batteries, was the Turkish ironclad "Fethi Bulent." Voitsis launched torpedoes at the unsuspecting ship, sinking it swiftly. The crew of the "Fethi Bulent," mostly deployed to coastal batteries, suffered minimal casualties.
The sinking of the "Fethi Bulent" had limited military significance but greatly boosted Greek morale and weakened Turkish defensive spirit. It marked the beginning of a series of Greek naval victories during the war.
Career Progression
Voitsis's fame skyrocketed after his success, earning him a place among the legendary Greek "fire-ship captains" of the War of Independence. Shortly after, Captain Lieutenant Pericles Argyropoulos replicated his achievement by sinking the Turkish gunboat "Trapezund."
Promoted to commander, Voitsis took command of the captured Turkish torpedo boat "Antalya," renamed "Nikopolis." After the Balkan Wars and World War I, he captained the battleship "Kilkis" in 1920.
Post-War Career
In 1921, Voitsis served as the Greek delegate to the Allied mission in Constantinople. However, he resigned in 1922 as an admiral to protest the military coup d'état led by Eleftherios Venizelos. Voitsis passed away in Athens in 1931.
