June 6, 1822: Kanaris blows up the Turkish flagship

The Chios massacre and the slaughter of the Greek population in April of 1822 by the Turkish troops incited the Psarians and Hydriots to react. On the night of the 6^th to the 7^th of June 1822 the Psariot fire ship captain Constantinos Kanaris and the Hydriot fire ship captain Andreas Pipinos departed from Psara and arrived at the port of Chios where the Ottoman fleet was. Kanaris managed to blow up the flagship of Nasuhzade Ali Pasha, commonly known as Kara-Ali Pasha, with 2,300 men on board. Kara-Ali Pasha himself was killed when a mast on fire fell on him. Pipinos was noticed by the Turkish crew and was unable to destroy their warship, which he had approached. The fire ship men were received enthusiastically at Psara. Kanaris’ exploit boosted the moral of the fighting Greeks.

Psarian Constantinos Kanaris, who was distinguished for his piety, served many times as Prime Minister after the Revolution. At his initiative, the holy church of the Holy Apostles was constructed in the Athenian neighbourhood of Kypseli, where he lived until the end of his life, as a commemorative plaque outside his last house indicates to this day.