Now For Something Completely Different, The Dreadnaught Averof

I have long had a great interest in naval history and one of my hopes of this trip was to make it to the Greek Naval Museum in Paliofaliro.

The main attraction there is the Averof

The Battleship Averof [really a heavy cruiser] is the last 'dreadnought' heavy cruiser of its kind in the world.

The first dreadnought [a category of ship named after the first of its kind HMS Dreadnought] was built in 1906 and marked a change in naval architecture.

The Averof was built in 1910 and thus features the early form modern battleships took.

Through the years the great battleships, with ever bigger armament , ever thicker armour and faster speeds, were the masters of the oceans.

This evolution would culminate in the great battleships of early WW2 when the world learned how vulnerable these ships were to air attack.

The Averof has a history of humour and distinction.

For many years it was it was the greatest weapon platform in the Aegean.











It almost single handed won two great naval confrontations against the Turks in the First Balkan War [1912-13] .

This gave the Greeks uncontested control of the Aegean following the First World War until 1941, and this ship was the reason.

It's main armament were 4 - 9.2 inch guns that could hurl a 1000 pound shell accurately over 20 miles.











This is the exterior of the magazines where the shells and propellants were stored. On the black rails, hanging from the ceiling, the munitions were run to elevators that lifted the explosives to the turrets, three decks above.

I could barely stand up in this space and had to take care not to whack my head. That door was a real challenge to get through. The further into the ship I went the more claustrophobic I became. Unbelievable that men could function here.







After surviving the Battle for Greece and the Battle for Crete [1941] the Averof served as an escort ship for convoys in the Indian Ocean.
















It remains in active service today. It is assigned to 'long term repairs' at its birth where it is a proud symbol of Greek naval ability where it also serves as a museum.

On the humorous side of this ship's history is the story of when it sailed to England for the coronation of King George V. The Greek crew was served blue cheese. They had never seen such food. They rioted- causing a near mutiny. I might rebel as well- I do not care for rotten cheese either!

This is the crew's mess. Note the bags hooked on the wall- these are their kits where each stored his entire personal belongings.







These are the officer's dinner service.

Doesn't compare very well does it?

Such was turn of the century life. Remember the Titanic where the difference between first class and third class represented world's apart.

This is how the crew's beds are arranged for sleeping.

Note the table and benches have been attached to the ceiling.

This is how it was at the turn of the century- the 'old world' separation of officer and sailor was a gulf across which few ever crossed.







Recently a wealthy Greek shipping tycoon and actress used the ship for a wedding reception, without permission, causing a scandal.

Some things never change!

This is the officers mess-

no beds in sight here-

they each had their own room!










A senior officer's  room










                               



An officer's 'head'














The captains's quarters. This space appears to match the space of all the others combined!

This was part of the disaster of WW1-

old habits, old ways, entitlement, and family hierarchy against a new world of mechanized killing that 19th century outdated values simply had not adapted to.

As a result- millions died.

The Averof represents a living example of the past rarely experienced anymore. Most all of these great ships have been destroyed in war or laid to scrap long ago.