Hellenic Navy

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Hellenic Navy
Image:Naval Jack of Greece.svg
"Great is the Power of the
Country that Controls the Sea."
History
History of the Hellenic Navy
Historic ships
Organization and Ships
The Navy General Staff
Current Fleet
Current deployments
Personnel
Senior Officers
Officer rank insignia
Enlisted rate rank insignia
This article is about the naval forces of the modern state of Greece. For information on naval warfare in the ancient Greek world, see the article on triremes and its related links.

The Hellenic Navy (ΗΝ) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό (ΠΝ), Polemikó Naftikó), is the naval force of the modern state of Greece.

The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833-1924 and 1936-1973) it was known as the Royal (Hellenic) Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν (ΒΝ), Vasilikón Naftikón).

The motto of the Hellenic Navy is Greek: Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος from Thucydides' account of Pericles' Oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War[1] This has been roughly translated as "Great is the power of the country that controls the sea." [2] The Hellenic Navy Emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed orthodox cross and a trident with Pericles' words across the top.

Contents

[edit] History

Image:Navy2.gif
Main article: History of the Hellenic Navy

The history of the Hellenic Navy begins with the birth of modern Greece, and due to the maritime nature of the country, it has always featured prominently in modern Greece's military history.

[edit] The Navy during the Revolution

At the beginning of the Greek War of Independence, the naval forces of the Greeks consisted primarily of the merchant fleet of the Saronic islanders from Hydra, Spetsai and Poros and also the islanders of Psara. The fleet was of crucial importance to the success of the revolt. If the Greeks failed to counter the Ottoman Navy, it would be able to resupply the isolated Ottoman garrisons and land reinforcements from the Ottoman Empire's Asian provinces at will, crushing the rebellion.

Image:Lytras-nikiforos-pyrpolisi-tourkikis-navarhidas-apo-kanari.jpeg
The destruction of the Ottoman flagship at Chios by Kanaris

Although Greek crews were experienced seamen, the light Greek ships, mostly armed merchantmen, were unable to stand up to the large Turkish ships of the line in direct combat. So the Greeks resorted to the use of fireships (Greek: πυρπολικά or μπουρλότα), with great success. It was in the use of such ships that courageous seamen like Constantine Kanaris won international renown. Under the leadership of capable admirals, most prominently Andreas Miaoulis of Hydra, or the notable woman captain, Laskarina Bouboulina of Spetsai, the Greek fleet achieved early victories, guaranteeing the survival of the revolt in the mainland.

However, as Greece became embroiled in a civil war, the Sultan called upon his strongest subject, Muhammad Ali of Egypt, for aid. Plagued by internal strife and financial difficulties in keeping the fleet in constant readiness, the Greeks failed to prevent the capture and destruction of Kasos and Psara in 1824, or the landing of the Egyptian army at Modon. Despite victories at Samos and Gerontas, the Revolution was threatened with collapse until the intervention of the Great Powers in the Battle of Navarino in 1827. There the Ottoman fleet was decisively defeated by the combined fleets of the Britain, France and the Russian Empire, effectively securing the independence of Greece.

When Ioannis Capodistrias became governor of newly-liberated Greece, the Greek fleet consisted of few remaining ships, which had participated in the war for independence. The first minister of "Naval affairs" was Constantine Kanaris, and the most powerful ship of the fleet at that time, the frigate Hellas, had been constructed in the United States during the years after the Anglo-American War of 1812. The Hellenic Navy established its headquarters at the island of Poros and the building of a new series of ships began at the naval base while old ships were gradually being retired. Furthermore, continuous efforts towards the education of officers were initiated. Young people were initially trained at the military school of Scholi Evelpidon and afterwards they were transferred to the navy, as there was no such thing as a Naval Academy.[3]

When Capodistrias was assassinated in 1831, Greece descended into anarchy with numerous areas, including Mani and Hydra, in revolt. It was during this revolt that the Hellas, docked at Poros, was set on fire by Admiral Andreas Miaoulis.[4]

[edit] The Royal Hellenic Navy of King Otto

When the new King Otto arrived in the Greek capital, Nafplion, in 1832 aboard the British warship HMS Madagascar, the Greek fleet consisted of 1 corvette, 3 brigs, 6 gollettes, 2 gunboats, 2 steamboats and a few more small vessels. The first Naval School was founded in 1846 on the Corvette Loudovikos and Leonidas Palaskas was assigned as its director. However the inefficient training of the officers, coupled with conflict between those who pursued modernization and those who were stalwarts of the traditions of the veterans of the struggle for independence, resulted in a restricted and inefficient navy, which was limited to policing the sea and the pursuit of pirates.

