Allies : United Kingdom
174-676: Asia-Pacific Mediterranean and Middle East Other campaigns Coups The Adriatic campaign of World War II was a minor naval campaign fought during World War II between the Greek, Yugoslavian and Italian navies , the Kriegsmarine , and the Mediterranean squadrons of the United Kingdom, France, and the Yugoslav Partisan naval forces. Considered a somewhat insignificant part of
348-462: A Europe first stance, giving first priority to defeating Nazi Germany. The Japanese had great difficulty replacing their losses in ships and aircraft, while American factories and shipyards produced ever increasing numbers of both. Fighting included some of the largest naval battles in history and massive Allied air raids over Japan , as well as the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki . Japan surrendered unconditionally on 15 August 1945 and
522-755: A bombing of the city of Darwin on 19 February, which killed at least 243 people. At the Battle of the Java Sea in late February and early March, the IJN defeated the main ABDA naval force, under Admiral Karel Doorman . The Dutch East Indies campaign ended with the surrender of Allied forces on Java and Sumatra. In March and April, an IJN carrier force launched a raid into the Indian Ocean . British Royal Navy bases in Ceylon were hit and
696-645: A British military mission on the island of Lošinj . Gradually the German navy was built up, mostly with former Italian ships found in an advanced phase of construction in the yards of Fiume and Trieste. The strongest naval unit was the 11th Sicherungsflotille . Formed in May 1943 in Trieste as the 11. Küstenschutzflottille , in December 1943 it was designated 11. Sicherungsflottille . It was employed in protecting marine communications in
870-573: A cooperation agreement for the construction of the Themistocles class corvette during Greek PM's visit to Israel . This is a multipurpose warship based on the Israeli Sa'ar 72-class corvette design, at 72 meters length and displacement of around 800 tons. It will be able of speeds above 30 knots with an extended endurance. It can operate a medium size marine helicopter, but also supports unique possibilities of deploying Special Forces units. The agreement
1044-530: A crossed Christian cross and trident , with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy , and the trident symbolizing Poseidon , the god of the sea in Greek mythology . Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The Navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory." The history of the Hellenic Navy begins with the birth of modern Greece , and due to
1218-494: A defensive perimeter to absorb and defeat Allied counterattacks; Japanese decisonmakers believed such a military situation would lead to a negotiated peace that would preserve Japanese territorial gains. Japanese planning divided the early war into two operational phases. The First Operational Phase was further divided into three separate parts in which the major objectives of the Philippines, British Malaya, Borneo, Burma, Rabaul and
1392-597: A few days in April 1941. It was then decided to shift the remaining fleet (one cruiser – the famous Georgios Averof – three destroyers and five submarines) to join up with the British Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria . As the war progressed, the number of Hellenic Royal Navy vessels increased after the concession of several destroyers and submarines by the British Royal Navy . The most notable aspects of
1566-721: A four-month campaign. The Japanese achieved major military victories, but world opinion—in particular in the US—was hostile to Japan's invasion, especially after the Panay incident . In addition, the Japanese had failed to destroy the Chinese army, which continued to resist from the new Nationalist capital in Chongqing , or in the case of the Communists, Yan'an . In 1939, Japanese forces tried to push into
1740-466: A fourth ship to be included in the initial production line, if it so chooses. The Greek frigate HS Psara carries three reliquaries permanently on its onboard historical exhibition. Two contain the taxidermic hearts of Greek War of Independence heroes Admiral Konstantinos Kanaris and Admiral Andreas Miaoulis and one reliquary contains the remains of heroine Rear Admiral (posthumous) Laskarina Bouboulina . The frigate's exhibition can be visited when
1914-401: A great stronghold, held until the end of World War II. In 1944 Tito's headquarters moved there, and eventually over 1,000 British troops were included in the defence of Vis. British forces on the island were called Land Forces Adriatic , and were under the command of Brigadier George Daly. The force consisted of No. 40 and No. 43 (Royal Marine) Commando of the 2nd Special Service Brigade ,
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#17329020234862088-568: A group of destroyers and MTBs shelled the German gun positions and 36 South African Air Force Bristol Beaufighters attacked the naval base installations with RP-3 3 in (76 mm) Rocket Projectiles. As the attacks proved ineffective in stopping German activities they were repeated also in the first months of 1945. By the end of October 1944, the Germans still had five TA torpedo boats ( TA20 , TA40 , TA41 , TA44 and TA45 ) and three corvettes ( UJ205 , UJ206 and TA48 ) on
2262-498: A halt. The Japanese media, influenced by military propagandists, began to refer to the embargoes as the " ABCD line " ("American-British-Chinese-Dutch"). The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters (GHQ) began planning for a war with the Western powers in April or May 1941. Japan increased its naval budget and placed large formations of the Army, along with their attached air components, under
2436-582: A landing option. The so-called Ljubljana gap strategy proved ultimately to be little more than a bluff owing to American refusal and skepticism about the whole operation. Nevertheless, the British command planned several landing operations in Dalmatia and Istria codenamed ARMPIT and a more ambitious plan, GELIGNITE. Facing American opposition, the British-made attempts were marked by sending an air force called FAIRFAX to
2610-460: A lingering issue, regarding the new Type-214 ( Papanikolis class) torpedoes. An order for new multipurpose heavyweight SeaHake Mod4 torpedoes, from Atlas Elektronik , was placed. The contract also included the upgrade of older torpedoes and the purchase of new torpedo batteries. The six older and non-modernized Type-209 units ( Poseidon and Glavkos classes) will be gradually retired, without any replacement announced yet. The optimistic scenario
2784-470: A major armed clash in January 1941 , effectively ending their co-operation. Japanese strategic bombing efforts mostly targeted large Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Wuhan , and Chongqing , with around 5,000 raids from February 1938 to August 1943. Japan's strategic bombing campaigns killed between 260,000 and 350,934 non-combatants . As early as 1935, Japanese military strategists had concluded that
2958-686: A military alliance with Germany and Italy, becoming one of the three main Axis Powers . The war entered a new phase with Japanese defeats at the Battle of Suixian–Zaoyang , the 1st Battle of Changsha , the Battle of Kunlun Pass and the Battle of Zaoyi . After these victories, Chinese nationalist forces launched a large-scale counter-offensive in early 1940; however, due to a lack of military-industrial capacity, they were repulsed in late March 1940. In August 1940, Chinese communists launched an offensive in Central China ; in retaliation, Japan instituted
3132-637: A mine, resulting in the loss of the vessel's prow, while blowing the two-gun forward turret over the bridge. After some minor repairs at Gümüşlük Bay in Turkey Adrias managed to return to Alexandria in a 400-mile (640 km) trip, even though all the forepart of the ship, up to the bridge, was missing. After World War II , the Royal Hellenic Navy was significantly strengthened by the concession of British and Italian ships. The organisation also changed in line with modern naval doctrines of that era after
3306-642: A number of destroyers. However, with the outbreak of the First World War , construction of the dreadnoughts stopped. Initially during the war, Greece followed a course of neutrality, with the Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos favouring the Entente and pro-German King Constantine I advocating neutrality. This dispute eventually led to a deep political conflict, known as the " National Schism ". In November 1916, in order to apply pressure on
3480-504: A plain in the centre covered with vines, part of which had been removed to make way for an airstrip about 750 yd (690 m) long, from which four Spitfires of the Balkan Air Force were operating. At the west end of the island was the Port of Komiža , while at the other end was the Port of Vis; these were connected by the only good road running across the plain. Vis was organized as
3654-407: A range of 4,000 yd (3,700 m). In less than 10 minutes, the enemy ships were reduced to mere scrap, the two British ships were circling the enemy and pouring out a devastating fire of pom-pom and small calibre gunfire. When the first corvette was sunk Avon Vale closed to rescue the Germans while Wheatland continued to shoot up the second corvette which eventually blew up. Ten minutes later,
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#17329020234863828-613: A serious step towards modernization. The outbreak of war in Europe, however, allowed only two to be delivered. Greece entered World War II with a navy consisting of two battleships, one armoured cruiser, one protected cruiser, fourteen destroyers, and six submarines. During the Greco-Italian War , the Navy took over convoy escort missions in the Ionian Sea and even embarked on three raids against
