V1-class destroyer

Class overview
Name: V
Operators:  Kaiserliche Marine,  French Navy,  Royal Hellenic Navy
Completed: Two
General characteristics
Type:Destroyer
Displacement:570 tonnes
Length:70.2 m
Beam:7.6 m
Draught:3.1 m
Speed:32 knots
Armament:2–8.8 cm/4-50cm tt
Armour:unknown
Notes:Ships in class include: Nea Genea, Keravnos

The Greek V-class destroyers were ordered from Germany in 1912. Their sister ships, the V-1 through V-6 served as V-class destroyers in the Kaiserliche Marine. They had assigned German numbers V-5 and V-6, but were purchased before entering service in the German Navy, from the German shipyard Vulcan AG in Stettin, when the Balkan Wars were underway (they were replaced in the German service with another V-5 and V-6). They were the first ships of the fleet that had steam turbines.[1]

Later, during World War I, Greece belatedly entered the war on the side of the Triple Entente and, due to Greece's neutrality the two Ex-German V Class ships were seized by the Allies in October, 1916, taken over by the French in November and served in the French Navy from 1917–18. By 1918, they were back on escort duty under Greek colors, mainly in the Aegean Sea.[2]

The two ships were stricken in 1919 and scrapped in 1922.

References