Battle of Chalandritsa

Battle of Chalandritsa
Part of the Greek War of Independence
Date 26 February 1822 Location Chalandritsa, Achaea, Peloponnese, Greece, Ottoman Empire 38°06′42″N 21°47′03″E Result Victory of the Greeks
Belligerents
Greek revolutionaries	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Gennaios Kolokotronis Dimitris Plapoutas Apostolis Kolokotronis Constantinos Petmezas	Mehmet Pasha
Strength
Smaller than the Turks	~ 2,000 soldiers
Casualties and losses
20 dead	300 dead Numerous wounded

The Battle of Chalandritsa took place on 26 May 1822, in the town of the same name in Achaea in the Peloponnese. In this conflict, Greek forces under Dimitris Plapoutas, Gennaios Kolokotronis and other chieftains faced the Turkish troops of Mehmet Pasha. The outcome of the battle was victorious for the Greeks.

Before the battle

On January 25, shortly after the death of Ali Pasha of Ioannina, the Turkish army of Hurshid Pasha could now freely head towards the Peloponnese and Central Greece. Shortly afterwards, the Turkish fleet sailed to Patras and landed 8,000-9,000 Turks, coming for the first time from Asia Minor, led by Mehmet Pasha. The Greeks would soon face this army. The situation was critical for them.

Kolokotroni's actions

In the period preceding, on January 20, Theodoros Kolokotronis left the Corinth camp and headed for Karytaina, to gather an army with the aim of ending up in Patras. Despite the objections of many politicians, the impending danger leaves no room for error, and so with the assembly of Epidaurus, Kolokotronis is appointed commander-in-chief of the siege of Patras. After his appointment, Kolokotronis, having reached a compromise with the Deligiannai, decides to abandon Karytaina. Then, he passes through Vytina and heads towards Patras. In addition to the men of Karytaina, he gathered another 6,000. Before he himself arrived, he ordered Dimitris Plapoutas to occupy the key position in Saravali, Konstantinos Petmezas in Paleopyrgos and Gennaios Kolokotronis in Ovria, positions and areas that were near Patras.

The battle

The numerous eastern Turkish army on February 26 leaves the city with the intention of plundering. From this body, approximately 2,000 men head towards Chalandritsa. The Patras and the Koumaniots, who occupied this position, are forced to abandon it, thus finally leaving the Turks undisturbed to plunder the area. On the way back to Patras, however, they come face to face with Gennaios, Petmezas (800 men), Apostolos Kolokotronis, Plapoutas (1,500 men); the Greek chieftains rally to face the common danger. The Greeks, despite the numerical superiority of the Turks, the use of Ottoman machine guns and the arrival of a Turkish auxiliary corps from Tsoukala, managed to put their opponents to flight.

Turkish losses & the importance of the battle

The Battle of Chalandritsa turned out to be a real disaster for the Turks. Over 300 soldiers fell dead, while many were also wounded. The Greeks lost only 20 warriors. The importance of the battle for the Greeks, however, is not only found in the heavy losses they inflicted on their opponents. With this victory against the eastern Turks, the Kaklamans, as they were contemptuously called, the way was opened for the expulsion of the Turkish troops from the region.

Sources

• Κόκκινος, Δ. (1974). Η ελληνική επανάστασις, Τόμος 2. Αθήνα: Μέλισσα.
• Κρέμος, Γ. (1879). Χρονολόγια της ελληνικής ιστορίας – Τόμος 3: 1453-1830. Αθήνα: Τυπογραφείο Δημητρίου Ιασεμίδου.
• Σφυρόερας, Β. (1975). Σταθεροποίηση της επαναστάσεως, 1822-1823. Ιστορία του ελληνικού έθνους – Τόμος 12: Η ελληνική επανάσταση και η ίδρυση του ελληνικού κράτους (1813-1822) (σελ. 212-286). Αθήνα: Εκδοτική Αθηνών.
• Τρικούπης Σ. (1888). Ιστορία της Ελληνικής Επαναστάσεως, Τόμος 2. Αθήνα: Ώρα.