4002-508: A tactical data link. The weapon suite of the La Combattante IIIs remained unchanged. Thales was also responsible for the integration of existing guns, surface-to-surface missiles and torpedoes. The La Combattante IIa ships are scheduled to be decommissioned upon completion of the two newly ordered Roussen gunboats. The Hellenic Navy Submarine Command operates eleven submarines of four types. The newest and most advanced type operated
4176-483: A €5 billion deal spreading to 2026, with the later class still being configured to meet the Hellenic Navy's needs. It is almost certain that two types will replace the Ellis , in order to maintain a ceiling of at least ten frigates/corvettes. A floating scenario was the purchase of heavy corvettes to replace a number of old Ellis . This scenario has become increasingly more possible, after Greece joined Italy and France in
4350-496: Is a Green-water navy . The total displacement of the fleet is approximately 150,000 tons. The HN also operates a number of naval aviation units. The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα τὸ τῆς θαλάσσης κράτος" from Thucydides ' account of Pericles ' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War . This has been translated as "The rule of the sea is a great matter". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of
4524-869: Is also used, referring to the period from the Mukden Incident of 1931 through 1945. The major Allied participants were China , the United States and the British Empire . China had already been engaged in a war against Japan since 1937 . The US and its territories, including the Philippine Commonwealth , entered the war after being attacked by Japan . The British Empire was also a major belligerent consisting of British troops along with colonial troops from India as well as from Burma , Malaya , Fiji , Tonga ; in addition to troops from Australia , New Zealand and Canada . The Dutch government-in-exile (as
4698-538: Is certain that Hydras will undergo a modernization program but its scale is not yet known. Plan for the Hydras is to extend their operational lifespan well into the 2030s. However, the Elli class frigates need to be replaced by new designs. The acquisition of two, with an option for two more, Naval Group FDI Belharra frigates with high-end AAW and deep missile strike (DMS utilising Scalp EG Naval ) capabilities from France
4872-446: Is harboured in the two major HN naval bases at Salamis Island near Piraeus and at Souda Bay on the island of Crete . Internationally, the Navy used the prefix HS (Hellenic Ship) for its vessels. The Hellenic Navy relies mainly on frigates as its primary surface heavy boats. The fleet consists of thirteen frigates. The types operated are the Hydra class (Type: Meko-200HN ) and
5046-425: Is replacement with four additional Type-214s, reaching a ceiling of eight units of this type. By 2030, the recently upgraded Type-209/1500 AIP (HS Okeanos , former Type-209/1200) will have exceeded 50 years since entering service; therefore it is questionable whether it will still be part of the Greek fleet by that time. There were two new Roussen class Fast Attack Missile Craft (FAMC) under construction, bringing
5220-617: Is the Type 214 Papanikolis class , which is widely considered to be among the most advanced conventional (non-nuclear) propulsion submarines in service with naval forces at the moment. The Type 214 is a diesel-electric submarine developed by the German Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (HDW) . It features diesel propulsion with an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system using Siemens polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) hydrogen fuel cells. A contract to build four boats for
5394-575: Is the naval force of Greece , part of the Hellenic Armed Forces . The modern Greek navy historically hails from the naval forces of various Aegean Islands , which fought in the Greek War of Independence . During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Hellenic Navy ( Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν , Vasilikón Naftikón , abbreviated ΒΝ ). The Hellenic Navy
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5568-556: The Elli class (Type: Kortenaer ). The Elli class frigates HS Elli and HS Limnos were sold to Greece during construction, the rest were bought directly from the Dutch Navy . The Hydra class vessels were constructed in Greece by Hellenic Shipyards Co. , except from HS Hydra that was constructed by the German company Blohm and Voss based in Hamburg . Modernization of six frigates
5742-588: The Palestro , Curtatone , Sirtori , Generali and La Masa classes), four more modern Spica -class torpedo boats of the 12th Torpedo Boat Squadron, four auxiliary cruisers and four MAS of the 13th MAS Squadron. The main Italian supply routes were from Brindisi to Valona and from Bari to Durres. Greek destroyers carried out three bold but fruitless night-time raids (14–15 November 1940, 15–16 December 1940 and 4–5 January 1941). The main Greek successes came from
5916-669: The Roussen (Super-Vita) , Laskos (La Combattante III) , Kavaloudis (La Combattante IIIb) and Votsis (La Combattante IIa) classes. The La Combattante III and La Combattante IIIb classes were upgraded in 2006. For the La Combattante III craft, Thales delivered a TACTICOS combat management system, including four multi-functional operator consoles, one surveillance radar, a fire-control tracking system, one electro-optical tracking and fire control system, an integrated low-probability-of-interception radar, two target designation sights and
6090-670: The 2nd Bn. The Highland Light Infantry , and other support troops. Operating from the two ports were several Royal Navy craft. Marshal Tito's forces numbered about 2,000. Vis was functioning as the political and military center of the liberated territories, until the liberation of Belgrade late in 1944. A remarkable figure was the Canadian captain Thomas G. Fuller , son of the Canadian Chief Dominion Architect Thomas William Fuller , who in 1944 took command of
6264-724: The Albanian Kingdom (1939–1943) . Naval forces of the Yugoslav Partisans were formed as early as 19 September 1942, when Partisans in Dalmatia formed their first naval unit made of fishing boats, which gradually evolved (especially after the armistice between Italy and the Allies) into a force able to conduct complex amphibious operations. This event is considered to be the foundation of the Yugoslav Navy . At its peak during World War II,
6438-848: The Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theater , was the theater of World War II that was fought in eastern Asia, the Pacific Ocean , the Indian Ocean , and Oceania . It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the Pacific Ocean theater , the South West Pacific theater , the Second Sino-Japanese War , and the Soviet–Japanese War in the last few months of the war. The Second Sino-Japanese War between
6612-458: The Balkan Air Force . The biggest British-led combined operation in the eastern Adriatic codenamed Operation Antagonise in December 1944 was intended to capture the island of Lošinj , where the Germans kept E-boats and (possibly) midget submarines. It was only partially executed since the partisan Navy Commander in Chief, Josip Černi , refused to give his troops for the landing operation. Instead,
6786-761: The Declaration by United Nations on 1 January 1942, the Allied governments appointed the British General Archibald Wavell to the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM), a supreme command for Allied forces in Southeast Asia. This gave Wavell nominal control of a huge force, albeit one that was thinly spread across a vast area, from Burma to the Philippines to northern Australia. Other regions, including India, Hawaii, and
6960-498: The El Shatt refugee camp in Egypt. By 1944, only the island of Vis remained unoccupied by the Germans, and Yugoslav and British troops were tasked with preparing its defenses against the later cancelled German invasion (Operation Freischütz ). The island was about 14 mi (12 nmi ; 23 km ) long and 8 mi (7.0 nmi; 13 km) wide, with a mainly hilly outline, and
7134-663: The Empire of Japan and the Republic of China had been in progress since 7 July 1937, with hostilities dating back to 1931 with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria . However, it is more widely accepted that the Pacific War itself began on 7 December (8 December Japanese time) 1941, when the Japanese simultaneously attacked American military bases in Hawaii , Wake Island , Guam , and the Philippines ,
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7308-532: The European Patrol Corvette (EPC/PESCO) consortium in early 2020 for the construction of a new advanced 3,000 ton corvette, with Spain joining the program as well. New ships, for all involved Navies, are not likely to enter service before 2027 or 2030 at the earliest. Greece maintains a mixed fleet of modern and older submarine units. In December 2019, the Hellenic Ministry of Defence resolved
7482-404: The Fleet Air Arm , based in Paramythia , Greece, raided the harbour of Valona multiple times, sinking one merchant ship, one torpedo boat and the hospital ship Po ; the Regia Aeronautica then discovered the air base and bombed it, knocking it out for some weeks. In April the air field became operational again and another raid on Valona was carried out, sinking two additional merchant ships; on
