Dimitrios Kamberos
Encyclopedia
Dimitrios Kamberos was the first military aviator in Greek history. His name was spelled variously in contemporary foreign sources, including Camberos and Cambères.
Kamberos was originally an artillery officer, and one of the first six Greek officers selected to receive training in France. The others were:
They were joined by Emmanuel Argyropoulos, a private pilot, the first in Greece. The Army Aviation started with six planes, including four purchased from the Farman Aviation Works and assembled by French mechanics:
Three of the Farman planes were christened Aetos, Gyps, and Ierax. The planes were paid for by money donated by a poet named Matsoukis.
Upon their return from France, Kamberos took the first official military exercise flight on 13 May 1912. In June 1912, after converting his plane to a hydroplane, he broke the world speed record at 110 km/h. He flew his first combat mission, a reconnaissance flight, on 5 October 1912, at the outbreak of the First Balkan War
. After World War I, he served as the chief instructor of the military flight school. He died of cold and starvation during the Axis Occupation of Greece.
Kamberos was originally an artillery officer, and one of the first six Greek officers selected to receive training in France. The others were:
- Second Lt. Panoutsos Notaras (Cavalry)
- First Lt. Michael MoutoussisMichael MoutoussisMichael Moutoussis was one of the first military aviators in the Greek Armed Forces. During the Balkan Wars he performed together with Aristeidis Moraitinis the first naval air co-operation mission in history.-Early career:...
(Moutousis) of the military corps of engineers - Second Lt. Christos AdamidisChristos AdamidisChristos Adamidis was a Greek pioneer aviator and Air Force general. He was one of the first three Greek officers that received aviation training and later participated in air operations during the Balkan Wars .-Balkan Wars:...
(Cavalry) - First Lt. Loukas Papaloukas (Infantry)
- First Lt. Markos Drakos (Artillery)
They were joined by Emmanuel Argyropoulos, a private pilot, the first in Greece. The Army Aviation started with six planes, including four purchased from the Farman Aviation Works and assembled by French mechanics:
- One Henri FarmanHenry FarmanHenri Farman Henri Farman Henri Farman (26 May 1874 – 17 July 1958 was a French pilot, aviator and aircraft designer and manufacturer with his brother Maurice Farman. His family was British and he took French nationality in 1937.-Biography:...
20 biplane - One Henri Farman biplane converted to a hydroplane, officially named Daedalus, piloted by Kamberos
- One Maurice FarmanMaurice FarmanMaurice Alain Farman was a French Grand Prix motor racing champion, an aviator, and an aircraft manufacturer and designer.-Biography:...
Hydravion - One other Maurice FarmanMaurice FarmanMaurice Alain Farman was a French Grand Prix motor racing champion, an aviator, and an aircraft manufacturer and designer.-Biography:...
biplane - One Astra hydroplane, named Nautilos, piloted by Moutousis
- One NieuportNieuportNieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.-Beginnings:...
IV G monoplane, named Halcyon, privately owned and piloted by Argyropoulos
Three of the Farman planes were christened Aetos, Gyps, and Ierax. The planes were paid for by money donated by a poet named Matsoukis.
Upon their return from France, Kamberos took the first official military exercise flight on 13 May 1912. In June 1912, after converting his plane to a hydroplane, he broke the world speed record at 110 km/h. He flew his first combat mission, a reconnaissance flight, on 5 October 1912, at the outbreak of the First Balkan War
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
. After World War I, he served as the chief instructor of the military flight school. He died of cold and starvation during the Axis Occupation of Greece.