RHS Georgios Averof - The Pride of Greece and The Greek Navy

Few ships had quite as exciting a career as the armored cruiser Georgios Averof. For a ship belonging to a minor power like Greece, she saw more combat than many ships of much larger navies. Including more combat where she held off an entire fleet on her own.
Twice over.
She may not have done much in the World Wars, but she survived, and that counts for something. Even, to this day, she remains ceremonially in commission with the Greek Navy as a result.

[@Imperator_Gr]

To correct an omission, Georgios Averof was the ship that brough the flag that was raised on the Parthenon back to Greece, which was done in a ceremony signifying the return of freedom. A monumental moment in modern Greek history.

[@42meep13]

If I remember correctly it was the ship's flag that they raised, because it was the largest one they could find. Not sure where I got that information from though so I may be incorrect.

[@nashzahm]

Its awesome that the Greeks have preserved her. She is well deserving of the treatment she has had.

[@cardozoluciano8362]

Dude, imagine scraping your most illustrious ship in modern times, probably ever, wouldn't like to be that guy.

[@Hokum767]

I visited it 10 years ago and had the ship to myself apart from the small crew, its in such good condition.

[@ChillakoC92]

She’s the reason our country doubled in size during the previous century & our northern brothers got their freedom back after nearly 5 centuries. How could we sell her for scrap?

[@vespelian]

I read about Georgia's Averof when I was at school but had no Idea she still existed until I came across her in Athens by chance in 1989 and went aboard.

[@jamesbugbee9026]

Good 4 U! I envy U

[@fabianzimmermann5495]

One of my favorite warships of all time. I visited her a few years ago, it was amazing. (Yes, my profile picture is a foto I took while on her.) Great career. The fact that her gunnery was so good despite never actually having fired them before is so fascinating. She is very much the Greek version of the Warspite and her reputation is well earned.

[@fabianzimmermann5495]

@@markgouthro7375 Thanks a lot.

[@hazchemel]

Yes. She was a great and proud ship.

[@kalenderquantentunnel9411]

What a lucky ship, serving its young, wonderful nation so well. Giorgios will be smiling from above if he can see the outcome of his donation.

[@Bismarck.1871]

Although technically correct, is feels strange to call Greece a new nation.

[@gavinwallander4693]

Probably the coolest armored cruiser to ever exist

[@waynesworldofsci-tech]

She’s on my bucket list to visit.

[@jamesbugbee9026]

The Italians built 1 of the finest-looking predreadnought-style armored cruisers ever, in her group only somewhat rivaled by Vickers' big Rurik 4 Imperial Russia. She looks great today & i hope she will remain so @ least until Greece has their own flying space city, maybe more than a century from now

[@alephalon7849]

What an amazing ship, bearing a storied history that could match many of the big names in the big navies!

[@mcpuff2318]

There was actually another armoured cruiser that served through both world wars in her original role, the Swedish armoured cruiser Fylgia. Known both as the white swan of the baltic and as one of if not the smallest armoured cruisers ever built

[@gavinwallander4693]

I love the Fylgia, she was such a unique little ship

[@kristoffermangila]

Too bad Fylgia was scrapped...

[@mcpuff2318]

@@kristoffermangila Sadly almost all of the Swedish WW1 and WW2 warships are gone. The only remainder is one coastal submarine, a minesweeper, and a few minor craft. Vasa does ofc compensate to a degree. However, at least one of Fylgia's turrets survive as a coastal artillery battery

[@alexanderdeburdegala4609]

Awesome bit of naval history, never heard of this ship before. Cool

[@johncook3817]

Interesting video! I saw this ship in the 80s. A real beauty and well worth the expense of saving!

[@rickkephartactual7706]

I like this. Everybody does the big name warships multiple times over. I'm sure there are a lot of other ships out there like this but I suppose there is a lack of documentation compared to the big names.

[@ericarendash9222]

Amazing story of such a noble ship with a truly rich and unique history. Well done.