7656-446: The Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922 in Asia Minor. After Greece's defeat, the 1920s and early 1930s were a politically turbulent period, with the economy in a bad state, so the Navy received no new units, apart from the modernization of four destroyers and the acquisition of six French submarines in 1927 and four Italian destroyers in 1929. In 1938, Greece ordered four modern Greyhound -class destroyers in British shipyards, making
7830-420: The Greek Government on the type and country of origin of the new Hellenic ships, was scheduled for 2021. Final decision was made in September 28 of 2021 and after many months of deliberations. During his visit to the French capital and his meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the procurement of 3+1 French FDI-HN Frigates and 3+1 Gowind-HN class Corvettes in
8004-407: The Hydra class in a €5 billion deal that initially extends up to 2026. Since 2022, three frigates of the Kimon Class have been under construction in France by Naval Group . These are HS Kimon (F-601), HS Nearchos (F-602) and HS Formion (F-603). Delivery of HS Kimon (F-601) is scheduled for early 2025 and the rest are to follow over the succeeding months. Greece has a contracted option for
8178-507: The Khmer Issarak , and the Hukbalahap . The Soviet Union fought two short, undeclared border conflicts with Japan in 1938 and again in 1939 , then remained neutral through the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact of April 1941, until August 1945 when it (and Mongolia ) joined the rest of the Allies and invaded the territory of Manchukuo , China, Inner Mongolia , the Japanese protectorate of Korea and Japanese-claimed territory such as South Sakhalin . Mexico provided air support in
8352-402: The Kingdom of Yugoslavia . When Germany and Italy attacked Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941, the Yugoslav Royal Navy had available three destroyers, two submarines and 10 MTBs as the most effective units of the fleet. One other destroyer, the Ljubljana , was in dry-dock at the time of the invasion and she and her anti-aircraft guns were used in defence of the fleet base at Kotor . The remainder of
8526-531: The Kwantung Army to oversee its occupation of Manchukuo and the China Expeditionary Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War, created the Southern Expeditionary Army Group at the outset of its conquests of South East Asia. This headquarters controlled the bulk of the Japanese Army formations which opposed the Western Allies in the Pacific and South East Asia. In 1931, without declaring war, Japan invaded Manchuria , seeking raw materials to fuel its growing industrial economy. By 1937, Japan controlled Manchuria and
8700-436: The Operational Zone Adriatic Coast (OZAK). One of the first operations was Operation Herbstgewitter . This consisted of landing German troops on the islands of Krk , Cres and Lošinj in November 1943. The Germans used some old ships such as the cruiser SMS Niobe and the auxiliary cruiser Ramb III . During the action, the islands were cleared of partisan forces and Niobe with two S-boats managed to capture
8874-413: The Regia Marina suffered severe losses in capital ships from the British Royal Navy during the Taranto raid , Italian cruisers and destroyers continued to operate covering the convoys between Italy and Albania. Also, on 28 November, an Italian squadron bombarded Corfu , while on 18 December and 4 March, Italian naval units shelled Greek coastal positions in Albania. The only surface engagement between
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#17329020234869048-516: The South West Pacific . US sources refer to two theaters within the Pacific War: the Pacific theater and the China Burma India Theater (CBI). However, these were not operational commands. In the Pacific, the Allies divided operational control of their forces between two supreme commands, known as Pacific Ocean Areas and Southwest Pacific Area . The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) did not integrate its units into permanent theater commands. The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), which had already created
9222-435: The Soviet Far East . They were defeated in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol by a mixed Soviet and Mongolian force led by Georgy Zhukov . This caused the Japanese to abandon attempts to expand to the north , while Soviet aid to China ceased as a result of the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact. In September 1940, Japan decided to invade French Indochina , which was controlled at the time by Vichy France . On 27 September Japan signed
9396-437: The Strait of Otranto . On the Italian side, convoy operations between Italy and Albania were under the responsibility of the High Command for Traffic with Albania ( Comando Superiore Traffico Albania , Maritrafalba), established in Valona on 5 October 1940 and initially held by Captain Romolo Polacchini . Maritrafalba's forces included two elderly Mirabello -class destroyers , eleven equally old torpedo boats (belonging to
9570-603: The Thai government signed an armistice and entered an alliance with Japan. Although Japan declared war on the United States and the British Empire , the declaration was not delivered until after Japanese forces had already struck British and American targets. In the early hours of 7 December (Hawaiian time), carrier-based Japanese aircraft launched a surprise, large-scale air strike on the U.S. Pacific Fleet's anchorage at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, which knocked eight American battleships out of action, destroyed 188 American aircraft, and killed 2,403 Americans. The Japanese believed that
9744-450: The Type 209 submarines , whereas US military aid continued in the form of FRAM II type destroyers. In 1979, the Hellenic Navy placed an order in the Netherlands for two modern Standard-class frigates (the Elli class ). These were the first acquisitions of new main surface vessels, rather than the use of second-hand ships, in almost four decades. The arrivals of Hydra class (MEKO 200 HN) and more Standard-class frigates along with
9918-412: The United States to replace older Ellis and proposed to the US a wider package of upgrades and future coproduction opportunities involving the Constellation class frigate, currently being developed for the US Navy . The final decision on the type and origin of the new frigates was scheduled to be made in 2021, after examining closely all available proposals from a list of other countries, apart from
10092-407: The Zadar area, and an artillery attachment called FLOYD FORCE also to Dalmatia, but due to Yugoslav obstruction, such attempts ceased. Nevertheless, the bluff worked since Hitler eventually awaited an allied landing in the northern Adriatic, and diverted important resources to the area. Instead of landings, the allied agreed to provide Tito's land units with aerial and logistical support by setting up
10266-458: The " Three Alls Policy " ("Kill all, Burn all, Loot all") in occupied areas, killing at least 2.7 million civilians. By 1941 the conflict had become a stalemate. Although Japan had occupied much of northern, central, and coastal China, the Nationalist Government had retreated to the interior and set up a provisional capital at Chongqing , while the Chinese communists remained in control of base areas in Shaanxi . Japanese offensive action against
10440-406: The "Neptune I" modernisation program and the Poseidon and Okeanos vessels with the "Neptune II" program. The Okeanos upgrade included AIP capabilities very similar to Type 214 so extensive to justify HS Okeanos as a new, separate class when compared to the rest of Type 209/1200 vessels. New dimensions are similar to Type 214 boats. The Navy operates the endogenous AAWV Aginor (Αγήνωρ) which
10614-416: The 61st MGB flotilla. Operating from Vis, he supplied the partisans by pirating German supply ships. He managed to sink or capture 13 German supply boats, was involved in 105 fire fights and another 30 operations where there was no gunfire. Characteristically for the Yugoslav operations theatre, Fuller attributed a good part of his success to the blood-curdling threats uttered by the Yugoslav partisan who manned
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#173290202348610788-426: The 7th Torpedo Boat Squadron ( Angelo Bassini , Nicola Fabrizi , Enrico Cosenz and Giacomo Medici ) in Brindisi, the 15th Torpedo Boat Squadron ( Palestro , Confienza , San Martino and Solferino ) in Venice, the gunboat Ernesto Giovannini in Pola, the 2nd MAS Squadron (four boats) in Pola, the 3rd MAS Squadron (two boats) in Brindisi, and several minelayers (the relatively shallow waters of
10962-400: The Adriatic Sea were particularly favourable for mine warfare ). Seven submarines were based in Brindisi: Balilla , Domenico Millelire , Enrico Toti , and Antonio Sciesa (belonging to the 40th Submarine Squadron), Brin (of the 42nd Squadron), Anfitrite (44th Squadron) and Ondina (48th Squadron). The Greco-Italian War lasted from 28 October 1940 to 30 April 1941 and
11136-444: The Adriatic, most likely to mines . British surface ships re-entered the Adriatic after the September 1943 armistice, when the much weaker Kriegsmarine forces remained the only opponent. As a first move (Operation Wolkenbruch ) the Germans rushed to occupy the northern Adriatic ports of Trieste, Rijeka and Pula, and established the Operational Zone Adriatic Coast (OZAK), with its headquarters in Trieste , on 10 September. It comprised
11310-400: The Adriatic, mostly from partisan naval attacks. On 1 March 1944, the Flotilla was extended and re-designated the 11. Sicherungsdivision . Until the end of 1943, German forces were advancing into Dalmatia after the capitulation of Italy. Starting in late 1943, the Allies undertook a major evacuation of civilian population from Dalmatia fleeing the German occupation, and in 1944 moved them to
