A description written by earl Leicester Stanhope Harrington of the Greek navy between 1823-1824

Ron van Maanen

The fight of the Greeks for their independence from the Ottoman navy drew quite a lot of attention in Europe and the United States of America. Warships were built or bought abroad Greece to join a navy consisting of merchant ships. For instance British officers like lord Cochrane served with this navy. Travellers which visited the Mediterranean in those years gave us useful information about this topic. Leicester Stanhope Harrington, Earl of, was one of those travellers.

P. 202: “The Greek navy is composed chiefly of merchant brigs from Hydra, Spetzia, and Ipsara. They amount to about eighty sail. These vessels have been maintained partly by private contributions, and the sailors are skilful and brave. The Greek fleet is of the same character as the Greek army. It is not equal to cope with the combined Turkish fleet, but has gained a mastery over it by its superior seamen and tactics. When I say tactics, I allude not to those of a highly organized navy, for in these they are deficient; but there are tactics for irregular fleets as well as armies,- for corsairs and privateers as for guerillas, pindaries, and stratiots. This, too, is the true military and naval policy for Greece to pursue. She cannot cope with the Turks in regular warfare, but she can harass and worry them to death. Greece should have four good frigates, sixty of her own brigs, three or four steam-vessels, some privateers, and a few gun-boats, in commission. She might then be secure against every maritime power, with the exception of England. Perhaps the Committee might be able to procure for Greece some privateers, a steam-vessel, and a good gun-boat, as a model. One or two good naval officers, who could bend to native prejudices, and submit, with a serene mind, to all sorts of crosses, would be most useful auxiliaries in the cause.”

p. 205: “The Greek fleet, Odysseus thinks, should be placed in the vicinity of Ipsara, to intersect all the Turkish armaments. I am of opinion that the Greek navy should never take up

p. 206: a position till they have a superiority over the enemy's squadrons; till then they should spread and devastate like their armies.”

Source

Leicester Stanhope Harrington, Earl of. Greece in 1823 and 1824; being a series of letters and other documents of the Greek revolution, written during a visit to the country. Philadelphia, 1825.