User:Mrpeterf/sandbox/JOHN THEOPHILOPOULOS "Caravoyyannis" (1790-1885 )

John Theophilopoulos, known as Caravoyiannis, was one of Greece's legendary hero's of the 1821 War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire. Acclaimed for his outstanding daring and skill in destroying warships of the Turkish fleet. His exploits have earned an honored place in the pantheon of Greek history. Born in the town of Laghathia, Peloponnesas, in 1790, where he spent his childhood and adolescent years, the outbreak of the war of independence found him serving as an officer with the flotilla off the island of Psara. In May 1821 The Greek fleet had taken a position in the northern Aegean sea and was deployed around the island of Lesbos and Lemnos with orders to prevent the Turkish fleet from suppressing the revolution in the warring sections of Greece.It was realized however that the ranges of the enemy cannons were greater then that of the Greek cannons, a disadvantage which confined the actions of the Greek fleet to monitoring the movements of the Turkish fleet from afar. Something bold had to be done to break this standoff. In an emergency meeting, the admirals of the Greek fleet, Apostolis, Tompazis, and Kalandoutsos, decided upon a daring plan to strike a surprise blow to the Turkish fleet by sinking the large and powerful double deck Turkish warship "Delini" anchored outside the port of Eressos. The plan was to load up a small boat with explosives ( "Pyrpolicon" ) stealthily navigate it up against the warship at nightfall, set it afire to ignite the explosives and destroy the warship. The plan was demanding and dangerous and the men who were to undertake the mission would have to be brave, resolute, and daring. One of the select group charged with this daring mission was Captian John Theophilopoulos, a fearless man of homeric statue ( six feet five inches tall ) and well known for his skill with boats. On May 27, 1821, all was in readiness. The Pyrpolicon manned by the group of immortals - Referring to the men who carried out the mission and who remain immortal in the memory of the Greek conscious - skillfully maneuvered under cover of darkness undetected, to the side of the Turkish warship, where "Captain John" with deadly purpose deftly secured the Pyrpolicon to the doomed Turkish warship, set it ablaze and bade his commanrades to abandon ship, saw to the final lethal details and was the last man to dive from the flaming craft and swim away to safety. With lightening like speed, the flames of the Pyrpolicon engulfed the proud warship and in a matter of minutes nothing was left of its magnificence other then beams boardsand dead bodies floating on the surface of the sea.The violent explosions wrought by the Pyrpolican caught the Turks completely by surprise. The enemy panicked and in their despair for their safety they hastily turned and sailed to the Dardanelles where they remained for a considerable period, leaving the Greek fleet in control the islands abandoned by the Turkish fleet. The annihilation of the Delini in anchorage by the Pyrpolicon led by Theophilopoulos and Papanicoli was the first great naval victory for the Greek fleet and an important turning point in the war of independence. Theophilopoulos also collaborated with the legendary Kanari in the celebrated destruction of the flagship of the Turkish Pasha Kara Ali with all hands aboard, including Pasha Kara Ali near the island of Chios on June 6, 1822 This bold feat was duly recored the next day issued by the assembly of the island of Psara honoring Theophilopoulos and his comrades. John Theophilopoulos continued to fight the Turks with the same bravery, resolve and self-denial on sea and on land until the Greek nation won its freedom. In 1823 John Thephilopoulos was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in recognition of his faithful services to his nation. John Theophilopoulos died at the grand old age of 95 on December 1, 1885 At his funeral the famous intellectual Falez (Grandson of the great Colocotronis) was asked to deliver the eulogy He broke down in tears and said: " What can I say for Captain John ? Can a small lamp give light to the sun ?" And he added " Captain John was even greater then my grandfather"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   In 1980 the Morias, Association of Peloponnesians in Lesbos, erected a statue in of John Theophilopoulos in the city of Mytilene to honor his bold exploits. The inscription on the bust of Captain John proudly states: It is for that legendary expert in setting Turkish warships aflame and hero Moren (Peloponnesian) John Theophilopoulos that the Morias, Association of Peloponnesian in Lesbos decided to erect a bust at a vantage point in the city of Mytilene so as to honor all the know and unknown fighters of the War of Independence of 1821 who by sacrificing themselves gave us the most precious gift on man - Freedom. May his memory live forever and his deeds serve as our guide in the way of Honor & Duty