During the 1850s, the more progressive elements of the navy won out and the fleet was augmented with more ships. In 1855, the first iron propeller-driven ships were ordered from England. These were the steamships Panopi, Pliksavra, Afroessa, and Sfendoni.[5]

[edit] Growth of the Navy under King George

During the 1866 Cretan revolt, the ships of the Royal Hellenic Navy were in no condition to support it. Such failure led to the government awakening to the problem of naval insufficiency and the adoption of a policy stating that: "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory." Because of this, the fleet was supplied with new and bigger ships, reflecting a number of innovations including the use of iron in shipbuilding industry and the invention of the torpedo; with these advances, the effectiveness and the appearance of the Hellenic Navy changed.

Meanwhile after 1878, because of the Russo-Turkish War and the need to expand the Greek navy, a new and larger naval base was established in the area of Faneromeni of Salamis and a few years later it was transferred to the area of Arapis where it remains today. At the same time the Naval Academy was founded and Ilias Kanellopoulos was made Director. A committee from France headed by Admiral Lejeune introduced a new, advanced naval organization and the methodological training of enlisted personnel through the establishment of a training school in the old building of the naval base in Poros.
Image:Psara ship.jpg
Battleship Psara
During the government of Charilaos Trikoupis in 1889, the fleet was further increased with the acquisition of new battleships:Hydra, Spetsai, and Psara from France. Thus, when Greece went to war in the Greco-Turkish War in 1897, the Hellenic Navy established its dominance in the Aegean Sea, however, it was unable to change the outcome of the war on land, which was a national humiliation.

In 1907, the Hellenic Navy General Staff (Γενικό Επιτελείο Ναυτικού) was founded, with then-Captain Pavlos Kountouriotis as its first head. After the war in 1897, the Ottoman Empire embarked on a program of naval expansion for its fleet and as a response to that, in 1909, the cruiser Georgios Averof was bought from Italy. In 1910, an English naval mission arrived, headed by Admiral Tuffnel, in order to recommend improvements in the organization and training of the navy. The mission led to the adoption of the English style of management, organization and training, especially in the area of strategy.

[edit] World War I and after: 1914 - 1940

(for a list of ships in the fleet in this era, see The Hellenic Navy in 1917)

Image:RHS Lemnos.jpg
Greek Battleship Lemnos at Constantinople in 1919

The Navy, shortly before the Balkan Wars, was composed of a destroyer and battleship fleet. Its mission was primarily offensive, aiming at capturing the Ottoman-held islands of the Eastern Aegean, and establish naval supremacy in the area. To that end, its commander-in-chief, Rear Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis, established a forward base at the Moudros bay at Lemnos, directly opposite the Dardanelles straits. After defeating the two Turkish sallies from the Straits at Elli (December 1912) and Lemnos (January 1913), the Aegean Sea was secured for Greece.

The Balkan Wars were followed by a rapid escalation between Greece and the Ottoman Empire over the as yet unclear status of the islands of the Eastern Aegean. Both governments embarked on a naval armaments race, with Greece purchasing the obsolete battleships Limnos and Kilkis and the light cruiser Elli as well as ordering two dreadnoughts, the Vasilefs Konstantinos and the Salamis and a number of destroyers. However, with the outbreak of the First World War, construction of the dreadnoughts stopped.

Initially during the war, Greece followed a course of neutrality, with the Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos favoring the Entente and pro-German King Constantine I advocating neutrality. This dispute eventually led to a deep political conflict, known as the "National Schism". In November 1916, in order to apply pressure on the royal government in Athens, the French confiscated the Greek ships. They continued to operate with French crews, primarily in convoy escort and patrol duties in the Aegean, until Greece entered the war on the side of the Allies in July 1917, at which point they were returned to Greece. Subsequently, the Greek Navy took part in the Allied operations in the Aegean, in the Allied expedition in support of Denikin's White Armies in the Ukraine, and in the operations of the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922 in Asia Minor.

After Greece's catastrophic defeat, the 1920s and early 1930s were a politically turbulent period, with the economy in a bad state, so the Navy received no new units, apart from the modernization of four destroyers and the acquisition of six French submarines in 1927 and four Italian destroyers in 1929.

[edit] World War II

Further information: Military history of Greece during World War II

In 1938, Greece ordered four modern Greyhound class destroyers in English shipyards, making a serious step towards modernization. The outbreak of war in Europe, however, allowed only two to be delivered. Greece entered World War II with a weak navy consisting of 10 destroyers, two outdated battleships, two light cruisers and six submarines.

During the Greco-Italian War, the Navy took over convoy escort missions in the Ionian Sea and even embarked on three raids against the Italian supply convoys in the Strait of Otranto. The most important role was given to the submarines, which although obsolete, managed to sink several Italian cargo ships in the Adriatic.

