Battle of Doro Passage facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Doro Passage
Part of Aegean Anti-Piracy Operation
Greek pirates attacking the British merchant ship Comet
Date October 16, 1827 Location Doro Passage, Greece, Aegean Sea Result Liberation of the British brig
Belligerents
United States	Greek pirates
Commanders and leaders
Benjamin Cooper Louis M. Goldsborough	unknown
Strength
1 schooner	1 brig 5 mistikos
Casualties and losses
Unknown	~85 killed or wounded 1 brig captured
The British brig was captured by the pirates and liberated by the Americans.

The Battle of Doro Passage was an important fight at sea. It happened when the U.S. Navy was working to stop Greek pirates. This battle took place in the Aegean Sea. On October 16, 1827, a British merchant ship was attacked by pirates. This happened near Doro Passage, which is close to the islands of Andros and Negroponte. American sailors bravely rescued the ship from the pirates.

Louis M. Goldsborough was a brave U.S. Navy officer.

Why the Battle Happened

The Greek War of Independence changed who had power at sea. This war made the Ottoman Empire weaker in the Mediterranean Sea. Because of this, many pirates started to appear. They especially caused trouble around the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.

By 1825, several American merchant ships had been attacked. To protect its ships and people, the American navy sent warships. Their job was to keep American interests safe and to hunt down pirates.

The Fight Begins

In October 1827, Lieutenant Benjamin Cooper was in charge of a ship called the USS Porpoise. This was a twelve-gun schooner, a type of fast sailing ship. Lieutenant Cooper was guiding a group of ships, called a convoy. There were five American ships and six others. They were sailing from Smyrna to Malta.

On the evening of October 16, the convoy was sailing through Doro Passage. Suddenly, the wind stopped blowing. A British ship named Comet, which was a brig (a ship with two masts), fell behind. It drifted away from the other ships. The Comet was then attacked by 200 to 300 Greek pirates. They were in five small, fast boats called mistikos. These mistikos were a type of galley (a ship moved by oars) with three masts. They usually had one gun at the front.

The Rescue Mission

The pirates quickly took control of the Comet. They put most of the crew in chains. Then, they tried to escape back to their islands. But the British captain and some of his crew managed to get into a small boat. They rowed to the Porpoise. The American ship was heading back to find Comet after hearing gunshots.

Lieutenant Cooper ordered his crew to fire their guns and chase the pirates. The pirates were trying to pull the Comet away. But because there was no wind, the American sailors had to use oars to move their ship. When rowing wasn't fast enough, Lieutenant Cooper sent out four smaller boats. These boats had thirty-five men, led by Lieutenant Louis M. Goldsborough. The Americans believed these smaller boats could get to the Comet faster. They planned to take back the captured ship.

It was dark by now. When the Greek pirates started shooting at the approaching American boats, they had trouble hitting their targets. No Americans were hurt during the entire fight.

Victory

During the boarding of the Comet, a brave American sailor helped a lot. He was a steward (someone who helps officers) from the ship's wardroom (a dining and lounge area for officers). He fought alone and defeated eleven pirates. Lieutenant John A. Carr also showed great courage. He used his pistol to defeat the pirate leader and several other pirates.

In the end, about eighty to ninety pirates were hurt or killed. The remaining pirates escaped to shore in their boats. Lieutenant Goldsborough was praised for winning this battle. It was the biggest fight for the Americans in their mission against pirates in the Aegean Sea. The British government even sent a message to thank him.