[@stuartpeacock8257]

The most comprehensive,detailed in chronological order history of this historic and good looking warship. Every bit as valuable at her sisters of the same era. Thank you for your subtle. humorous and at times ironic history of this valuable veteran

[@bambam144]

what a ship! i would like to have her on wows so much!

[@kristoffermangila]

This is a great ship. If World of Warships makes a pan-European cruiser line, I would want her as a Tier 2 premium, and face her off against the Mikasa. That would be an awesome brawl... As for that "blue cheese crisis", well, what do you expect, the Greeks are foodies, as particular about their food as any Italian or French foodie...

[@Gentleman...Driver]

The crew wasnt familiar with the blue cheese and was outraged that the locals served them "spoiled" food.

[@DanetteScheel]

I would love to visit that ship!

[@glack5558]

I had an uncle from the island of Andros who served on her between the wars got a couple years. His younger brother also served after him. Uneventful sevice for both. However, DURING WW2 he served in the Greek merchant marine and got torpedoed 3 times, the last convincing him to get out of the merchant marine after spending 2 weeks in a life boat in the Atlantic in winter. A 4th ship he was on disappeared with ALL hands. He was the only ‘survivor’ because he came down with appendicitis and got put off the ship while close to Greece. A movie was made about the ship due to a romance involving the crew. The movie listed ALL the missing crew at the end…..my uncle is listed with the rest of the crew as missing. Needless to say, no one involved with the movie cared at their lack of thorough research. On My bucket list is seeing the Averoff since it is on display near Athens.

[@hadial-saadoon2114]

Great video, thanks. I only caught a glimpse of Averoff back in 2004 while on a bus that was passing through Piraeus where it is docked. I saw the tripod masts from a distance and knew that it was a special ship. Unfortunately I hadn't the time to tour her and knew little about her history. Thanks to Greece for preserving the story of this great ship.

[@smokinfree5555]

What a wonderful story. Thank you for all your hard work & research. I'm so glad she survived & can still be seen today :)

[@davidmcintyre8145]

One has to think given her armour and armament how the captain of any of the treaty heavy cruisers would have felt going up against a convoy escorted by the Averof

[@m.streicher8286]

one of those ships where I immediately recognize the name but couldn't tell you much else

[@eyesofisabelofficial]

In Portsmouth they still speak in hushed tones about the Blue Cheese Riots of 1911 🧀

[@holgerwittmann8419]

Very interesting!

[@lt.petemaverickmitchell7113]

Great video Great job!

[@1987phillybilly]

What about Olympia? Was it as Protected cruiser??

[@jefferyindorf699]

USS Olympia was a protected cruiser.

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

A brawl over blue cheese is awesome and comical.😂

[@dimitriskapetanakis1625]

The only other ship with a career like that was in my opinion the Prinz Eugen not with it's incredible feats but with it's luck

[@tonymanero5544]

The Ottomans 3 years later held about 1 million British and Australian on the beaches of Gallipoli.

[@Todd.P]

Compromise: Battlecruiser.

[@philvanderlaan5942]

The only one? What about the USS Olympia

[@Teleoceras]

Olympia is a protected cruiser.

[@jefferyindorf699]

USS Olympia is a protected cruiser.

[@tonymanero5544]

What’s your question ? Olympia is older, but still as a museum in Philadelphia taking in water due to waterline rust but no money to repair.

[@philvanderlaan5942]

@@tonymanero5544 I thought She was an armored cruiser

[@m.streicher8286]

I wanna get rich just so I can leave the navy an amount of money they'll notice. Gonna get a Nimitz named after myself

[@hueylongdong900]

nice gayreek ship

[@Alexander-oq3gc]

nice cope

[@xdx2653]

that gayreek ship was fook you up with a greek style tho 😁😁👍👍

[@teris4282]

The Turks saw it and hid in the straits. The so-called killing of the memetids. The fear and terror of the Turkish sailor.

[@giannisgt28rs]

averof the otomans deleter