11484-445: The Adriatic. On 1 January 1945, there were four German destroyers operative in the northern Adriatic ( TA40 , TA41 , TA44 , and TA45 ) and three U-Boot Jäger corvettes ( UJ205 , UJ206 , and TA48 ). Even as late as 1 April TA43, TA45 and UJ206 were in commission and available to fight. Allied aircraft sank four in port (at Fiume and Trieste) in March and April, British MTB torpedoed TA45 in April. The very last operations of
11658-427: The Aegean Sea was secured for Greece. The Balkan Wars were followed by a rapid escalation in 1914 between Greece and the Ottoman Empire over the status of the islands of the eastern Aegean. Both governments embarked on a naval armaments race, with Greece purchasing the battleships Lemnos and Kilkis and the light cruiser Elli as well as ordering two dreadnoughts , Vasilefs Konstantinos and Salamis and
11832-422: The Allied embargo. This was known as the Southern Plan . It was decided—because of the close relationship between the U.K. and the U.S., and the belief that the U.S. would inevitably become involved in the ongoing war in Europe—that Japan would also seize the Philippines, Wake Island and Guam . Japan had initially planned for a limited war, where Japanese forces would seize key objectives and then establish
12006-414: The Allies staging areas from which to mount a counteroffensive. By November 1941 these plans were mostly complete, and were modified only slightly over the next month. Japanese military planners' expectation of success rested on the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union being unable to effectively respond to a Japanese attack because of the threat posed to each by Nazi Germany; in particular, the Soviet Union
12180-417: The Americans, faced with such a sudden and massive blow to their naval power in the Pacific, would agree to a negotiated settlement. However, American losses were less serious than initially thought: the three American aircraft carriers were at sea during the attack, and vital naval infrastructure, Honolulu's submarine base, and signals intelligence units were unscathed. The fact that the bombing happened while
12354-458: The British came under fire from the German Torpedoboot Ausland destroyer TA20 (ex-Italian destroyer Audace ) which suddenly appeared on the scene. When the two British ships directed their fire at her and the enemy destroyer was sunk. But while the Adriatic campaign continued to the end of the war, the Hunts did not again engage large German warships, although the German navy was constantly launching and commissioning light destroyer types from
12528-500: The British colonies of Malaya , Singapore , and Hong Kong , and invaded Thailand . The Pacific War saw the Allies pitted against Japan, the latter aided by Thailand and to a lesser extent by the Axis powers , Germany and Italy . The Japanese achieved great success in the initial phase of the campaign, but were gradually driven back using an island hopping strategy. The Allies adopted
12702-939: The British retreated to Imphal in Manipur, abandoning most of their transportation and equipment. They reached Imphal in May just as the monsoon descended, which halted the operations of both sides in the area. Within China, cooperation between the Chinese Nationalists and the Communists had waned from its zenith at the Battle of Wuhan, and the relationship between the two had soured as both attempted to expand their areas of operation and influence. The Japanese exploited this lack of unity to press their offensive operations in China. Hellenic Navy The Hellenic Navy ( HN ; Greek : Πολεμικό Ναυτικό , romanized : Polemikó Naftikó , lit. 'War Navy', abbreviated ΠΝ )
12876-501: The Chinese 38th Division, led by Sun Li-jen . Meanwhile, in the Battle of Yunnan-Burma Road , the Japanese captured Toungoo after hard fighting and sent motorized units to capture Lashio . This cut the Burma Road , which was the western Allies' supply line to Chinese Nationalist troops. Many of Chinese troops were forced either to retreat to India, or withdraw in small parties to Yunnan . Accompanied by large numbers of civilian refugees,
13050-677: The Dutch East Indies were, due to their abundant oil reserves, crucially important for further expansion by the Japanese Empire. By 1940 the Japanese also included Indochina, Malaya, and the Philippines within their concept of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Japanese troop build-ups in Hainan, Taiwan, and Haiphong were noted in foreign media, Japanese military officers were increasingly and openly talking about
13224-657: The Dutch East Indies would be occupied. The Second Operational Phase called for further expansion into the South Pacific by seizing eastern New Guinea, New Britain, Fiji, Samoa, and strategic points in around Australia. In the Central Pacific, Midway Island was targeted, as were the Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific. Japanese strategists believed that the seizure of these key areas would provide defensive depth and deny
13398-618: The EU's so-called Permanent Structured Cooperation . Naviris expected the EU fund to issue a Request for Proposal for projects in 2020, with proposals to then be submitted by industry in 2021, and for decisions on fund allocation to be made the same year. Also, plans for the Hellenic Navy to acquire the Sa'ar 72 Israeli corvette of the new Themistocles class [1] came to fruition after an agreement signed in June 2020, with exclusive production in Greece. Frigates are
13572-618: The FAC were built in the late ‘70s. Four of them have been modernised extensively and the new ships have integrated all updates. All older vessels of other types, with the exemption of three Votsis class boats which are about to be retired soon with the introduction of the new Roussens , have replaced their old MM38 and Penguin missile systems with Harpoon launchers. In addition, the boats that had no electro-optical tracking (Mirador) sensors, received new endogenous Miltech [2] TDR-10A and TDR-300 systems. The fleet also consists of ten gunboats . With
13746-562: The German freighter and a corvette in return for no loss before withdrawing. In the second half of 1944 the Royal Navy sent a destroyer flotilla into the Adriatic. The biggest engagement happened on 1 November , when two Hunt-class destroyers HMS Avon Vale and Wheatland were patrolling the coastal shipping routes south of Lussino. That evening, two enemy corvettes ( UJ-202 and UJ-208 ) were sighted. The two destroyers opened fire at
13920-519: The German navy involved the evacuation of troops and personnel from Istria and Trieste before the advancing Yugoslavs that took place in May 1945. An estimated enemy force of 4,000 was landing from 26 ships of all types at the mouth of the Tagliamento River at Lignano Sabbiadoro . The area is a huge sand spit running out into a big lagoon, and at its southern end the Tagliamento River enters
14094-433: The Greek flagship Hellas , to take up the throne as King George I of Greece . During the 1866 Cretan revolt, the Royal Hellenic Navy ships were in no condition to support it. Such failure led to the government awakening to the problem of naval insufficiency and the adoption of a policy stating that: "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory." Because of this,
14268-577: The Hellenic Navy was signed between February 2000 and June 2002. The first boat was built at HDW in Kiel , Germany , and the rest at Hellenic Shipyards Co. in Skaramangas , Greece. The Hellenic Navy named them the Papanikolis class. Other types operated are the 209/1100 Glavkos class , the 209/1200 Poseidon class and one boat of the 209/1500 AIP Okeanos class . The Glavkos submarines were upgraded with
14442-747: The Hellenic Royal Navy's participation in World War II include the operations of the destroyer Vasilissa Olga which, until sunk in Leros on September 23, 1943, was the most successful Allied destroyer in the Mediterranean Sea ; the participation of two destroyers in Operation Overlord ; and the story of the destroyer Adrias , which while operating close to the coast of Kalymnos in October 1943 hit
14616-667: The IJN and IJA launched simultaneous surprise attacks on the United States and the British Empire on 7 December (8 December in Asia/West Pacific time zones). The locations of this first wave of Japanese attacks included the American territories of Hawaii, the Philippines , Guam , and Wake Island and the British territories of Malaya , Singapore , and Hong Kong . Concurrently, Japanese forces invaded southern and eastern Thailand and were resisted for several hours, before
14790-650: The Italian Navy's main naval bases in the Adriatic Sea were Venice , Brindisi , and Pola . The northern Adriatic was under the jurisdiction of the Northern Adriatic Autonomous Naval Command, headquartered in Venice and commanded by Vice Admiral Ferdinando of Savoy (replaced by Admiral Emilio Brenta shortly before the armistice with the Allies); the southern Adriatic was under the jurisdiction of
14964-508: The Italian supply convoys in the Strait of Otranto , although without success. The most important role was given to the submarines, which although obsolete, sank some Italian cargo ships in the Adriatic, losing one submarine in the process. The Greek submarine force (six boats) was however too small to be able to seriously hinder the supply lines between Italy and Albania (between 28 October 1940 and 30 April 1941, Italian ships made 3,305 voyages across
15138-622: The Japanese puppet states of Manchukuo (consisting of most of Manchuria ), and the collaborationist Wang Jingwei regime (which controlled the coastal regions of China), respectively. Japan conscripted many soldiers from its colonies of Korea and Taiwan . Collaborationist security units were also formed in Hong Kong , Singapore , the Philippines , the Dutch East Indies , British Malaya , British Borneo , former French Indochina (after
15312-666: The Japanese on 15 February 1942. About 130,000 Indian, British, Australian and Dutch personnel became Japanese prisoners of war. Bali and Timor fell in February. The rapid collapse of Allied resistance left the "ABDA area" split in two. Wavell resigned from ABDACOM on 25 February, handing control of the ABDA Area to local commanders and returning to the post of Commander-in-Chief, India . Meanwhile, Japanese aircraft had all but eliminated Allied air power in Southeast Asia and were carrying out air attacks on northern Australia , beginning with
15486-619: The MGB's loud hailer: a 400-ton schooner was captured with its whole cargo and whose crew gave up without a struggle because of the explanation of what would be done to them personally, with knives, if they disobeyed. British naval forces in the Middle East operating in the Adriatic Sea were under the command of the Flag Officer Taranto and Adriatic & Liaison with the Italians (F.O.T.A.L.I). All
15660-449: The Navy, of an advanced Asymmetric Warfare Vessel (AWV) that uses the latest technologies and composite materials. The first vessels have already been added to the Navy’s fleet. They are capable of a number of missions including insertion and extraction of Special Operations Forces, interdiction and coastal patrol, as well as search and rescue (SAR) operations. In April 2020 the Navy received
15834-566: The Otranto straits, carrying 487,089 military personnel, including 22 field divisions , and 584,392 tons of supplies while losing overall only seven merchant ships and one escort ship). When Nazi Germany attacked Greece , the RHN suffered heavily at the hands of the Luftwaffe , with 25 ships, including the old battleship, now artillery training ship, Kilkis and the hulk of her sister Lemnos , lost within
16008-626: The Regia Marina and the Royal Navy occurred on the night of 11–12 November 1940, when a British squadron of three light cruisers and two destroyers attacked an Italian return convoy consisting of four merchant ships escorted by the auxiliary cruiser Ramb III and the torpedo boat Nicola Fabrizi , in the Battle of the Strait of Otranto . All four merchants were sunk, and Nicola Fabrizi was heavily damaged. In March 1941, Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers of
16182-657: The Southern Adriatic Naval Command, headquartered in Brindisi and commanded by Admiral Luigi Spalice . Vice Admiral Vittorio Tur was the naval commander of Albania, with headquarters in Durres . Naval commands also existed in Pola (home of the Italian Navy's submarine school) and Lussino . Italian naval forces in the Adriatic, at the outbreak of the war, included the destroyers Carlo Mirabello and Augusto Riboty and
16356-609: The Sultan called upon his strongest subject, Muhammad Ali of Egypt , for aid. Plagued by internal strife and financial difficulties in keeping the fleet in constant readiness, the Greeks failed to prevent the capture and destruction of Kasos and Psara in 1824, or the landing of the Egyptian army at Modon . Despite victories at Samos and Gerontas, the Revolution was threatened with collapse until
16530-586: The US was not officially at war caused a wave of outrage across the country. Japan's fallback strategy, relying on a war of attrition against the United States, was beyond the Imperial Japanese Navy's capabilities. Opposition to war in the United States vanished after the attack. On 8 December, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands declared war on Japan, followed by Australia
16704-744: The US. France , Germany , the Netherlands and the UK also participated in the selection process. Finally, in September 2021 the decision for the future of the HN frigate fleet was announced, including gradual replacement of the Elli class with the French-built Belharra Hellenique ( Frégate de défense et d'intervention - FDI) class warships, officially constituting the Navy’s new Kimon Class, and modernisation of
16878-422: The United States and Germany, lasted for months after France was eventually awarded the contract. He also announced the immediate upgrade of all four Hydra (Meko-200HN) class frigates , already in service. Greece has also signed on to a program between Italy and France in making a new multirole heavy corvette, with Spain joining as well. The program, dubbed the European Patrol Corvette , has also been inserted in
17052-761: The Western powers through armed forces of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere . Japanese officials integrated what they called the Japan–China Incident ( 日支事変 , Nisshi Jihen ) into the Greater East Asia War. During the Occupation of Japan (1945–52), these terms were prohibited in official documents (although their informal usage continued). The war became officially known as the Pacific War ( 太平洋戦争 , Taiheiyō Sensō ) . The Fifteen Years' War ( 十五年戦争 , Jūgonen Sensō )
17226-610: The Yugoslav Partisans' Navy commanded nine or 10 armed ships, 30 patrol boats, close to 200 support ships, six coastal batteries, and several Partisan detachments on the islands, around 3,000 men. After the Italian capitulation of 8 September 1943 , following the Allied invasion of Italy , the Partisans took most of the coast and all of the islands. On 26 October, the Yugoslav Partisans' Navy
17400-564: The acquisition of four Multi-Mission Surface Combatants ( Freedom class MMSCs) , also known as Littoral combat ships , that are already in full production for Saudi Arabia , also tested and in use by the US Navy . The Germans came to the table with the Meko-A200 design, a new and advanced version of the Meko-200HN, that could additionally offer homogeneity to the fleet, especially after the upgrade of
17574-458: The aircraft carrier HMS Hermes was sunk, along with other Allied ships. The attack forced the Royal Navy to withdraw to the western part of the Indian Ocean, paving the way for a Japanese assault on Burma and India. In Burma, the Japanese captured Moulmein on 31 January 1942, and then drove outnumbered British and Indian troops towards the Sittang River . On 23 February, a bridge over
17748-471: The area of Faneromeni of Salamis and a few years later it was transferred to the area of Arapis where it remains today. At the same time the Naval Academy was founded and Ilias Kanellopoulos was made Director. A French naval mission , headed by Admiral Laurent Joseph Lejeune [ fr ] , introduced a new, advanced naval organization and the methodological training of enlisted personnel through
17922-501: The attack faltered when Beograd was damaged by near misses from Italian aircraft off Šibenik . With her starboard engine put out of action, she limped to Kotor , escorted by the remainder of the force, for repair. Italian air raids on Kotor badly damaged the minelayer Kobac , which was beached to prevent sinking. The maritime patrol float-planes of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force flew reconnaissance and attack missions during
18096-458: The campaign, as well as providing air cover for mine-laying operations off Zara. Their operations included attacks on the Albanian port of Durrës , as well as strikes against Italian re-supply convoys to Albania. On 9 April, one Dornier Do 22 K floatplane notably took on an Italian convoy of 12 steamers with an escort of eight destroyers crossing the Adriatic during the day, attacking single-handed in
18270-554: The city, which fell to Japan after three months of fighting. The Japanese continued to push deeper into China, capturing the capital Nanjing in mid-December 1937 and committing atrocities in the Nanjing Massacre , including rape, murder and torture. In March 1938, Nationalist forces won their first victory at Taierzhuang , but the city of Xuzhou was taken by the Japanese in May. In June 1938, Japan deployed about 350,000 troops to invade Wuhan and captured it in October after
18444-453: The command of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Historically, the IJA consumed the majority of the state's military budget (with a 73% - 27% split in 1940), but from 1942 to 1945 the IJA would account for 60% of Japan's military spending, while the IJN would account for 40%. Japan's key initial objective was to seize economic resources in the Dutch East Indies and Malaya, in order to alleviate the effects of
18618-705: The complete modernization and upgrade of four other aircraft in Hellenic Aerospace (HAI) . The option included the complete modernization and upgrade of that aircraft as well. The "interim solution" aircraft has already been delivered, while all the remaining aircraft are expected to be delivered by 2023. The Hellenic Navy will soon begin the use of a new UAV called Archytas. This will be a VTOL aircraft used for surveillance and it will be able to take-off and land on warships. It may also be lightly armed. However, this will not be flying until 2024. [REDACTED] The Hellenic Navy's fleet of warships and auxiliary boats
18792-457: The education of officers were initiated. Young people were initially trained at the military school of Scholi Evelpidon and afterwards they were transferred to the navy, as there was no such thing as a Naval Academy. In 1831, Greece descended into anarchy with numerous areas, including Mani and Hydra , in revolt. It was during this revolt that the flagship Hellas , docked at Poros, was set on fire by Admiral Andreas Miaoulis. Capodistrias
18966-612: The end of all British air and surface operations in the Adriatic Sea. From the spring of 1941 to September 1943, Royal Navy activity in the Adriatic was thus limited to submarine operations, mainly in the Southern Adriatic; Italian convoys across the Adriatic suffered negligible losses. Between June 1940 and September 1943, only 0,6 % of the personnel and 0,3 % of the supplies shipped from Italy to Albania and Greece were lost; two-thirds of these losses were caused by submarines, mostly British. Four Royal Navy submarines were lost in
19140-452: The entrance into NATO in 1952. At the beginning of the 1950s, US military aid formed the core of the country's armed forces. The Royal Hellenic Navy received the first Bostwick -class destroyers which took on the name Beasts (Θηρία), while withdrawing the British ones. The next significant change was during the early 1970s, when Greece was the first Mediterranean naval force to order missile-equipped fast attack craft (Combattante II) and
19314-567: The establishment of a training school in the old building of the naval base in Poros. During the government of Charilaos Trikoupis in 1889, the fleet was further increased with the acquisition of new battleships: Hydra , Spetsai , and Psara from France. Thus, when Greece went to war in the Greco-Turkish War in 1897, the Hellenic Navy established its dominance in the Aegean Sea. However, it
19488-407: The exception of the four Machitis class (Osprey HSY-56A) , the rest of the gunboats need modernization and, some of them, replacement. The two Asheville class boats are at least 50 years old. The remaining four boats (Osprey-55 and HSY-56) have already received new electro-optical systems. On June 16, 2020, ONEX Neorion Shipyards SA in the Greek island of Syros and Israel Shipyards LTD signed
19662-497: The face of intense AA fire. No Italian ships, however, were sunk by Yugoslav forces; an Italian tanker was claimed damaged by a near miss off the Italian coast near Bari . Most of the small Yugoslav fleet (the old cruiser Dalmacija , three destroyers, six torpedo boats, three submarines, eleven minelayers, and several auxiliary ships ) was seized by Italian ground forces in its bases at Split and Kotor, and later recommissioned under Italian flag. Only four Yugoslav ships escaped capture:
19836-591: The first four Mark V Special Operations Craft , ordered via the United States Excess Defense Articles programme. The craft are utilised by the Underwater Demolition Command . In 2019, the U.S. State Department cleared a $ 600 million foreign military sale (FMS) of seven MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission helicopters to Greece. In July 2020, Greece signed a contract for the purchase of four new units, via this program. In November of
20010-462: The fleet was supplied with new and bigger ships, reflecting a number of innovations including the use of iron in shipbuilding industry and the invention of the torpedo; with these advances, the effectiveness and the appearance of the Hellenic Navy changed. Meanwhile, after 1878, because of the Russo-Turkish War and the need to expand the Greek navy, a new and larger naval base was established in
20184-606: The fleet was useful only for coastal defence and local escort and patrol work. Kotor (Cattaro) was close to the Albanian border and the Italo-Greek front there, but Zara ( Zadar ), an Italian enclave, was to the north-west of the coast, and to prevent a bridgehead being established, the Beograd , four of the old torpedo boats and six MTBs were despatched to Šibenik , 80 km to the south of Zara, in preparation for an attack. The attack
20358-402: The form of the 201st Fighter Squadron and Free France sent naval support in the form of Le Triomphant and later the Richelieu . The Axis -aligned states which assisted Japan included the authoritarian government of Thailand . Also involved were members of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, which included the Manchukuo Imperial Army and Collaborationist Chinese Army of
20532-401: The inefficient training of the officers, coupled with conflict between those who pursued modernization and those who were stalwarts of the traditions of the veterans of the struggle for independence, resulted in a restricted and inefficient navy, which was limited to policing the sea and the pursuit of pirates . During the 1850s, the more progressive elements of the navy won out and the fleet
20706-410: The intervention of the Great Powers in the Battle of Navarino in 1827. There the Egypto-Ottoman fleet was decisively defeated by the combined fleets of the Britain , France and the Russian Empire , effectively securing the independence of Greece. When Ioannis Capodistrias became governor of newly liberated Greece in 1828, the Greek fleet consisted of few remaining ships, which had participated in
20880-458: The island and the Kasos Massacre during the Greek War of Independence . The two Asheville Class gunboats are former US Navy vessels, bought and transferred to Greece in 1989. The fleet consists of nineteen missile boats also known as fast attack missile craft . Two new ships (P78 and P79) entered service in 2019. The main purpose of these vessels is offensive anti-ship warfare. The Hellenic Navy operates four types of missile boats. These are
21054-484: The landings on the Albanian coast. The Italian naval forces involved in the invasion of Albania included the battleships Giulio Cesare and Conte di Cavour , three heavy cruisers , three light cruisers , nine destroyers, fourteen torpedo boats, one minelayer , ten auxiliary ships and nine transport ships. The ships were divided into four groups, which carried out landings at Vlore , Durres , Sarande and Shengjin . When Italy entered World War II, on 10 June 1940,
21228-406: The line between Armed Group F (Balkans) and Armed Group E (Italy), acting as the border between the Italian Social Republic (RSI) and the Independent State of Croatia (NDH). Soon, at Lietzmann's insistence, the area of operation was extended to include the whole of Istria to the mouth of the Tagliamento , correspondence with the boundary line between the Italian Social Republic and the area of
21402-413: The main heavy ships of the Navy, with 70% of the Hydra class frigates having an advanced anti-aircraft missile launching system. However, there is no dedicated Anti-aircraft Warfare (AAW) platform in the fleet since the Charles F. Adams class destroyers were decommissioned in the late 90s. The oldest ship in the frigate fleet is just over 40 years old ( HS Kountouriotis , commissioned in 1978) while
21576-399: The maritime nature of the country, it has always featured prominently in modern Greece's military history. At the beginning of the Greek War of Independence , the naval forces of the Greeks consisted primarily of the merchant fleet of the Saronic islanders from Hydra , Spetsai and Poros and also the islanders of Psara and Samos . The fleet was of crucial importance to the success of
21750-404: The modernization of Standard-class frigates with new electronics and radar systems and the modernization of Glaukos and Poseidon -class submarines with new sonars, electronics and air-independent propulsion engines (programs Neptune I/II). The Hellenic Navy maintains a large number of surface vessels and submarines in its inventory. However, the vast majority of warships in active service are in
21924-471: The naval forces were controlled from Taranto and operated in close coordination with the Coastal attack operations conducted by the BAF. The Yugoslavs used the units in the British navy to transport materials and men, but especially to make landings on the islands of Dalmatia to liberate them from German occupation. During the Vis period, Partisans carried out several seaborne landings on Dalmatian islands with help of Royal Navy and commandos: The French Navy
22098-409: The naval warfare in World War II, it nonetheless saw interesting developments, given the specificity of the Dalmatian coastline. On 7 April 1939, Mussolini's troops occupied Albania, overthrew King Zog , and annexed the country to the Italian Empire . Naval operations in the Adriatic consisted mostly of transport organisation through the ports of Taranto, as well as coastal bombardment in support of
22272-443: The new American FFG(X) type frigate. The FFG(X) type frigate, now named Constellation class , is a multi-mission guided-missile ship, under development for the United States Navy by Fincantieri Marinette Marine . However all other proposals, also including those from the Netherlands, the UK, Spain and Italy, remained on the table pending closest evaluation of the packages offered by all participating companies. The final decision by
22446-499: The next day. Thailand, with its territory already serving as a springboard for Japan's Malayan Campaign , surrendered within hours of the Japanese invasion. The government of Thailand formally allied with Japan on 21 December. To the south, the IJA seized the British colony of Penang on 19 December, encountering little resistance. Hong Kong was attacked on 8 December and fell to Japanese forces on 25 December 1941. American bases on Guam and Wake Island were seized by Japan at around
22620-439: The number of vessels of this type up to seven; The 6th ship was commissioned operational in July 2020, with the seventh and final ship expected Autumn 2020. This was after a more than ten-year delay due to financial and structural problems faced by Elefsis Shipyard that was contracted to build the ships. There are no changes in the initial design, despite 20 years since the first vessel in the class entered service. The majority of
22794-667: The orders for more missile corvettes, Poseidon -class ( Type 209 ) submarines and naval helicopters allowed the retirement of the obsolete vessels. Greece also received four Charles F. Adams -class destroyers from the US Navy in 1991–1992. All four were decommissioned after only ten years in service, since their electronics and armament eventually became obsolete and they required large crews. The advance continued when Greece ordered Type 214 submarines that feature an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system, Sikorsky S-70B-6/10 Aegean Hawk helicopters and Project 1232.2 Zubr -class hovercraft from Russia and Ukraine . Later actions included
22968-431: The overthrow of the French regime in 1945 ), as well as Timorese militia . Germany and Italy both had limited involvement in the Pacific War. The German and the Italian navies operated submarines and raiding ships in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, notably the Monsun Gruppe . Between 1942 and 1945, there were four main areas of conflict in the Pacific War: China, the Central Pacific , South-East Asia and
23142-403: The possessor of the Dutch East Indies ) was also involved. All of these were members of the Pacific War Council . From 1944 the French commando group Corps Léger d'Intervention also took part in resistance operations in Indochina. Some active pro-allied guerrillas in Asia included the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army , the Korean Liberation Army , the Free Thai Movement , the Việt Minh ,
23316-429: The process of either being replaced by more modern and advanced designs, being refurbished, or being retired. The Navy is awaiting delivery of a three FDI Belharra frigates from France with an option for one more after the Greek Prime Minister announced the purchase from Greece of four new multirole heavy frigates in September 2020, that will replace older Elli class vessels. Deliberations with other parties, including
23490-554: The prospect of war, and Admiral Sankichi Takahashi was reported as stating that a showdown with the US was necessary. In an effort to discourage Japanese militarism, Western powers including Australia, the US, Britain, and the Dutch government in exile , which controlled the Dutch East Indies, stopped selling oil , iron ore, and steel to Japan. In Japan, the government and Japanese nationalists viewed these embargoes as acts of aggression; imported oil made up about 80% of domestic consumption, without which Japan's economy would grind to
23664-474: The provinces of Udine , Gorizia , Trieste , Pula (Pola), Rijeka (Fiume) and Ljubljana (Lubiana). Since an Allied landing in the area was anticipated, OZAK also hosted a substantial German military contingent, the Befehlshaber Operationszone Adriatisches Küstenland commanded by General der Gebirgstruppe Ludwig Kübler . On 28 September 1944, these units were redesignated XCVII Armeekorps . Soon, German marine units were also formed. Royal Navy engagement
23838-443: The rest of Australia, remained under local commands. On 15 January, Wavell moved to Bandung in Java to assume control of ABDACOM. In January, Japan invaded British Burma, the Dutch East Indies, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands, and captured Manila, Kuala Lumpur and Rabaul . After being driven out of Malaya, Allied forces in Singapore attempted to resist the Japanese during the Battle of Singapore, but were forced to surrender to
24012-470: The retreating and regrouping Chinese forces was largely stalled by the mountainous terrain in southwestern China, while the Communists organized widespread guerrilla and saboteur activities in northern and eastern China behind the Japanese front line. Japan sponsored several puppet governments , one of which was headed by Wang Jingwei . Conflicts between Chinese Communist and Nationalist forces vying for territorial control behind enemy lines culminated in
24186-465: The revolution. Its goal was to prevent as much as possible the Ottoman Navy from resupplying the isolated Ottoman garrisons and land reinforcements from the Ottoman Empire 's Asian provinces. Although Greek crews were experienced seamen, the light Greek ships, mostly armed merchantmen, were unable to stand up to the large Ottoman ships of the line in direct combat. So the Greeks conducted the equivalent of modern-day naval special operations, resorting to
24360-450: The river was demolished prematurely, stranding most of an Indian division. On 8 March, the Japanese occupied Rangoon . The Allies attempted to defend Central Burma, with Indian and Burmese divisions holding the Irrawaddy River valley and the Chinese Expeditionary Force in Burma defending Toungoo . On 16 April, 7,000 British soldiers were encircled by the Japanese 33rd Division during the Battle of Yenangyaung , but subsequently rescued by
24534-478: The royal government in Athens, the French confiscated the Greek ships. They continued to operate with French crews, primarily in convoy escort and patrol duties in the Aegean, until Greece entered the war on the side of the Allies in June 1917, at which point they were returned to Greece. Subsequently, the Navy took part in the Allied operations in the Aegean, in the Allied expedition in support of Denikin 's White Armies in Ukraine , and in limited operations during
24708-422: The same day, however, German forces launched their invasion of Greece, and the base at Paramythia was bombed by the Luftwaffe and permanently destroyed. The Invasion of Yugoslavia (also known as Operation 25 ) began on 6 April 1941 and ended with the unconditional surrender of the Royal Yugoslav Army on 17 April. The invading Axis powers ( Nazi Germany , Fascist Italy and Hungary ) occupied and dismembered
24882-455: The same time. British, Australian, and Dutch forces, already drained of personnel and matériel by two years of war with Germany, and heavily committed in the Middle East, North Africa, and elsewhere, were unable to provide more than token resistance. Two major British warships, the battlecruiser HMS Repulse and the battleship HMS Prince of Wales , were sunk by a Japanese air attack off Malaya on 10 December 1941. Following
25056-405: The same year, the remaining three aircraft were also included in the order. A decision was made in 2014 for the re-activation of existing Lockheed P-3B Orions and their submission to a program of overhaul, upgrade and service life extension. The contract with Lockheed Martin included the return of one aircraft to airworthy condition with the existing mission equipment as an "interim solution" and
25230-412: The sea. The Germans had evacuated Trieste to escape the Yugoslav Army. The Germans were protected by naval craft holding off three British MTBs, which could not get in close enough to use their guns effectively. There were about 6,000 of them and their equipment included E-boats, LSTs, a small hospital ship, all types of transport, and a variety of weapons. The 21st Battalion of the New Zealand 2nd Division
25404-605: The ship opens to the public during National Holidays and celebrations. In January 2024, Defence Minister Nikolaos Dendias announced a proposal to manufacture seven Constellation-class frigate in Greece. The Hellenic Navy operates ten gunboats of the Osprey and Asheville classes . Both Osprey HSY-55 and Osprey HSY-56A classes are designed by the Hellenic Navy following a modular concept so that weapons and sensors can be changed as required. They were built by Hellenic Shipyards (HSY) in Greece. These vessels are similar in appearance to Osprey 55-class gunboats. The first pair
25578-411: The ships already in service. On November 6, 2020, the Navy submitted its initial preference for the acquisition of 4 MMSC Littoral Combat Ships developed by Lockheed Martin . These multi-mission frigates were part of a wider package discussed with the US, that also included upgrade of the four Hydra frigates, intermediate solution ships, and participation of Hellenic Shipyards in the development of
25752-400: The submarine Nebojsa and two motor torpedo boats sailed to Allied-controlled ports, while the Zagreb was scuttled to prevent capture. After the invasion, Italy controlled the entire eastern Adriatic coast through the annexation of much of Dalmatia, the Italian occupation zone of the Independent State of Croatia , the Italian governorate of Montenegro , and the Italian puppet regime of
25926-505: The submarines, which managed to sink some Italian transports (Greeks also lost a submarine in the process), but the Greek submarine force was too small to be able to seriously hinder the supply lines between Italy and Albania; between 28 October 1940 and 30 April 1941 Italian ships made 3,305 voyages across the Otranto straits, carrying 487,089 military personnel (including 22 field divisions ) and 584,392 tons of supplies while losing overall only seven merchant ships and one escort ship. Although
26100-437: The use of fireships ( Greek : πυρπολικά or μπουρλότα ), with great success. It was in the use of such ships that courageous seamen like Konstantinos Kanaris won international renown. Under the leadership of capable admirals, most prominently Andreas Miaoulis from Hydra, the Greek fleet achieved early victories, guaranteeing the survival of the revolution in the mainland. However, as Greeks became embroiled in civil wars,
26274-446: The war for independence. The first minister of "Naval affairs" was Konstantinos Kanaris, and the most powerful ship of the fleet at that time, the frigate Hellas , had been constructed in the United States in 1825. The Hellenic Navy established its headquarters at the island of Poros and the building of a new series of ships began at the naval base, while old ships were gradually being retired. Furthermore, continuous efforts towards