But when Nazi Germany attacked Greece, the RHN suffered heavily at the hands of the Luftwaffe, with 25 ships lost within a few days in April 1941. It was then decided to shift the remaining fleet (one cruiser -the famous Averof-, three destroyers and five submarines) to Alexandria in Egypt.

As the war progressed, the number of Hellenic Royal Navy vessels increased after the concession of several destroyers and submarines by the British Royal Navy. The most notable aspects of the Hellenic Royal Navy's participation in World War II include the operations of the destroyer Vassilissa Olga which, until sunk in Leros in September 23 1943, was the most successful Allied destroyer in the Mediterranean Sea; the participation of two destroyers in Operation Overlord; and the story of the destroyer Adrias, which while operating close to the coast of Kalymnos in October 1943 hit a mine, resulting in the loss of the vessel's prow, while blowing the two-gun forward turret over the bridge. After some minor repairs at Gümüşlük Bay in Turkey the Adrias managed to return to Alexandria in a 400-mile trip, even though all the forepart of the ship, up to the bridge, was missing.

[edit] Modern Era 1950-1990

After World War II, the Royal Hellenic Navy was significantly strengthened by the concession of British and Italian ships. The organisation also changed in line with modern naval doctrines of that era, leaving aside the old battleships after the entrance into NATO in 1952. At the beginning of the 1950s, US military aid formed the core of the country's armed forces. The Royal Hellenic Navy received the first Bostwick-class destroyers which took on the name Beasts (Θηρία), while withdrawing the British ones.

The next significant change was during the early 1970s, when Greece was the first Mediterranean naval force to order missile-equipped fast attack craft (Combattante II) and the Type 209 submarines, whereas US military aid continued in the form of FRAM II class destroyers. In 1979, Hellenic Navy placed an order in the Netherlands for two modern Standard class frigates (the Elli class). These were the first acquisitions of new main surface vessels, rather than the use of second-hand ships, in almost four decades.

[edit] Present Status

Hellenic Navy was enhanced to its maximum point during the last decade. The arrivals of Hydra class (MEKO® 200 HN) and more Standard class frigates along with the orders for more missile corvettes, Poseidon class Type 209 submarine submarines and naval helicopters allowed the retirement of the obsolete vessels. At the same time, Greece was the first Mediterranean country to receive guided missile destroyers, after the transfer of four Charles F. Adams class destroyers from the US Navy in 1992. All four have since been decommissioned since their electronics and missiles were considered not able to stand in a modern battlefield.

The advance continued when Greece ordered Type 214 submarines that feature an air-independent propulsion system, Sikorsky S-70B-6/10 Aegean Hawk helicopters and Project 1232.2 Zubr class hovercrafts from Russia.

Current plans include the modernization of Standard class frigates with new electronics and radar systems, the modernization of Glaukos and Poseidon class submarines with new sonars, electronics and air-independent propulsion engines (programs Neptune 1/2), while negotiations are being held with the US Navy for the concession of two Arleigh Burke class destroyers.

[edit] Organization

[edit] Main Commands

  • Γενικό Επιτελείο Εθνικής Αμύνης (ΓΕΕΘΑ) National Defence General Staff
  • Γενικόν Επιτελείον Ναυτικού (ΓΕΝ) Hellenic Navy General Staff
    • Αρχηγείον Στόλου (ΑΣ) Fleet Headquarters
      • Ναυτική Διοίκηση Αιγαίου (ΝΔΑ) Aegean Naval Command
      • Ναυτική Διοίκηση Ιονίου (ΝΔΙ) Ionian Naval Command
      • Ναυτική Διοίκηση Βορείου Ελλάδος (ΝΔΒΕ) Northern Greece Naval Command
    • Διοίκηση Ναυτικής Εκπαίδευσης (ΔΝΕ) Navy Training Command
    • Διοίκηση Διοικητικής Μέριμνας (ΔΔΜΝ) Quartermaster Command
      • Ναύσταθμος Σούδας Souda Naval Station
      • Ναύσταθμος Σαλαμίνας Salamina Naval Station

[edit] Combat Arms

  • Διοίκηση Φρεγατών (ΔΦΓ) Frigate Command
  • Διοίκηση Κανονιοφόρων (ΔΚΦ) Gunboat Command
  • Διοίκηση Ταχέων Σκαφών (ΔΤΣ) Fast Attack Craft Command
  • Διοίκηση Υποβρυχίων (ΔΥ) Submarine Command
  • Διοίκηση Αμφιβίων Δυνάμεων (ΔΑΔ) Amphibious Assault Forces Command
    • Greece does not have a marine corps established as a separate branch attached to the naval service, instead, the Army Special Forces Command includes the 32nd Marine Brigade (32η Ταξιαρχία Πεζοναυτών); the Navy provides the landing craft etc.
  • Διοίκηση Υποβρυχίων Καταστροφών (ΔΥΚ) Underwater Demolition Command
  • Ναυτική Συνεργασία Fleet Air Arm
    • Διοίκηση Ελικοπτέρων Ναυτικού (ΔΕΝ) Naval Helicopter Command
    • 353 Μοίρα Ναυτικής Συνεργασίας (353 ΜΝΑΣ) 353rd Naval Cooperation Squadron

