Alekos Raptis describes the operations of the mixed military and naval mission aimed at capturing Himara during the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, but also how, despite the success of the daring venture, the historical rights of northern Epirus Hellenism were lost.
In the early 20th centuryth century, the Balkans were experiencing an explosive situation, as the last quarter of the 19th century reflected a continuous warlike dynamic of the balkan Peoples against the faltering Ottoman Empire.
During the First Balkan War (October 1912 – May 1913), the Balkan Coalition (Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro and Greece) decided to declare war against the Ottoman Empire.
Another element in these regional conflicts is the declaration of independence of the Albanian state, an act achieved at the diplomatic level by the Greek-educated Albanian politician, Ismail Kemal Bey Vliora, in November 1912.
In previous decades, the fierce competition between the two powerful European powers of the time, Italy and Austria, had had a catalytic effect on the entire Albanian and northern Epirus region.
The great expectations for the liberation of the entire Epirus
On October 21, 1912, the greek army occupied preveza And was involved in a fierce conflict with the ottoman turkish army in the Battle Of five Wells, On October 23–30, 1912.
Παράλληλα δε η ελληνική κυβέρνηση με την προοπτική της διεισδύσεως των ελληνικών στρατευμάτων μέχρι τα Ακροκεραύνεια όρη της Αλβανίας, γεωγραφική θέση στην οποία επρόκειτο να χαραχθούν τα νέα σύνορα, είχε μελετήσει έγκαιρα τον τρόπο με τον οποίο θα πραγματοποιείτο μια στρατιωτική ενέργεια του ελληνικού στρατού στην περιοχή αυτή, φωτογραφίζοντας ουσιαστικά τη Χειμάρρα (ή Χιμάρα) της Βορείου Ηπείρου, η οποία πληρούσε τις απαραίτητες συνθήκες για την επίτευξη αυτού του παράτολμου εγχειρήματος.
"Himarna should be occupied as soon as possible... under the leadership of Spyromilios..."
Himara at that time was a small village, part of the homonymous province, built on the slope of a hill overlooking the cove of Spilia.
The Great Military and Naval Encyclopedia (MSNE) of the Greek Ministry of Military Affairs, published in 1927, states characteristically:
"On November 2, 1912, the Ministry of War deemed it politically expedient to occupy Himara as soon as possible, taking into account more general reasons of national necessity. To this end, it sent to the Chief of Staff of Epirus, Lieutenant General Sapountzakis, the following telegram: I consider it politically expedient to occupy Himara as soon as possible, and raise the Greek flag there. To this end, you may make available a volunteer corps to be landed by sea in Himara, under the leadership of Spyromilios…”
In early October 1912, Gendarmerie Major Spyros Spyromilios arrived in Corfu and discreetly organized the decided military operation.
In this military venture, he himself would be the leader of a volunteer corps of approximately 240 men from Crete and Himara, while for the transport of the men of this volunteer corps, three (3) steamboats would be used, which were three-masted sailing vessels, which also used a steam engine and had a propeller.
At that time, the Hellenic Navy had four (4) steam-powered submarines, which bore the names of rivers in Greece: "Acheloos", "Alpheios", "Pineios" and "Evrotas".
"The first men who arrived were ordered to march towards Himarran..."
On November 5, 1912 at 2:00 am, the mixed military and naval mission began its arrival from Corfu, bound for the mainland coasts, with three (3) steamships of the Greek Navy, the "Acheloos", the "Alpheios" and the "Pineios", transporting the 240 volunteers.
This mixed military and naval mission disembarks under torrential rain at 7.30 in the morning at Spilia Bay, in Himara.
By european standards of that time, but also today, this landing operation by units of the greek army in collaboration with naval units on november 5, 1912, In Himara, constitutes Elements of a marine amphibious assault operation in a hostile environment and constitutes a first-class marine landing operation, which was organized and crowned with success by the greek army.
The MSNE of the Greek Ministry of Military Affairs in 1927 uses the term "infantryman" in the military events for the occupation of Himara:
"...immediately and before the disembarkation took place, the first men who had left were ordered to march towards Himarra, to surround it... the men 1being consisting of marines of the greek navy and volunteers under the Lieutenant. gisserlin and the Chieftain papagiannakis marched From e. towards Himarran, and the 2being a smaller division, consisting of residents of Himara under the commander Markopoulos, marched from the W. towards this village…”
The Turkish Ottoman military guard and a few administrative employees, who were fortified in the barracks at the command post - telegraph office, opened fire on the Chimario volunteers with infantry rifle fire, who returned fire.
After about half an hour and an exchange of fire, the Ottoman Turkish soldiers asked to surrender, only if a leading officer of the Greek army arrived.
The chief officer, Lieutenant Colonel Giserlis of the 1stth department then ordered the Ottoman Turkish soldiers to surrender, which was immediately accepted by them, who surrendered.
During the battle to capture the command post - telegraph office of Himara, two (2) Ottoman Turkish soldiers were killed and a resident of Himara was injured.
Twenty (20) Ottoman Turkish soldiers were captured as well as thirteen (13) administrative employees of the command post - telegraph office, who were sent to Corfu as prisoners of war.
"He raised the Greek flag amidst indescribable enthusiasm"
The Great Military and Naval Encyclopedia of the Greek Ministry of Military Affairs states on this:
"...Immediately after the surrender, the leader of the province of Himara, Major Spyromilios, entered the village (of Himara), in command of the other divisions, and headed to the headquarters, where he raised the Greek flag amidst the indescribable enthusiasm of the inhabitants, issuing a proclamation to the Greek inhabitants of Himara, thereby announcing the capture of Himara in the name of the King of the Greeks.."
