Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Cruiser Georgios Averoff


Date of Issue: April 01, 1927
Scott #: 330

Georgios Averoff is the world's only surviving heavily armored cruiser of the early 20th century with two twin 234 mm turrets, four twin 190 mm turrets, eight 76 mm machine guns, four 76 mm anti-aircraft machine guns, six 37 mm machine guns and three torpedo tubes. During the Balkan Wars in 1912 and 1913, she was the Hellenic Navy fleet flagship during the campaigns in the North and Central Aegean islands, as well as the coastal cities of East Macedonia and Thrace.

Under the will of a deceased Greek millionaire, Mr. Georgios Averoff, about £300,000 was left for the benefit of the Greek Navy. This sum was devoted to the part-purchase of the cruiser named in his honor.

Georgios Averoff's last voyage was to Rhodes in May 1945, to commemorate the accession of Dodecanese from Italy. She was towed to her permanent berth in Faliron Bay in 1985, where is now open as a museum.

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