Royal Hellenic Navy's Cruiser Force 1925-41

Alvama: It all started out some 20 years ago when I decided to try out some designs of my own. Since I'm a Byzantologist, i e someone who studies the history and organization etc of the Byzantine Empire, I sort of figured it'd be a natural thing to make them Hellenic. Besides I like Greek names! They're usually so melodious!

Golly: Good point. That's the detail I forgot to mention about the Makedonias. They are, in effect a kind of turbine driven armored cruisers, with a thin (4") shallow belt that extends over the vitals, from no. 1 boiler room to just abaft the second row of torpedo banks. It's an internal belt, so it'd not be evident from plain viewing of the ship.

Thanks Hood, for you kind compliments. Yes, I really love US designs, and to sort of blend them with Russian ones was an interesting challenge, although the basis was a rejected scout cruiser concept of 1916 for the USN.

Ashley: just bring it on!

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My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen

Very nice work...I'm guessing the stacks were modeled after the IJN's Kuma-class CLs?

-Matt

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MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

LOL, actually after the Italian Bande Nere class!

This is an excellent AU; both in terms of ships and backstory. The thing is, when someone like Bezobrazov does AU, he's building on his already established skills from doing real life. Anyway, the idea of a 'Greater Greece' is certainly interesting

Thank you so much PB! From you those words are an acolate worthy of savoring! And you did 'read' me quite correctly in your explanation too!

This is one of the best AU here, which is interesting, seems rel plaussible, and is accompanied y very good own designed ships.
BTW, there was one cruiser serving the Tzar's navy which was built in the US (I think it was one anyway).
Thumbs-up bezobrazov, and hope to see more cruisers, and maybe, this is hoping too much, but maybe also some smaller flotilla craft (destroyers)?

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Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

Thank you my dear Novice! Your compliments warms me greatly! I have, indeed, attempted to keep it 'real' within an AU-scenario. In fact, if you study the real history and then put those pieces together and compare them with what I've written sofar, you'll discover that I really haven't changed that much from what happened in real life. That's how I like to 'play' AUs.
As for the ships, there will still be forthcoming three (3) more classes of cruisers. I think you all will be surprised at what I have in store. Let's put it this way: one class will be nothing you have seen before, but without being in the least extreme! As time permits, I'll try to put in the supporting vessels/classes that accompanied the 'battle force' (i e the cruisers...)

Oh, and PB, yes, I find that concept very intriguing too. Unfortunately I found only limited map sources to work on, but there are a few more territorial gains for this Megas Hellas, which I couldn't incorporate.

Hey, they're both Axis, so I at least get points for that much!

-Matt

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MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

Edited the Makedonia-class by 'face-lifting' it. That is, I adjusted the foc'sle with the main deck level, since I found it was 'drooping' somewhat. Now the lines should be quite agreeable.

A derivative of the relatively successful Makedonia-class was the strange and obsolescent Kriti-class. This was, essentially a lengthened Makedonia were the 6" guns had been replaced by Vickers 7.5" (19 cm) 53 cal. Mk VII QF guns. Two twin turrets - or gun houses - were shipped fore and aft but the rest of the main armament was strangely enough and very archaically so, mounted as broadside guns - four a side, giving an effective broadside of eight guns out of twelve; a not very economical arrangement.

However, for the Hellenic navy the two units ordered from Bethlehem Steel, and named Kriti and Kypros respectively represented a huge boon. They were, in effect, the Hellenic navy's first hesitant steps towards the acquiring of true heavy cruisers.

As it were, the Kriti class, in spite of a strong geared turbine machinery, developing 75,000 ISHP and enabling the ships to reach speeds of 31 knots, were nothing more than the very last breath of the classic armored cruiser. But as such they were the most formidable ones ever built!

The hand-loaded 7.5" 90.7 kg shell, either AP, HE, or CPC could be loaded and fired by an expert gun crew in less than 45 sec. In practice, it took an average crew about 70 sec to load, train and fire. The directional stability and trajectory of the shell was excellent, so was the range (17,500 meters), and the weapon was very highly regarded in the RHN. One problem that arose was the fact that, although the casemated guns should have enjoyed the same range, in practice, due to lesser elevation possibilities, theirs was only about 16,000 meters. This issue was finally more or less solved by supercharging the casemate guns, which was not risk-free; on Oct. 18, 1927 the number two forward port casemate gun exploded due to a faulty breech, killing all but three of the 23 man crew.

In addition to the 7.5" guns the two vessels received the British manufactured 4.7"(12 cm) Mk IX on CP XVII shielded mounts. There were nine of these weapons. Finally there was the usual assortment of the unsatisfactory Italian 3.5 cm DP-gun, and Browning .50 cal. MGs.

The ships were provided with a deep, but thin belt about 260 ft long and 2 to 1-3/8 in thick; barely resistant to destroyer fire.

In spite of the inherent shortcomings of the design, both ships quickly came to enjoy a high popularity and substantially higher reputation than their half-siblings.
The fact that they carried a heavier armament with only a minimal increase in beam, meant that their metacentric height was lowered, making the ships exceptionally steady, if somewhat stiff gun platforms.

Presenting the Royal Hellenic Navy's Kriti-Class Scout Cruisers:
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