[edit] Combat Support Arms

  • Διοίκηση Ναρκοπολέμου (ΔΝΑΡ) Minesweeper Command

[edit] Combat Service Support

  • Σχολή Εξάσκησης Ναυτικής Τακτικής (ΣΕΝΤ) Naval Tactical Training School (under Fleet Headquarters)

[edit] Fleet

Main article: Current Hellenic Navy ships

[edit] Frigates

Image:Frigate Kortenaer.jpg
HS "Kountouriotis" (F 462) sailing
Image:F452 HS Hydra 01.JPG
HS "Hydra" (F 452) at HMNB Portsmouth, UK
Image:HS Spetsai in Trieste.jpg
HS "Spetsai" (F 453) in Trieste
Image:HS Psara (F 454) 23 10 06 1138.jpg
HS "Psara" (F 454) sailing down the Firth of Clyde at the start of "Neptune Warrior" multinational training exercise.

Six frigates of the Kortenaer-class are currently undergoing modernization by the Hellenic Shipyards Co..

[edit] Fast Attack Guided Missile Vessels

[edit] Submarines

Image:CS Simpson SS-21.jpg
Type 209 submarine

[edit] Landing Vessels

Image:Sheppard-Zubr.JPG
Zubr/Pomornik Hovercraft

[edit] Gunboats

Image:HSTolmiMailXfer MD.jpg
PC/PG "Tolme" (P 229) during exercise

[edit] Minesweepers / Mine-Layers

[edit] Coastline Patrol Vessels

Image:P3corion.jpg
P-3C Orion Navy support aircraft

[edit] Water Tankers

[edit] Oil Tankers

[edit] Personel Transport Vessels

[edit] Maritime Research & Oceanography Vessels

[edit] Auxiliary Vessels

[edit] Aircraft inventory

Aircraft Origin Type Versions In service[6] Notes
Lockheed P-3 Orion Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States Maritime Patrol P-3B 6 TACNAVMOD II Upgrades
Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States Naval Helicopter S-70B-6/-B 11 Also known as "Aegean Hawk"
Agusta AB212 Image:Flag of Italy.svg Italy Anti-submarine Helicopter AB 212ASW 8 plus 2 in reserve
Aérospatiale SA 319 Alouette III Image:Flag of France.svg France Helicopter SA 319B 2 Used as trainers

[edit] Recently decommissioned ships

See also: List of decommissioned ships of the Hellenic Navy

[edit] Fast attack craft torpedo

  • 4 x FACT Class Jaguar
    • PCF Hesperos (P 50) (ex German Seeadler P6068), decommissioned 21 December 2004
    • PCF Kyklon (P 53) (ex German Greif P-6071), decommissioned 7 October 2005
    • PCF Lelaps (P 54) (ex German Kondor P-6070), decommissioned 21 December 2004
    • PCF Typhon (P 56) (ex German Geier P-6073), decommissioned 7 October 2005

[edit] Mine-Sweepers

  • MSC Kleio (M 213) Class A (decommissioned 3 October 2006)
  • MSC Erato (M 60) Class Castano (decommissioned 3 October 2006)

[edit] Designations explanation

  • F: Frigates
  • FACM: Fast Attack Craft Missile
  • FACT: Fast Attack Craft Torpedo
  • FFG: Guided Missile Frigate
  • FS: Fast Ship
  • L: Landing ships
  • LCAC: Landing Craft Air Cushion
  • LST: Landing Ship Tank
  • M: Mine Warfare Ships
  • MSC: Mine Sweeper Craft or Mine Sweep Craft
  • MSH: Mine Sweeper/Hunter
  • P: Patrol ships
  • PC: Patrol Craft
  • PCF: Patrol Craft Fast
  • PCFG: Patrol Craft, Fast, Guided missile
  • PG: Patrol Guard
  • S: Submarines

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Thucydides, 1.143
  2. ^ Address of P. Kammeno, Deputy Minister for Mercantile Marine to the International Conference of Propeller Clubs (in Greek). Ministry of Mercantile Marine, Aegean and Island Policy (2007-10-04). Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
  3. ^ Official website of the Hellenic Navy, [1]
  4. ^ Politics and Statecraft in the Kingdom of Greece, John Anthony Petropulos, Princeton University Press, 1968.
  5. ^ Official website of the Hellenic Navy, [2]
  6. ^ "World Military Aircraft Inventory", Aerospace Source Book 2007, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 15 2007.


 
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