Ron van Maanen
Frankfurt, 28 March. Letters received at Trieste from Corfu dated 7 March referred to the fights off Patras. The Grecian fleet followed the Turkish squadron and captured/destroyed in the fights between 3 and 5 March 17 Turkish ships, while the remaining Turkish ships were enclosed off Lepante.
Triest, 15 March. A British goelette which arrived within 9 days at this port coming from Patras brought more news with her. The Greek fleet of 70 ships arrived 3 March in the Gulf of Patras, where the Turkish fleet of nearly strength already anchored. It was a furious fight, stopped by the darkness. The next morning started the fights again, even more severe than the day before during 28 hours. The defeated Turkish fleet finally fled. The Greeks captured 20 small and large Turkish vessels, while 5 Turkish ships stranded and 3 large Algerian chebecs exploded. The Greeks lost 7 ships which sunk including the brig of their vice-admiral Betaze. He was enclosed by two other mentioned Algerian chebecs, and hit the powder room of one of them with one hot shot. The chebec exploded setting the brig on fire, which set on her turn the other chebec in fire and both ships exploded. The Turkish fleet fled with the resting ships into the Gulf of Lepante followed by the main part of the Grecians. Some Greek ships convoyed the Turkish prizes towards Navarino.