26448-402: The yards of Trieste and Fiume . On 14 December, HMS Aldenham became the last British destroyer lost in World Warr II when struck a mine around the island of Škrda . To prevent entrance to the North Adriatic in the last two years of World War II, Germany spread thousands of mines and blocked all ports and canals. Many underwater mine fields were situated in the open sea. Mine sweeping
26622-411: The youngest ship is just over 20 years old ( HS Salamis , commissioned in 1998). None of the ships was equipped with a remote weapon station (RWS) for the purpose of asymmetric warfare and coastal defence and the electronic countermeasures systems (ECM) were absent or obsolete. Raytheon has now installed new electro-optical systems on the ships that were previously not equipped with such sensors. It
26796-411: Was occupied by the Allies. Japan lost its former possessions in Asia and the Pacific and had its sovereignty limited to the four main home islands and other minor islands as determined by the Allies. In Allied countries during the war, the "Pacific War" was not usually distinguished from World War II , or was known simply as the War against Japan . In the United States, the term Pacific theater
26970-401: Was also on the rise. Vizeadmiral Joachim Lietzmann was Germany's Commanding Admiral Adriatic ( Kommandierender Admiral Adria ). Initially, the area of operation ranged from Fiume to Valona , and the area of the Western coast was under the jurisdiction of the German navy for Italy ( Deutsches Marinekommando Italien ). The line of demarcation between the two naval commands corresponded with
27144-427: Was assassinated a few months after. When the new King Otto arrived in the Greek capital, Nafplion , in 1832 aboard the British warship HMS Madagascar , the Greek fleet consisted of one corvette, three brigs, six schooners, two gunboats, two steamboats and a few more small vessels. The first naval school was founded in 1846 on the corvette Loudovikos and Leonidas Palaskas was assigned as its director. However,
27318-406: Was augmented with more ships. In 1855, the first iron propeller-driven ships were ordered from England. These were the steamships Panopi [ el ] , Pliksavra , Afroessa [ el ] , and Sfendoni . On October 29, 1863, following an enthronement ceremony in his native Copenhagen and a tour of several of the European capitals, Prince Wilhelm of Denmark arrived aboard
27492-432: Was bought from Italy. In 1910, a British naval mission arrived, headed by Admiral Lionel Grant Tufnell , in order to recommend improvements in the organization and training of the navy. The mission led to the adoption of the British style of management, organization and training, especially in the area of strategy. Shortly before the Balkan Wars , the Navy was composed of a fleet of destroyers and battleships. Its mission
27666-428: Was completed in 2010. The intention for the Hydra class vessels was, as of February 2015, to be modernised with a €400 million upgrade that would extend their operational life to 2035. These plans became a priority for the Navy in 2020, amidst rising tensions with Turkey over delimitation of maritime zones in the Eastern Mediterranean. Greece also negotiated the acquisition of four new Freedom class frigates from
27840-409: Was executed by British ships equipped with special mine-sweeping technology. On 5 May 1945, the Shakespeare-class trawler HMS Coriolanus hit a mine while it was sweeping the sea in front of Novigrad. The Allies, first under a French initiative of general Maxime Weygand , planned landings in the Thessaloniki area. Although discarded by the British, later Winston Churchill advocated for such
28014-439: Was for the construction in Greece of seven vessels, with an option for six more. These will replace an equal number of older gunboats. In February 2020, at a special event held at the Hellenic Institute of Naval Technology (HINT), the technical director of the Unit of Submersibles and Hellenic Navy Works of Hellenic Shipyards Co. , presented project Aginor . The project was the development and construction, in collaboration with
28188-469: Was involved as well in the first half of 1944, with the 10th Division of Light Cruisers made up of three Le Fantasque -class destroyers ( Le Fantasque , Le Terrible , Le Malin ) making high speed sweeps in the Adriatic, destroying German convoys. One notable action was the Battle off Ist on 29 February 1944 where a German convoy force of two corvettes and two torpedo boats escorting a freighter supported by three minesweepers. The French managed to destroy
28362-399: Was ordered on 20 February 1990. HS Pyrpolitis was launched on 16 September 1992 and HS Polemistis on 21 June 1993. Each ship can carry 25 fully equipped troops. Alternative guns and Harpoon missiles can be fitted as required. Pyrpolitis was renamed Kasos on 11 November 2005, after the island of Kasos in the Dodecanese . The ship is based in the area of Kasos, and the name recognises
28536-445: Was organized first into four, and later into six Maritime Coastal Sectors ( Pomorsko Obalni Sektor , POS). The task of the naval forces was to secure supremacy at sea, organize defense of coast and islands, and attack enemy sea traffic and forces on the islands and along the coasts. After the fall of Greece and Yugoslavia, the complete Italian control of both coasts of the Adriatic, and the distance from British naval and air bases, meant
28710-534: Was outnumbered by 20 to one, but at the end the Germans surrendered on 4 May 1945. Others had already surrendered to the British troops on German ships which arrived from Istria to Ancona on 2 May. British sources wrote there were about 30 boats, but no exact record is mentioned. Pacific War Allied occupation of Japan Second Sino-Japanese War Taishō period Shōwa period Asia-Pacific Mediterranean and Middle East Other campaigns Coups The Pacific War , sometimes called
28884-404: Was part of World War II. Italian forces invaded Greece and made limited gains. At the outbreak of hostilities, the Royal Hellenic Navy was composed of the old cruiser Georgios Averof , 10 destroyers (four old Thiria class , four relatively modern Dardo class and two new Greyhound class ), several torpedo boats and six old submarines. Faced with the formidable Regia Marina , its role
29058-527: Was prepared to move deeper into China. The Marco Polo Bridge Incident on 7 July 1937 provoked full-scale war between China and Japan. The Nationalist Party and the Chinese Communists suspended their civil war in order to form a nominal alliance against Japan, and the Soviet Union quickly lent support by providing large amounts of materiel to Chinese troops. In August 1937, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek deployed some of his best troops to defend Shanghai against some 300,000 Japanese troops attempting to seize
29232-403: Was primarily limited to patrol and convoy escort duties in the Aegean Sea . This was essential both for the completion of the Army's mobilization and the overall resupply of the country, the convoy routes being threatened by Italian aircraft and submarines operating from the Dodecanese Islands . Nevertheless, the Greek ships also carried out limited offensive operations against Italian shipping in
29406-412: Was primarily offensive, aiming to capture the Ottoman-held islands of the Eastern Aegean and establish naval supremacy. To that end, its commander-in-chief, Rear Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis , established a forward base at the Moudros bay at Lemnos , directly opposite the Dardanelles straits. After defeating the two Turkish sallies from the Straits at Elli (December 1912) and Lemnos (January 1913),
29580-402: Was put on hold in July 2020, despite an intense interest initially expressed by the Navy. Main reasons for this policy change by the Greek Government, were reported to be the increased cost of almost €3 billion for only two units, the exclusion by the French of co-production and the delayed delivery of the first unit, placing it in 2025 at the earliest. Meanwhile, the United States had proposed
29754-427: Was seen as unlikely to commence hostilities. The Japanese leadership was aware that a total military victory in the traditional sense against the United States was impossible, and instead envisaged that rapid, aggressive and expansive conquest would force the U.S. to agree to a negotiated peace that would recognize Japanese hegemony in Asia. Following prolonged tensions between Japan and the Western powers , units of
29928-449: Was to be co-ordinated with the 12th "Jadranska" Infantry Division and two Odred (combined regiments) of the Royal Yugoslav Army attacking from the Benkovac area, supported by air attacks by the 81st Bomber Group of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force . The Yugoslav forces launched their attack on 9 April, but by 13 April Italian forces under General Vittorio Ambrosio had counter-attacked, and were in Benkovac by 14 April. The naval prong of
30102-399: Was unable to change the outcome of the war on land, which was a national humiliation. In 1907, the Hellenic Navy General Staff ( Γενικό Επιτελείο Ναυτικού ) was founded, with then-Captain Pavlos Kountouriotis as its first head. After the war, in 1897, the Ottoman Empire embarked on a program of naval expansion for its fleet and as a response to that, in 1909, the cruiser Georgios Averof
30276-500: Was widely used. The US Armed Forces considered the China Burma India theater to be distinct from the Asiatic-Pacific theater during the conflict. Japan used the name Greater East Asia War ( 大東亜戦争 , Dai Tō-A Sensō ) , as chosen by a cabinet decision on 10 December 1941, to refer to both the war with the Western Allies and the ongoing war in China. This name was released to the public on 12 December, with an explanation that it involved Asian nations achieving their independence from
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