Floating Naval Museum Battleship Georgios Averof

The “Battleship G. Averoff” is a monument of Greek war history that has contributed to the development of national historical events. It was bought by the Greek government of Mavromichalis at the end of 1909, from the Orlando Shipyards in Livorno, Italy, with an advance payment of 8,000,000 gold drachmas, which came from the will of George Averoff, after whom it was named, while the rest was covered by the National Fleet Fund.

It was an armored cruiser of 10.200 tons that participated in all the wars that determined the fate of Greece, with its most glorious wartime being the Balkan wars of 1912-1913. It was used during World War I, when it crossed the Bosporus and arrived in Istanbul in 1918. It was also used to help the transfer of troops and the uprooted Greek element during the Asia Minor catastrophe in 1922. During World War II, the ship was in command, as the flagship of the Greek naval fleet, and although after the collapse of the front, in April 1941, the Ministry of the Navy ordered the sinking of the battleship in order not to fall into the hands of the enemy, the crew did not carry out the order and secretly sailed to Alexandria on the evening of Maundy Thursday 1941, along with the rest of the remaining ships of the Greek fleet. The glorious battleship returned to Greece on the afternoon of October 16, 1944, carrying the Greek government in exile. From 1945 to 1983 it was used by the Navy, until in 1984 the Navy decided to restore it, so the ship was towed and restoration work began.

Today, the “G. Averoff” Ship Museum is a sacred monument to the memory of those who served and died for their country in the Hellenic Navy. It is a living heirloom, the flagship of all Greeks, which teaches the glorious Greek naval tradition, the heroism and nobility of the Greeks. The Floating Naval Museum Battleship “G. Averoff” has been an active educational community for years, with daily visits from schools, institutions, organizations, as well as a large number of individuals. These visits fulfill the second aspect of the donor’s vision, who wanted the ship to serve an educational mission in addition to its national purpose.

Maximum ship width: 21.5 meters

Ship’s draft (full load): 7.5 meters

Diameter of barrel of bow and stern turrets (2 Twin Turrets): 234 mm

Diameter of barrel of side turrets (4 Twin Turrets): 190 mm

Maximum crew in combat operations: 1,200 people