Ioannis Toumbas
Encyclopedia
Ioannis Toumbas was a Greek
naval officer and politician, best known for his command of the destroyer Adrias during World War II
. He also served in several ministerial positions in the 1960s and became a member and chairman of the Academy of Athens
.
in 1901, and graduated from the Hellenic Naval Academy
in 1921. Due to his participation in the Venizelist coup d'état attempt in March 1935, he was dismissed from the service, but was recalled on the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War
in October 1940. He served as commander of the Karaburun Naval Fort until the German invasion of Greece in April 1941. Fleeing to the Middle East
, he continued to serve in the exiled Greek Armed forces, assuming command of the destroyer Aetos
in 1941–1942.
On 20 July 1942, he assumed command of the Adrias, a Hunt-class
destroyer, at Newcastle
, United Kingdom
. With her, he undertook convoy
escort duties in the Mediterranean Sea
from January 1943, during which the ship sunk two German U-boat
s. Adrias also covered the Sicily landings
in July, and on 10 September she represented Greece in the Allied flotilla that accepted the surrender of the Italian Navy
's battle-fleet. Toumbas' finest hour came on 22 October 1943, during the naval operations of the Dodecanese Campaign
, when Adrias struck a sea mine and lost her entire bow. After makeshift repairs, Toumbas led the ship back to Egypt, arriving at Alexandria
on 6 December. In April 1944, he took part in the violent suppression of the pro-leftist Navy mutiny, leading one of the boarding detachments.
Following the liberation of Greece in October 1944, he served as chief of staff of the Fleet and CO of the Destroyer Squadron, until he assumed command of the Salamis Naval Base
in 1945. In 1946 he was appointed as chief of the Coastal Forces Command, and in 1947 he was sent to Washington, DC as a naval attaché. Promoted to Rear Admiral
in 1950, he assumed the post of chief of the Aegean Naval Command, and served as Chief of the Fleet in 1952–1953. He resigned in 1953, retiring as a Vice Admiral.
of Sofoklis Venizelos, and subsequently with the Liberal Party
and the Center Union
of Georgios Papandreou, whose close associate he became. He was elected a member of the Greek Parliament in all elections from 1956 to 1964 (in 1956 with the LDU). He was named Minister without Portfolio in Papandreou's first cabinet in winter 1963, and Minister for the Interior in his second cabinet, from February 1964 to January 1965, when he resigned.
An honest, but politically rather naive and deeply conservative man, he joined all three palace-appointed cabinets during the "Apostasy" crisis of 1965–1966
. He served as Interior and Public Order Minister under Georgios Athanasiadis-Novas
, Minister for Public Works in the Ilias Tsirimokos
cabinet, a post he initially kept in the Stefanos Stefanopoulos government, before moving to the ministries of Industry and Northern Greece, finally becoming Foreign Minister in 1966.
He was politically inactive during the Greek military junta of 1967–1974, and after its fall
he joined the right-wing New Democracy
party, with which he was elected on the nationwide list in the 1974 elections. In 1979 he became a member of the Academy of Athens
, and served as its president in 1991. He died in Athens on 7 May 1995.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
naval officer and politician, best known for his command of the destroyer Adrias during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He also served in several ministerial positions in the 1960s and became a member and chairman of the Academy of Athens
Academy of Athens (modern)
The Academy of Athens is Greece's national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education...
.
Military career
He was born in MykonosMykonos
Mykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The town is also...
in 1901, and graduated from the Hellenic Naval Academy
Hellenic Naval Academy
The Hellenic Naval Academy is a military academy with university status and has the responsibility to educate and suitably train competent Naval Officers for the Hellenic Navy. Its full name is Hellenic Naval Cadets Academy and was founded in 1845. The academy is one of the oldest educational...
in 1921. Due to his participation in the Venizelist coup d'état attempt in March 1935, he was dismissed from the service, but was recalled on the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
in October 1940. He served as commander of the Karaburun Naval Fort until the German invasion of Greece in April 1941. Fleeing to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, he continued to serve in the exiled Greek Armed forces, assuming command of the destroyer 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...
in 1941–1942.
