Thesalonika was the 1st Greek Dreadnought, this one being ordered from the United States with 12" guns, while the Salamis, ordered two years later, was a mixed German/US product. The ship was laid down in the Fore River Naval Yard in 1913. Since the United States did not enter the war till 1917 the ship was proceeded with in normal peacetime rates. The only non-US parts to be fitted were the 5.5" gun system developed for the Greek ships. Completed in early 1917, the ship was passed across the Atlantic, with a convoy, to Britain. While in Britain the 5.5" casemate guns were fitted. Then from Britain to Gibraltar with another convoy. The journey through the Mediterranean was made in two passages, one to Malta, then Malta to Greece, both at high speed to avoid the U-boats that were in the Mediterranean at this time. A good workout for the new machinery.
Quite frankly a battleship with 8x12" completing in 1917 scared nobody. But.... in the Balkans she was the Queen of the Aegean. Even though Greece was neutral during WW1, I think if the chance had come to take a shot or two at the Goeben/Yavuz, the Thesalonika might have let rip. The Thesalonika was Flagship of the Greek Navy up till the Salamis arrived in 1925.
.png)
Sent back to the US in 1939 for a full rebuild. This would entail the removal of all superstructure from B to X turret and its replacement with modern command and control structures. While the superstructure is off, the machinery and deck armour are renewed. The secondary and light AA were replaced with up to date weapons. It was in the command and control areas that the ship now excelled. The radar controlled gun directors gave the main and secondary weapons very good aiming and hitting abilities. When the refit finished in April 1941, Greece was already in the war and wanted the Thesalonika back in Greek waters. The ship had to make a more circuitous journey than it had in WW1. This time it was convoy to UK, convoy to Gibraltar, round the bottom of South Africa and up to the Suez canal. We now have the major warships of the Greek navy that survived the surrender. One battleship and two cruisers, a few destroyers were already on convoy duty while the Greek Government in exile made up its mind what to do with the major warships. Both the Thesalonika and Katsonis went to the Mediterranean Fleet. The Thesalonika because it had the longest range search radar at that time. Badly needed to pick up the Axis aircraft as soon as possible.
I am happy with the way these two drawings have gone. The first is a good design for a small navy like Greece. Between the Thesalonika and Salamis the Turks would never get a look in with their two ex-German battlecruisers. The two Greek ships were more modern and better armed and armoured, speed about the same. The second drawing is a good compromise on what could be done with a ship that size. It makes sense when compared to what the US Navy did with its older battleships just a year or two later.
