The Cruiser Georgios Averof
The stern of the cruiser Averof.
Text and photo: Petr Uzsák
Greece is a popular southern European destination for tourists from all over the world. If you are interested in military history and visit the capital city of Athens, you will have a surprisingly wide range of options for pursuing your passion. One of the interesting attractions, especially for land-based tourists, is the preserved Greek cruiser Georgios Averof.
First, a little history. The ship was built as a modified cruiser of the Italian Pisa-class at the Orlando shipyard in Livorno. The keel was laid in 1907 and the hull of the vessel was launched in 1910. As is sometimes the case, at that time the Italian naval budget was running precariously short of funds, so the government decided to sell the ship. The Greek naval attache there found out about this, informed his superiors and after a positive response, Italy officially offered the ship to Greece. The latter seized the opportunity to strengthen its naval capabilities and purchased the ship with the help of the financial inheritance of the deceased merchant and philanthropist Georgios Averof. For this being made possible, Averof was posthumously rewarded by having the vessel named after him, and it still bears his name today. In addition, it became the flagship of the Greek naval fleet for a long period. The cruiser was officially accepted by the navy on May 16th, 1911.
From a structural point of view, it was an interesting mix of equipment, because the main gun armament was British, of Armstrong production, the boilers were French from the Belleville company, the steam engines were domestically produced in Italy and the hull was protected by German steel from the Krupp company, as were the electric generators. The armament consisted of four 9.2 inch (234mm) main guns, placed in pairs in turrets at the bow and stern of the vessel. On each side there were a pair of turrets equipped with twin 7.5 inch (190mm) for a total of eight guns. All turrets were enclosed in a modern cruiser-type construction with ammunition supplied from below deck. The additional armament consisted of single 76 and 47mm guns, together with a three-barreled 17 inch (430mm) torpedo tube. However, in later times the ship underwent reconstructions and the auxiliary armament changed.
As for the dimensions and performance of the ship, the numbers are as follows. Length was 460 feet (140m), width was 69 feet (21m) and maximum draft 23.5 feet (7m). The highest displacement was 10,200 tons and the engines delivered 19,000 horsepower. The vessel, driven by two propellers, could reach a maximum speed of 23.5 knots per hour (approximately 43km/h), and at a cruising speed of 17.5 knots per hour, range was 2,480 nautical miles, (4,590km), which was completely sufficient for Mediterranean operations. The standard crew consisted of 655 sailors and 32 officers, the maximum transport capacity was a total of 1,200 people.
The cruiser Averof in its heyday.
The Averof on a period postcard.
Averof diagram.
After the ship was delivered to Greece, crew training began, which paid off the following year when the ship took part in the First Balkan War. It was a conflict with Turkey over control of the Aegean Sea. Not long after, the ship intervened in World War I and immediately after that in the Greek-Turkish War. At that time, Averof mainly ensured the safe passage of convoys or shelled Turkish positions along the coast. After the lost war, Greek settlers and soldiers were withdrawn from what was then Turkish territory, and the ship assisted in their evacuation. After that, Averof's service continued in peacetime, 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, a year later, it was towed to Palaio Faliro Bay in Athens. Here it was anchored, equipped with maritime-themed collections and made available for public viewing.
A tour of the ship allows you to get acquainted with the two enclosed decks and the superstructure around the bridge. The bridge itself is not accessible, but you can look inside. The superstructures are accessible by stairs, but the light armament has been removed. The masts, smokestacks, skylights, cranes and motor boats have been preserved. The bridge is a roofed and glazed room above the forward gun turret, quite small, but much of the equipment is clearly visible, such as the steering wheel, compass, sound pipes and telegraph equipment for each of the engine rooms separately. Immediately behind it is the combat bridge, protected by 130mm thick armor, from where the ship was controlled in combat situations. It houses the rangefinder for the main armament. Under the bridge are the firing positions of the auxiliary armament, but without the guns installed. There is also a souvenir shop on the ship, which is located in the forward superstructure right behind the gun turret and it is possible to buy a number of theme appropriate souvenirs. You can also look into the forward gun turret, which is fully equipped, but due to the thick and dusty plexiglass it is not possible to take quality photos. At the rear of the superstructure there is an auxiliary wheelhouse, located in an armored turret, which in its upper part carries an artillery rangefinder for the main guns. You can also look into the wheelhouse and will be surprised by its miniature dimensions.
