In 1916, the Hellenic Navy Ministry had decided to seek tenders for a suitable cruiser type to counter Turkish, and German (Austro-Hungarian and Italian ones were also taken into consideration as future potential threats!) cruiser classes. The transfer of Germany to Turkey of the light cruiser
S.M.S. Breslau (renamed
Mdilli) was an alarming sign of a growing Turkish potency at sea. Greece had multiple islands, such as Kos and Chios with certain strategic importance to protect. These islands lay just under the Turkish shores.
The Russo-American naval constructor Vladimir Yourkevich, presented, in Paris, to the visiting Greek Rear-Admiral Themistokles Parangelidou a radical design. This 7,600 ton cruiser featured a voluminous hull, with a pronounced sheer forward and generous freeboard. The armament, according to Yourkevich, was 11 6" in single or casemated mounts. A geared turbine machinery would allow this monster to sail at a very respectable 30 knots with a radius of 6,000 nautical miles at 14 knots. 4 quad above-water torpedo tubes would complement the gun armament.
There it remained, in limbo, since for a number of years the Government could not afford the new ship. However, in 1919, the order was placed at Norfolk Navy yard for two units, initially named
Zerax and
Laskos. In 1920 the
Laskos was renamed
Xiphias, and then, in the fall two more ships had been ordered. By now the Greek armies surged ahead in Asia Minor, putting more and more ancient Greek territory back under Greek suzeranity. The four units, it was decided, were to honor the newly acquired territories by being named after them:
Zerax was renamed
Makedonia,
Xiphias Ionia, the two unnamed units were allocated the names of
Ipeiros and
Anatolia.
By summer of 1923 the two first ordered units were delivered, and on July 22, 1923, King Constantine sailed onboard the
Ionia and landed at Smyrna to a tumultuous and jubilant reception by the liberated Greeks. (some 2,000,000 'new' Greeks were added to the Kingdom's population!)
The ships were essentially Yourkevich's "ideal Armored Cruiser" as he had devised while in Imperial Russian service. They, indeed, looked very Russian at first glance: Long but high freeboarded hulls, with a row of casemated guns on either side. Three fat and fairly stubby funnels crowned what there was of superstructure. What was not Russian were the two massive cage masts that lent the ships their very characteristic appearance.
The displacement was actually lower than estimated. At 7,240 tons light and 8,110 tons full load with an extreme displacement of 8,920 tons the ships were somewhat underweight.
The fact that the weight calculations had been wrong in the positive direction, was used to cram a few more guns into the design. Instead of the original 11 6" guns, the ships now featured 14 guns. The disposition, however, left much to desire: Two single mounts abreast on the focs'le, unshielded, with 6 casemated mounts, three a side, on the focs'le deck and 01-deck with scant elevation and depression; aft two single mounts on the center-line superfiring with four casemated weapons in a superfiring position comprised the main artillery. Although the hand loaded guns could be worked to certain efficiency by experienced crews, in practice the ships always suffered from a reputation of being poor gunnery ships. The secondary armament, if that could be termed as such consisted of 12 hopelessly obsolete Italian-made OTO-Terni 3.5 cm guns of Austro-Hungarian Skoda origin. Wholly worthless at aerial targeting, they nevertheless were bought for a rather huge expenditure in a deal that oversaw the transfer of the Dodecanese Islands from Italian suzerainty to Greek. Further there were 6 U.S. manufactured .50 cal. Browning water cooled machine guns; again a pretty worthless anti-air defense, but what was available at the time of their completion.
The four Curtis geared turbines developed 40,000 ISHP, with an overload of 56,000 SHP. 12 Yarrow boilers with both coal and oil firing possibilities completed the machinery plant. On her trials off the Nantucket Light house, the
Makedonia made 31.92 knots with a forced draught of 51,247 ISHP.
For the 130 officers and 550 crew the ships were comfortable enough. Their extremely high freeboard made them very dry. Also their appointments were considered luxurious by Hellenic standards, and although having the poor gunnery reputation, they, nevertheless gained a high overall reputation and popularity.
Allow me to present for you the Royal Hellenic Navy's first cruiser class; the
Makedonias:
