Sofoklis Dousmanis

Sofoklis Dousmanis
Sofoklis Dousmanis, portrait by Georgios Roilos
Born	25 December 1868 Corfu
Died	6 January 1952 Athens
Allegiance	Greece
Service/branch	Hellenic Navy
Years of service	1888–1917, 1920–23, 1935
Rank	Admiral
Wars	Balkan Wars, Asia Minor Campaign

Sofoklis Dousmanis (Greek: Σοφοκλής Δούσμανης, 25 December 1868 – 6 January 1952) was a Greek naval officer. Distinguished in the Balkan Wars, he became twice the chief of the Greek Navy General Staff, and occupied the post of Navy Minister in 1935.

Sofoklis Dousmanis was born in Corfu on 25 December 1868, a descendant of a branch of the Albanian Dushmani family that had emigrated to Corfu in the 15th century; he was the grandson of Antonio Dusmani and brother of Viktor Dousmanis.

He entered the Hellenic Naval Academy on 20 May 1884 and graduated on 18 June 1888 as a Line Ensign. He was subsequently promoted to Sub-Lieutenant (8 January 1890), Lieutenant (14 November 1896), Lt. Commander (6 May 1905), and Commander (29 March 1910). He served aboard various ships and in staff positions, including as instructor at the Navy Academy (1908–09), and as captain of the destroyer Nafkratousa (1906), the ironclad Psara (1910–11), the troop carrier Sfaktiria (1911 and 1912), and of the newly delivered cruiser Georgios Averof (1911), as well as chief of staff of the Exercise Squadron (1911).

With the outbreak of the First Balkan War in October 1912, he became captain of Averof as well as chief of staff to the Aegean Fleet commander, Rear Admiral Pavlos Koundouriotis, who used the Averof as his flagship. In this capacity he participated in the two victorious naval battles of Elli and Lemnos, as well as the capture of several Aegean islands as well as Mount Athos, Kavala and Dedeagatch.