"Sea power is of great importance"
The Hellenic Navy (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó) is the naval force of the modern nation of Greece (Hellenic Republic). The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of Admiral Miaoulis and Lady Bouboulina, 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 (Βασιλικό Ναυτικό, Vassilikó Naftikó).
The Hellenic Navy, (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναύτικο), is the naval force of the modern nation of Greece (Hellenic Republic). The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of Admiral Miaoulis and Lady Bouboulina, which fought in the Greek War of Independence.
Andreas Miaoulis and "Lady" Laskarina Bouboulina
See main article: History of the Hellenic Navy
The navy of the Revolution
The naval forces of the 1821 revolution were composed of ships owned by shipowners of the revolted islands and ports. Since the largest part were from the islands of Hydra, Spetsai and Psara it has been called the three island fleet. Some money from the second revolutionary loan was spent in ordering warships abroad, among them steamships. These ships were organised by Ioannis Kapodistrias into the national fleet, based in the island of Poros.
Development in the 19th century
King Othon expanded the fleet by ordering new vessels abroad and constructing several auxiliary ships in Poros. From his time also dates the first effort to create an independent naval officer academy in 1845. The great reorganization of the fleet was undertaken by the governments of prime minister Charilaos Trikoupis. Trikoupis invited a French mission to retrain the officers, refounded the naval academy, the Scholē Naftikōn Dokimōn (Σχολή Ναυτικών Δοκίμων) in 1884, and ordered 3 battleships (the Ydra, Spetsai and Psara) that ensured supremacy over the Ottoman Empire. However, during the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 the fleet mostly stayed in port due to the incompetence of its leadership.
Balkan Wars and First World War
After the 1909 Goudi pronunciamento Greece bought several ships, most prominently among them the armoured cruiser Georgios Averof, which liberated the Aegean islands and twice defeated the Ottoman fleet during the First Balkan War. Major purchases from overseas included the two American pre-dreadnought battleships of the Mississippi class, bought in 1914, named Lemnos and Kilkis and a Chinese light cruiser which was named Helli.
During World War I, the fleet, for the third time in its history, was confiscated by the Allies due to the Greek National Schism. When Greece eventually entered the war on the Allied side in 1917, what was left of it was returned.
During the interwar years and especially after the Asia Minor catastrophe the financial situation of Greece allowed for new, primarily light, ships to be ordered, such as submarines and destroyers, and increased emphasis was laid on training. During the late 1930s, the regime of Ioannis Metaxas did make an effort to improve its condition but it was stopped short by World War II.
On August 15, 1940, an Italian submarine torpedoed the light cruiser Elli without any prior declaration of war. After Italy attacked on land on October 28, 1940, the Royal Hellenic Navy joined action with the British Royal Navy against the Regia Marina having as its main mission to secure internal communications in the Aegean and to impede the supply of Italian troops in Albania via the Adriatic. With the collapse of Greece following the German attack on Greece in April 1941, a large part of the fleet escaped to Alexandria, led by the elderly Averof. There it joined the British Mediterranean Fleet, continuing the fight against the Axis. Although its operations were primarily focused in the Mediterranean, Greek Navy ships took part in convoy escort duty in the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans, as well as at the Allied landings at Normandy. With the withdrawal of German troops from Greece in October 1944, the Fleet returned home.
Remaining loyal to the Royal government, the Navy participated in the Greek Civil War (1946-1949). With Greece's entry into NATO, the Navy came to rely more on ships and weapons of US origin, and a very close cooperation was developed with the USN. Aside from its role inside the Atlantic Alliance, since the 1960s, with the renewed deterioration of the Greco-Turkish relations, the Navy focused itself increasingly to countering the Turkish threat, a role which forms the main task of the Hellenic Navy to this day. Recently, Greek ships have participated in the Gulf War and in the international naval forces supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in the Indian Ocean.Greek Navy participates in Unifil with the HS Kanaris Elli class, to patrol against arms smugglers. Four of the Elli class frigates will be decomissioned by the end of 2007.
| Combat Support Arms
| Combat Service Support
HS "Hydra" (F-452) at HMNB Portsmouth, UK
Fast Attack Craft Missile
PCF Tyfon (P 56)
Named after Greek Sea gods
1 x AOR Etna class
2 x ex german LUNEBURGType 701C class,replenishment ships
Aircraft Origin Type Versions In service Notes
Aérospatiale Alouette III France helicopter SA 319B 2
AB212ASW Italy antisubmarine helicopter AB 212ASW 10
Lockheed P-3 Orion United States maritime patrol P-3B 5
Sikorsky S-70 United States naval helicopter S-70B-6 11
4 x Papanikolis class (Type 214 submarine)
Recently decommissioned ships
See also: List of decommissioned ships of the Hellenic Navy
Fast attack craft torpedo
Military of Greece
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