RHNS Heraklion (DD-1940)

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Greece ordered five destroyers in the mid-1930's from Britain. One 'J' class leader and four 'I' class destroyers. The four 'I' class destroyers had not been completed before war broke out and all four were requisitioned by Britain for the Royal Navy. The four ships fought with the Royal Navy with one being lost in the Norwegian campaign. Fast forward twelve months and the remaining three are now part of the Mediterranean Fleet. They get to fight alongside the Kallithea as part of a flotilla escorting ships to and from Greece and Egypt. With the Surrender of Greece, the Greek Government requests the three ships be returned to Greek Service. This request is granted and another 'I' class with the fleet is added to make up the four ships.



The four ships are crewed by officers and men already in Egypt and their training on the ships was in the Canal Region and Red Sea, where they learned convoy escort tactics and how to work as a Flotilla. Kallithea joined the group for the last week so that the Captain 'D' could imprint himself on his commanders. The Greek Flotilla is ready to do big things.
 

Below are notes from Wikipaedia on the service of the two 'G' class destroyers that were built and delivered to Greece in 1938. This is where I get the idea for my Greek Flotilla from.

Royal Hellenic Navy

Two ships, modified versions of the G class, were built for the Greek Royal Hellenic Navy (RHNS) by Yarrow in the late 1930s. The ships were fitted with German-made 127-millimetre (5 in) guns and 37-millimetre (1.5 in) AA guns. The number of torpedo tubes was reduced by two on these ships to compensate for the additional topweight. The installation of the armament was carried out in Greece as the Germans refused to ship the weapons to Britain. Vasilefs Georgios, named after King George I, served with the RHN during the Greco-Italian War. Damaged by German aircraft, the ship managed to reach the Salamis Navy Yard and was put in dry dock for repairs, where after further damage during German air attacks, she was finally scuttled to prevent capture. The Germans raised and repaired her and she was commissioned into the Kriegsmarine as Hermes (ZG3) on 21 March 1942. Hermes was heavily damaged off Cape Bon, Tunisia, on 30 April 1943 and scuttled on 7 May 1943. Vasilissa Olga, named after Queen Olga, served with the RHN during the Greco-Italian War. Along with other ships, she escaped to Alexandria in May 1941 and joined the Allied forces. She was lost to German aircraft while anchored in Lakki Bay, Leros, on 26 September 1943.


 

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