Ioannis Demestichas

Ioannis Demestichas
Demestichas during the Macedonian Struggle
Born	30 November 1882 Athens
Died	7 December 1960 Marousi
Allegiance	Kingdom of Greece (1900–21, 1922–24) Second Hellenic Republic (1924–34) Kingdom of Greece (1943–44, 1946–47)
Service/branch	Hellenic Navy
Years of service	1900–21, 1922–24, 1924–34, 1943–45, 1946–47
Rank	Vice Admiral
Wars	Macedonian Struggle, Balkan Wars, World War I, Asia Minor Campaign, World War II

Ioannis Demestichas (Greek: Ιωάννης Δεμέστιχας, 1882–1960) was a Greek Navy officer. He is best known for his participation in the Macedonian Struggle under the nom de guerre of Kapetan Nikiforos (Καπετάν Νικηφόρος). He held various senior commands in the Greek Navy, including thrice as Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff, and also served briefly in cabinet positions.

Ioannis Demestichas was born in Athens on 30 November 1882. He entered the Naval Academy on 1 September 1896, and graduated on 28 July 1900 as a Line Ensign. On 6 May 1905 he was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant. He participated in the 1906 Intercalated Games in the 400-metre course. He participated in the Macedonian Struggle in 1906–07 under the nom de guerre of Kapetan Nikiforos, leading an armed band in the Giannitsa Lake area.

In August 1909 he participated in the successful Goudi coup, and later was among the ringleaders in the abortive coup of the more radical young officers, led by Lieutenant Konstantinos Typaldos-Alfonsatos, in October of the same year. Promoted to Lieutenant on 29 March 1910, he spent the years 1910–12 in training abroad. With the outbreak of the First Balkan War in October 1912, he was given command of a gunboat, with which he participated in the operations in the Ambracian Gulf, but in early November he was detached to the Aegean fleet as commander of a landing detachment, with which he fought in the battles for the capture of the islands of the eastern Aegean. He was wounded during the liberation of Chios, and was later appointed military governor of Tenedos. On 1 January 1913 he was promoted to Lieutenant I Class.