Royal Hellenic Navy's Cruiser Force 1925-41

[emperor_andreas]

She's beautiful! Can't wait to see some more ships, and I found the back story quite interesting.

-Matt

[bezobrazov]

The second class of heavy cruisers (and the first with full characteristics as such!) was the handsome Thessalonike class, built by Ansaldo in Italy between 1926-29. The class was very much close cousins of the Italian Trento-class and thus shared all the strengths and - especially vices of the former class.
They were, however, very highly regarded in service and were attractive commands.

The outstanding feature of the ships were their slim, tall cage masts, a midway between the US classic, heavy mast and the Russian lattice-mast. The design emanated from the exiled Russian naval designer Vladimir Yourkevich, and was presented, in New York, in 1924 to the Hellenic Naval Commission then visiting the US. The Chief Naval Constructor of the Royal Hellenic Navy, Rear-Admiral Giorgios Kontostephaniotes, immediately accepted the plans, and the masts were incorporated into the new Thessalonike-class.

Two ships were ordered: Thessalonike, in 1925 and Athinai, in 1926. Both were completed after rather lenghty building times; Thessalonike in 1929, her sister in 1930.

In that same year, Rear-Adm. Ioannis Kontostopoulos-Apostolidis took the two new ships together with the earlier CA Psara on a fabled world cruise. During the 298 days the cruise lasted, the squadron visited 36 ports, among them Naples, Valetta, Gibraltar, Cadiz, Brest, Portsmouth, New York, Norfolk, Galveston, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, Caracas, San Francisco, Honolulu, Tokyo, Yokohama, Sasebo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Aden.

In New York, the Governor of that state, a certain Franklin Delano Roosevelt feted the officers of the squadron at Gracie Mansion, the Mayor's office in the city. In Washington, President Hoover received the Vice-Admiral (Kontostopoulos having been promoted during the voyage across the Atlantic) and his staff at the White House, and they received permission to inspect the naval yard at Norfolk (where, co-incidentally, a few years later the keel for two super cruisers for the RHN were to be laid down!)

In Japan, the Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu, a naval officer and future Chief of the Naval Staff held reception for the Hellenic officers and expressed his unbound admiration for the zeal and feat of the circumnavigation. In Sasebo, the Greek admiral and his crew could behold at a close distance the new IJN 'A'-class cruisers Haguro, Myoko and Ashigara.

I present to you the graceful Thessalonike-class heavy cruisers:

[heuhen]

nice work!

[SrGopher]

In Sasebo, the Greek admiral and his crew could behold at a close distance the new IJN 'A'-class cruisers Haguro, Myoko and Ashigara.

So would this imply some later cruiser classes?

[bezobrazov]

What do you mean, SrGopher? If you mean the Hellenic one, yes. If you mean the IJN, these three vessels were actually in commission by 1930, though at various stages of ongoing completion still.

[Biancini1995]

Hum...Corrections about the history i see you put some Brazil Cities but you writed "Sao Paolo"The correct name is "São Paulo" and São Paulo don't are a City with port.

[bezobrazov]

Will remove that city! Thanks for the correction!

[SrGopher]

I meant for the Hellenic Navy. Great news to hear. I was wondering if there were only to be four ships...


Good luck!

[Ashley]

She's a beauty! I wonder the greek cruiser don't carry torp launchers?

[odysseus1980]

Nice scenario,I liked the way you start it..But unforunately I do not see drawings in my computer.Can you send me link with pm,please?