On 20 July 1942, he assumed command of the Adrias, a Hunt-class
Hunt class destroyer
The Hunt class was a class of Destroyer escort of the Royal Navy. The first vessels were ordered early in 1939, and the class saw extensive service in World War II, particularly on the British East Coast and Mediterranean convoys. They were named after British fox hunts...
destroyer, at Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. With her, he undertook convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
escort duties in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
from January 1943, during which the ship sunk two German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s. Adrias also covered the Sicily landings
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
in July, and on 10 September she represented Greece in the Allied flotilla that accepted the surrender of the Italian Navy
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
's battle-fleet. Toumbas' finest hour came on 22 October 1943, during the naval operations of the Dodecanese Campaign
Dodecanese Campaign
The Dodecanese Campaign of World War II was an attempt by Allied forces, mostly British, to capture the Italian-held Dodecanese islands in the Aegean Sea following the surrender of Italy in September 1943, and use them as bases against the German-controlled Balkans...
, when Adrias struck a sea mine and lost her entire bow. After makeshift repairs, Toumbas led the ship back to Egypt, arriving at Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
on 6 December. In April 1944, he took part in the violent suppression of the pro-leftist Navy mutiny, leading one of the boarding detachments.
Following the liberation of Greece in October 1944, he served as chief of staff of the Fleet and CO of the Destroyer Squadron, until he assumed command of the Salamis Naval Base
Salamis Naval Base
The Salamis Naval Base or Naval Dock Salamis is the largest naval base in Greece. It is located in the northeastern part of Salamis Island and in Amphiali and Skaramanga. It is close to the major population centres of Athens and Piraeus....
in 1945. In 1946 he was appointed as chief of the Coastal Forces Command, and in 1947 he was sent to Washington, DC as a naval attaché. Promoted to Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
in 1950, he assumed the post of chief of the Aegean Naval Command, and served as Chief of the Fleet in 1952–1953. He resigned in 1953, retiring as a Vice Admiral.
Political career
Toumbas became involved in politics in 1955, initially with the Liberal Democratic UnionLiberal Democratic Union (Greece)
The Liberal Democratic Union was a coalition of six Greek political parties for the elections of 1956.Its main leader was Sofoklis Venizelos. Members to the coalition were:* Republican Union* Liberal Party * United Democratic Left...
of Sofoklis Venizelos, and subsequently with the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Greece)
The Liberal Party was one of the major Greek political parties of the early 20th century.- History :Founded as the Xipoliton party in Crete , its early leaders were Kostis Mitsotakis and Eleftherios Venizelos...
and the Center Union
Center Union
The Centre Union was a Greek political party, created in 1961 by George Papandreou, senior.The party was elected to power in 1963, with Papandreou as Prime Minister...
of Georgios Papandreou, whose close associate he became. He was elected a member of the Greek Parliament in all elections from 1956 to 1964 (in 1956 with the LDU). He was named Minister without Portfolio in Papandreou's first cabinet in winter 1963, and Minister for the Interior in his second cabinet, from February 1964 to January 1965, when he resigned.
An honest, but politically rather naive and deeply conservative man, he joined all three palace-appointed cabinets during the "Apostasy" crisis of 1965–1966
Apostasia of 1965
The terms Apostasia or Iouliana or the Royal Coup are used to describe the political crisis in Greece that centred around the resignation, on 15 July 1965, of Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou and the appointment, by King Constantine II, of successive Prime Ministers from Papandreou's own...
. He served as Interior and Public Order Minister under Georgios Athanasiadis-Novas
Georgios Athanasiadis-Novas
Georgios Athanasiadis–Novas was a Greek lawyer, politician and Prime Minister.Born in Naupactus, he obtained his law degree from the University of Athens...
, Minister for Public Works in the Ilias Tsirimokos
Ilias Tsirimokos
Ilias Tsirimokos was a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister for a very brief period .-Life:...
cabinet, a post he initially kept in the Stefanos Stefanopoulos government, before moving to the ministries of Industry and Northern Greece, finally becoming Foreign Minister in 1966.
He was politically inactive during the Greek military junta of 1967–1974, and after its fall
Metapolitefsi
The Metapolitefsi was a period in Greek history after the fall of the Greek military junta of 1967–1974 that includes the transitional period from the fall of the dictatorship to the Greek legislative elections of 1974 and the democratic period immediately after these elections.The long...
he joined the right-wing New Democracy
New Democracy (Greece)
New Democracy is the main centre-right political party and one of the two major parties in Greece. It was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic...
party, with which he was elected on the nationwide list in the 1974 elections. In 1979 he became a member of the Academy of Athens
Academy of Athens (modern)
The Academy of Athens is Greece's national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education...
, and served as its president in 1991. He died in Athens on 7 May 1995.
Writings
- Εχθρός εν όψει [Enemy in Sight], Athens 1954. Won the Academy of Athens prize.
- Από το ημερολόγιο ενός υπουργού [From the diary of a minister], Athens 1986.