Furthermore, Major Spyromilios, in his capacity as commander of the landing force, on the same day of the occupation of Himara, issued a proclamation (DIS Archives – Directorate of Army History, F. 1699)a/C/328 – 328a ) through which he addressed the Christian and Muslim residents, stating:
"...forgetting the bitter past, you will maintain towards your Muslim neighbors that dignified attitude, which is dictated by the laws of the Greek State...", while in the same proclamation he also addresses the Muslim element of Himara, stating the following:
"...Muslim brothers... I immediately request that you come forward and declare your submission, in which case the Greek Army promises you complete legality and equality..."
The next day, November 6, 1912, the mixed detachments of marines and volunteers of Major Spyromilios liberated the remaining villages of Paliassa, Drymades Vouno, Kiparo, Koudesi in the province of Himara.
The neck of Logara (Qafa e Accounts (l)
In order to secure Himara as a fortress from any attempted invasion from the port of Vlora, he quickly sent Cretan volunteers to the village of Paliassa with the order to occupy the Logaras Pass – Qafa e Llogarasë in Albanian, which is a mountain pass in the Kerayneia Mountains, 2012 altitude and the only crossing on the road to Vlora.
During the same period of November 1912, armed groups of irregular Albanian villagers, from the villages of Dukates and Trayasi, had occupied the Logaras pass, which they held until November 22, 1912, in order to prevent the Greek army from heading towards Vlora.
Today, on the neck of Logaras, after the fall of the communist regime in 1991, a monument was constructed by unknown persons, which bears the following inscription at its base:
ACCOUNT 1912 – 1913
"The people of the Ducati region "(...) together with the forces of the Vlora government we defended our independence from the attack of the chauvinist Greeks."
The distortion of history in its grandeur, as at that time there was no official Albanian state, and it is surprising why in 2021 this false monument continues to reproduce and falsify historical memory, conveying intolerant messages from other eras that are inconsistent with good neighborly relations between the peoples of Greece and Albania.
"An attempt was made to capture Avlon by force of a regular army..."
On November 13, 1912, the brutal intervention of Italy and Austria in the Albanian and northern Epirus region radically changed the conditions that had existed until then, accelerating the immediate advance of the Greek army to Ioannina and Vlora.
On the same day, Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos approved the liberation of Vlora (DIS Archives – Directorate of Military History, F. 1699)a/C/467a – 468), as the greek ministry of military affairs subsequently Did.
The relevant telegraphic correspondence between the commander of the Epirus army, Sapountzakis, and the Ministry of Military Affairs, as quoted by the Greek Ministry of Military Affairs' MSNE, is quite illuminating:
"...From various indications I am led to believe that the Albanians, apparently driven by foreign influences and this Turkish government... it is appropriate for me to submit this opinion, as well, in parallel with my advance towards Ioannina, the capture of Avlonos was attempted by force of a regular army and a strong volunteer corps..."
On November 16, 1912, minor skirmishes took place between units of the Greek army and armed Albanian irregular villagers from the village of Dukates, while the next day, November 17, 1912, at the point where the minor skirmish took place, "red flags with black eagles".
On the afternoon of November 18, 1912, the Greek Ministry of Military Affairs sent a telegraphic order to the commander-in-chief of the Greek army, General Sapountzakis, stating that the strategic plan for the capture of Vlora was being abandoned, with the observation that Himara should be preserved at all costs: "...having abandoned the idea of occupying Avlon, it was deemed necessary to maintain the occupation of Himara at all costs..."
On the same day, the prefect of Corfu informed the Greek army headquarters by telegraph that on November 14, 1912, "...the autonomy of Albania was declared in Durres, while on the evening of November 15, 1912, a Serbian army unit entered the city, a division (of the Serbian army) advanced further south towards Vlora."
The Athenian newspaper "ESTIA" on November 15, 1912, in its relevant response from London, had reported the relevant news:
"The Albanians in Durres - the Serbs are also arriving... the correspondent of the "In. Telegraph" in Durres telegraphs that the Albanian flag has been raised in the city's command post and that the Albanians have overthrown the Turkish authorities. The correspondent adds that the Serbian army is already approaching Durres after a hasty march."
Thus the historical rights of northern Epirus Hellenism were lost.
On December 31, 1912, italy And austria-Hungary signed A secret agreement to divide albania into spheres Of influence, an action that was confirmed by the Convention of 8of May 1913.
With the London Peace treaty On may 30, 1913, The united states decided To regulate the borders of albania, While with the london Protocol on July 29, 1913, Albania Was declared an Independent state, thanks to Italy and Austria-Hungary.
On December 17, 1913, the International Commission, which had undertaken the settlement of the borders of the Albanian state, drew up the relevant Florence Protocol.
Based on this Protocol, the entire Northern Epirus and with it Himare, Delvino, Gjirokastra, Premet, Leskoviki and Korçë were now subject to the Albanian state.
Thus, the historical rights of Northern Epirus Hellenism were lost, due to political expediency and the shameful interventions of Italy and Austria-Hungary, which thwarted the annexation of Northern Epirus to Greece, despite its occupation by the Greek army during the Balkan Wars.
Source: Alekos Raptis / Epirotikos Agon