Below decks, on the other hand, are spacious and well-organized. The ship's interior is equipped with period artifacts, such as various types of uniforms, medals, as well as folding furniture or hanging beds for regular sailors. Of course, the officers were assigned their own cabins and also their own dining room, but the ship also has an admiral's suite with its own dining room and salon. Interestingly, there were separate kitchens for the crew, officers and admiral. These are also accessible below deck. Separate displays guide the visitor through the history of the ship, including portraits of commanders and artifacts of participation in various important events, such as the coronation of the English king. The aforementioned uniforms map out the entire service life of the ship, including tropical variants when serving in equatorial waters. An interesting example is the sail for transferring coal to the below deck storage bunkers, which was undoubtedly strenuous work, especially in the summer, taking into account dust and sweat.
The exhibition also includes fragments of Turkish artillery shells from the battle in 1912, bags with sailors' equipment (colored according to their assignment to starboard or port), life jackets, flashlights and navigational instruments. Other interesting features include preserved racks for storing the crew's rifles, including the weapons themselves, a ship's bakery and blacksmith shop, and a ship's chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. It is located in the superstructure at the stern.
But not all parts of the ship are accessible, because it has its permanent crew, who also require a certain amount of space. Apparently for security reasons, it is not possible to enter the engine rooms, which are accessible to passages, but not to ordinary visitors. It is certainly a good thing that most of the descriptions on the displays are also in English.
Although the Greeks sometimes refer to the Averof as a battleship, in terms of design and tonnage it is an armored cruiser. But this does not detract from the ship's importance, as evidenced by the rule that every Greek military ship that passes the anchored Averof pays homage to it, the crew standing at attention and the officers saluting.
Due to the ongoing construction work on the pier where the cruiser is moored, it is not possible to photograph the entire ship, only a view from the rear hemisphere is possible. The reason for expanding the pier is to enrich the exhibition with other military vessels, allegedly including a submarine, but the ship's crew itself estimates that all work will be completed within a few years. In any case, Georgios Averof is a unique testament to the level of naval architecture from the beginning of the last century, which is worth a visit and will certainly delight anyone interested in maritime history.
The stern turret with the 9.2 inch (234mm) guns, the open door on the left leads to the ship's chapel.
The interior of the chapel of St. Nicholas.
The stern auxiliary wheelhouse, with an artillery rangefinder in the upper part.
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.
Interior of the bridge.
View from the right part of the bridge towards the stern on the starboard side of the cruiser with a side gun turret.
Below deck display. Among the mannequins there are sailor duffle bags with a red background to the number, port side.
Passage to the lower deck. On the wall is the name of the manufacturer and the year of construction of the ship.
Crew spaces below deck. The furniture was foldable and was always hung on ceiling brackets after meals, while the hammocks had to be cleaned by the sailors every morning.
Passage to the engine room, unfortunately not accessible to visitors.
The crew's personal weapons were used for ceremonial or guard duties, among others.
Officer's lounge and dining room combined.
View of the foredeck. Anchor chains and a breakwater are visible in front of the gun turret, with the bridge above it. The side gun turrets are also partially visible.
Location:
Museum Ship Averof
Marina Flisvos
Trokadero, Paleo Faliro
175 10 Greece
Getting There
Bus: 101, 217, 550, A1, B1, B2 Tram: ‘Trokadero’ tram stop
Car: Via National Road E75 which leads to ‘Poseidonos’ Avenue Via ‘Syngrou’ Avenue
Hours of Operation
Monday: Closed
Tuesday to Friday: 09:00 – 14:00
Weekends and Special Holidays: 10:00 – 17:00