Greek battleship Spetsai
Encyclopedia
The Spetsai (Greek
: Θ/Κ Σπέτσαι) was a Greek steel battleship serving in the Royal Hellenic Navy from 1890 until 1920. She was named after the Saronic Gulf
island of Spetses
, which played a key role in the war at sea during the Greek War of Independence
.
The ship, along with her two sister ships of the Hydra Class
, was ordered from France
in 1885 during the premiership of Charilaos Trikoupis
, as part of a wider reorganization and modernization of the Hellenic armed forces, which had proved themselves inadequate during the Cretan
uprising of 1866 and the Russo-Turkish War
of 1877-1878.
The ship saw limited action in the Greco-Turkish War (1897)
, as the Royal Hellenic Navy failed to make use of its superiority over the Ottoman Navy. By the outbreak of the Balkan Wars
in 1912, Spetsai, along with her sister ships, was antiquated, but she did take part in the war, in which Greece liberated the islands of the Eastern Aegean and defeated Ottoman Turkey in the two decisive naval battles of Elli
and Lemnos
.
During World War I, Greece belatedly entered the war on the side of the Entente and the Hydra Class ships served as coastal defense. She was decommissioned in 1920 and used as a naval communications school until 1929, when she was scrapped.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Θ/Κ Σπέτσαι) was a Greek steel battleship serving in the Royal Hellenic Navy from 1890 until 1920. She was named after the Saronic Gulf
Saronic Gulf
The Saronic Gulf or Gulf of Aegina in Greece forms part of the Aegean Sea and defines the eastern side of the isthmus of Corinth. It is the eastern terminus of the Corinth Canal, which cuts across the isthmus.-Geography:The gulf includes the islands of; Aegina, Salamis, and Poros along with...
island of Spetses
Spetses
Spetses is an island and a municipality in the Islands regional unit, Attica, Greece. It is sometimes included as one of the Saronic Islands. Until 1948, it was part of the old prefecture of Argolidocorinthia, which is now split into Argolis and Corinthia...
, which played a key role in the war at sea during the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
.
The ship, along with her two sister ships of the Hydra Class
Hydra class battleship
The three Hydra-class ships, Hydra, Spetsai and Psara, were ordered from France in 1885 during the premiership of Charilaos Trikoupis, as part of a wider reorganization and modernization of the Greek armed forces, which had proved themselves inadequate during the Cretan uprising of 1866 and the...
, was ordered from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1885 during the premiership of Charilaos Trikoupis
Charilaos Trikoupis
Charilaos Trikoupis was a Greek politician who served as a Prime Minister of Greece seven times from 1875 until 1895....
, as part of a wider reorganization and modernization of the Hellenic armed forces, which had proved themselves inadequate during the Cretan
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
uprising of 1866 and the Russo-Turkish War
Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878
The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 was a conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the Eastern Orthodox coalition led by the Russian Empire and composed of numerous Balkan...
of 1877-1878.
The ship saw limited action in the Greco-Turkish War (1897)
Greco-Turkish War (1897)
The Greco-Turkish War of 1897, also called the Thirty Days' War and known as the Black '97 in Greece, was a war fought between the Kingdom of Greece and Ottoman Empire. Its immediate cause was the question over the status of the Ottoman province of Crete, whose Greek majority long desired union...
, as the Royal Hellenic Navy failed to make use of its superiority over the Ottoman Navy. By the outbreak of the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
in 1912, Spetsai, along with her sister ships, was antiquated, but she did take part in the war, in which Greece liberated the islands of the Eastern Aegean and defeated Ottoman Turkey in the two decisive naval battles of Elli
Naval Battle of Elli
The Battle of Elli , also known as the Battle of the Dardanelles, took place near the mouth of the Dardanelles on as part of the First Balkan War between the fleets of Greece and the Ottoman Empire...
and Lemnos
Naval Battle of Lemnos
The Battle of Lemnos , fought on , was a naval battle during the First Balkan War, which defeated the second and last attempt of the Ottoman Empire to break the Greek naval blockade of the Dardanelles and reclaim supremacy over the Aegean Sea from Greece....
.
During World War I, Greece belatedly entered the war on the side of the Entente and the Hydra Class ships served as coastal defense. She was decommissioned in 1920 and used as a naval communications school until 1929, when she was scrapped.