Greek destroyer Panthir
Encyclopedia
Panthir served in the Hellenic Royal Navy from 1912–1946.
The ship, along with her three sister ships of Wild Beast class destroyer
s Aetos
, Ierax
and Leon
, was ordered from England
. They were purchased ready for delivery, each for the sum of £148,000 from the English shipyards Camell Laird in Liverpool
, when the Balkan Wars
seemed likely. These ships had originally been ordered by Argentina; Panthir was originally named Santiago. Accepted by Captain Ath. Miaoulis, RHN in Palermo
, Sicily
. where she arrived manned by foreign crew.
During the Balkan Wars, the Royal Hellenic Navy purchased only the minimum amount of ammunitions, 3,000 rounds of torpedoes. Torpedoes were not available for this class of ship, and for this reason these ships were initially named 'scouts' rather than 'destroyers'.
During World War I
, Greece belatedly entered the war on the side of the Triple Entente
and, due to Greece's neutrality the four Beast Class ships were seized by the Allies in October, 1916, taken over by the French in November, and served in the French Navy
from 1917-18. By 1918, they were back on escort duty under Greek colors, mainly in the Aegean Sea
.
In 1919-20 she participated in the operations in Southern Russia evacuating Greek refugees from the Russian Civil War
with the battleships Kilkis
and Limnos
and the destroyer Leon
, remaining for 263 days in the Black Sea
. During the Asia Minor war
, she took part in the blockade of the Asia Minor coasts.
After the war, Panthir was refurbished from 1925–1927. She also participated in the Second World War, after surviving the German invasion of April, 1941, Panthir was based in the Indian Ocean
. Between May and October, 1942, her armament was updated in Bombay enabling her to offer better Anti-Aircraft protection and Anti-Surface capabilities on her new missions.
After the end of World War II, Panthir was stricken in 1946.
The ship, along with her three sister ships of Wild Beast class destroyer
Wild Beast class destroyer
The Wild Beast class, or Aetos class, of destroyers were bought by the Royal Hellenic Navy before World War I when the Greek government expanded its navy after losing the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and in anticipation of the Balkan Wars. These four ships had originally been ordered by Argentina from...
s Aetos
Greek destroyer Aetos
Aetos served in the Royal Hellenic Navy from 1912–1945.The ship, along with her three sister ships of Wild Beast class destroyers Ierax, Panthir and Leon, was ordered from England. They were purchased in 1912, ready for delivery, each for the sum of £148,000, from the English shipyards Camell...
, Ierax
Greek destroyer Ierax
Ierax served in the Hellenic Royal Navy from 1912–1946.The ship, along with her three sister ships of Wild Beast class destroyers Aetos, Panthir and Leon, was ordered from England. They were purchased in 1912, ready for delivery, each for the sum of £148,000 from the English shipyards Camell...
and Leon
Greek destroyer Leon
Leon served in the Hellenic Royal Navy from 1912–1941.The ship, along with her three sister ships of Wild Beast class destroyers Aetos, Ierax and Panthir was ordered from England. They were purchased ready for delivery, each for the sum of £148,000, from the English shipyards Camell Laird in...
, was ordered from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. They were purchased ready for delivery, each for the sum of £148,000 from the English shipyards Camell Laird in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, when the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
seemed likely. These ships had originally been ordered by Argentina; Panthir was originally named Santiago. Accepted by Captain Ath. Miaoulis, RHN in Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. where she arrived manned by foreign crew.
During the Balkan Wars, the Royal Hellenic Navy purchased only the minimum amount of ammunitions, 3,000 rounds of torpedoes. Torpedoes were not available for this class of ship, and for this reason these ships were initially named 'scouts' rather than 'destroyers'.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Greece belatedly entered the war on the side of the Triple Entente
Triple Entente
The Triple Entente was the name given to the alliance among Britain, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
and, due to Greece's neutrality the four Beast Class ships were seized by the Allies in October, 1916, taken over by the French in November, and served in the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
from 1917-18. By 1918, they were back on escort duty under Greek colors, mainly in the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
.
In 1919-20 she participated in the operations in Southern Russia evacuating Greek refugees from the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
with the battleships Kilkis
Greek Battleship Kilkis
Kilkis was a 13,000 ton Mississippi-class battleship originally built by the US Navy in 1904–1908. The Greek Navy purchased the ship in 1914, along with her sister , renamed Limnos. Kilkis was named for the Battle of Kilkis-Lahanas, a crucial engagement of the Second Balkan War...
and Limnos
Greek Battleship Limnos
Limnos, sometimes spelled Lemnos , was a 13,000 ton Mississippi-class Greek battleship named for a crucial naval battle of the First Balkan War.-History of the ship:...
and the destroyer Leon
Greek destroyer Leon
Leon served in the Hellenic Royal Navy from 1912–1941.The ship, along with her three sister ships of Wild Beast class destroyers Aetos, Ierax and Panthir was ordered from England. They were purchased ready for delivery, each for the sum of £148,000, from the English shipyards Camell Laird in...
, remaining for 263 days in the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. During the Asia Minor war
Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922)
The Greco–Turkish War of 1919–1922, known as the Western Front of the Turkish War of Independence in Turkey and the Asia Minor Campaign or the Asia Minor Catastrophe in Greece, was a series of military events occurring during the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire after World War I between May...
, she took part in the blockade of the Asia Minor coasts.
After the war, Panthir was refurbished from 1925–1927. She also participated in the Second World War, after surviving the German invasion of April, 1941, Panthir was based in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. Between May and October, 1942, her armament was updated in Bombay enabling her to offer better Anti-Aircraft protection and Anti-Surface capabilities on her new missions.
After the end of World War II, Panthir was stricken in 1946.
See also
- History of the Hellenic NavyHistory of the Hellenic NavyThe History of the Hellenic Navy begins with the birth of modern Greece, and due to the maritime nature of the country, this force has been the premier service of the Greek Armed Forces.-The navy during the Revolution:...