The Greek raid on Alexandria was an unsuccessful attempt organized by Greek bruloteer

Konstantinos Kanaris Konstantinos Kanaris ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Κανάρης, ; c. 17901877), also anglicised as Constantine Kanaris or Canaris, was a Greek admiral, Prime Minister, and a hero of the Greek War of Independence.Woodhouse, p. 129. Bio ...

to destroy the Egyptian fleet at its base in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

in 1825 during the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

. In February 1825, an Egyptian army under the command of Ibrahim Pasha had landed in the Morea, and inflicted a series of defeats on the Greeks. Kanaris decided if he could destroy the Egyptian fleet, he would cut off Ibrahim Pasha from being supplied from Egypt. On August 4, 1825, a Greek force consisting of two warships and three fire shipsMcGregor, Andrew ''James A Military History of Modern Egypt: From the Ottoman Conquest to the Ramadan War'', Westport: Greenwood Publishing, 2006 page 96. sailed from Hydra, under the overall command of

Emmanouil Tombazis Emmanouil Tombazis ( el, Εμμανουήλ Τομπάζης, 1784–1831) was a Greek naval captain from Hydra, active during the Greek War of Independence, who was appointed Commissioner of Crete for the Greek provisional government in 1823� ...

on the corvette ''Themistocles'', the other ships being the brig of

Kriezis Kriezis ( gr, Κριεζής) is a Greek surname. It may refer to: *Antonios Kriezis Antonios Kriezis ( el, Αντώνιος Κριεζής, 1796–1865) was a captain of the Hellenic navy during the Greek War of Independence and a Prime Minis ...

, two Hydriot fireships (under Antonios Vokos and Manolis Boutis) and Kanaris' own Psarian fire ship. The Greek fire ships under the command of Kanaris entered the Alexandria harbor while flying the flags of Russia, Austria and the Ionian islands.Brewer, David ''The Greek War of Independence'', London: Overlook Duckworth, 2011 page 244. Once inside, the wind suddenly changed direction, rending a fire ship attack almost impossible and the one ship that did strike the Egyptian fleet was pushed away by the Egyptians before it could engulf the Egyptian ship in flames. Had it not been for the sudden change of the wind, Kanaris's three fireships would struck the closely packed Egyptian fleet and might have inflicted much damage.Stapleton, Timothy ''A Military History of Africa'', Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2013 page 58. The rest of the Greek ships had to make an escape while under heavy Egyptian fire as both the Egyptian ships and shore batteries brought down a heavy cannonade. Alexandria harbour lit up with cannon fire, but the Egyptian gunners were not accurate and all of the Greek ships escaped.

Mohammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

, the ''wali'' (governor) of Egypt was highly furious about the escape of Kanaris's force. The American doctor

Samuel Gridley Howe Samuel Gridley Howe (November 10, 1801 – January 9, 1876) was an American physician, abolitionist, and advocate of education for the blind. He organized and was the first director of the Perkins Institution. In 1824 he had gone to Greece to ...

wrote about the raid: "Such, such are the few men who redeem the Grecian character, they shine like diamonds among filth, they are brave, disinterested, enlightened patriots, who are willing and ready to die for their country. Oh, it delights me to think of it". Though Kanaris and the rest of the Greek fleet displayed much bravery, the raid was a fiasco.

References

{{Greek War of Independence, state=collapsed Conflicts in 1825

Battles involving the Ottoman Empire Battles involving Ottoman Egypt 1825 in Greece August 1825 events Military raids