Greek destroyer Leon (1912)

For other ships with the same name, see Greek ship Leon.

Leon (Greek: ΒΠ Λέων, "Lion") was an Aetos-class destroyer which served in the Royal Hellenic Navy from 1912–1941.

Destroyer Leon
History
Greece
Name	Leon (ΒΠ Λέων)
Namesake	lion
Ordered	1912
Builder	Cammell Laird, Birkenhead
Laid down	1911
Launched	1 July 1911
Commissioned	1912
Decommissioned	15 May 1941
Fate	Sunk at Souda Bay, Crete 1941
General characteristics
Class and type	Aetos-class destroyer
Displacement	880 tons standard
Length	89.4 m (293 ft)
Beam	8.3 m (27 ft)
Draft	3 m (9.8 ft)
Propulsion	5 × Foster Wheeler boilers (4 coal-fired and 1 oil-fired), replaced by Yarrow oil-fired boilers in 1925 5 funnels combined Parsons and Curtis steam turbines
Speed	31 knots (57 km/h) maximum (32 knots (59 km/h) after 1925)
Complement	58
Armament	As completed: 4 × 4 in (100 mm)/50 guns 1 × 3 in (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun 6 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 3 × electric search lights 1925: 76.2 mm gun removed 37 mm anti-aircraft gun added four-barrel 40 mm (1.6 in) gun added 2 mortars added Modified for laying 40 mines 1942: 3rd and 4th stern torpedo launchers removed 1 × 3-inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun added 1 × 20 mm Oerlikon gun added A/S type 123A detection device added

Origin

For other ships with the same name, see ARA Tucumán.

The ship, along with her three sister ships Ierax, Panthir and Aetos, had originally been ordered by Argentina from the English shipyard Cammell Laird in Birkenhead. Leon was originally named Tucumán. They were purchased in 1912 by Greece, ready for delivery, each for the sum of £148,000, when the Balkan Wars seemed likely.

Service history

During the Balkan Wars, the Royal Hellenic Navy purchased only the minimum amount of ammunition, 3,000 rounds. Torpedoes were not available for this class of ship, and for this reason these ships were initially named 'scouts' rather than 'destroyers'. Leon was in action during the Balkan Wars under Lieutenant Commander J. Razikotsikas, also on board was Squadron Commander Lieutenant Commander D. Papachristos.

During World War I, Greece belatedly entered the war on the side of the Triple Entente and, due to Greece's neutrality the four Aetos-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, and was in action blockading the coasts of the Black Sea from Bosphorus up to Trebizond.

On 22 December 1921, while moored with Ierax in Piraeus harbour they were both severely damaged by the explosion of a depth charge which the crew of Leon was transporting. Two officers, one petty officer and two sailors were killed on Leon and two sailors on Ierax. Leon completely lost her aft section up to her stern gun.

After the war, Leon was refurbished from 1925–1927. She also participated in the Second World War, On 18 April 1941, during a convoy escort, she collided with the passenger ship Ardena followed by the explosion of two depth charges. As a result, her stern section was cut off and two officers were killed. She was finally sunk by German bombers on 15 May 1941, in Souda Bay (Crete) where she had been towed from Salamis Naval Base.

See also

• History of the Hellenic Navy

External links

• A History of Greek Military Equipment (1821-today): Destroyer Leon II