Strana 20
REPORT
the vessel was sent to France in 1925 for
extensive maintenance and modifications,
which were completed in 1927.
During World War II, Greece was initially
neutral, but in 1941, when Germany defeated
the Greek land forces, the ship's crew
managed to escape from mainland Greece and,
with a stopover in Crete, was able to reach
Alexandria, Egypt. All this under the imminent
threat of air raids by German aircraft, which at
that time hit many Greek and British vessels.
Noteworthy is the fact that the crew disobeyed
a direct order to sink the ship and chose to
fight against German and Italian forces in exile.
As part of the Allied formations, Averof then
participated in escorting convoys in the Indian
Ocean with its home port in Bombay. However,
by then it was already struggling with wear
and tear on its propulsion units, which limited
its operational capabilities.
Another significant moment for the
cruiser Averof came in October, 1944, when
it transported the Greek government-in-exile
from Cairo, Egypt, to liberated Athens. After the
war, the ship continued its honorable service
for several years, but technical problems and
age could no longer be ignored, so in 1952
the flagship was decommissioned from the
fleet. It was then anchored off the island of
Salamis (famous for the naval battle fought
between the ancient Greeks and the Persian
invaders) and in 1956 transported to the island
of Poros, where it awaited its next fate until
1983, serving as a training ship. That same year,
the command of the Hellenic Navy decided to
make Averof a museum ship. For this purpose,
The stern turret with the 9.2 inch (234mm) guns, the open door on the left leads to the ship's chapel.
The port side of the ship and the forward gun turret with
a pair of 7.5 inch (190mm) guns.
View of the bridge. The front door leads to the bridge, behind it is the oval armored wall
of the combat bridge, and the door on the right leads to the navigation cabin.
Above the combat bridge is an artillery rangefinder.
INFO Eduard20
January 2025