Construction and cancellation Greek battleship Salamis

unfinished battleship salamis (far right) in hamburg

the outbreak of world war in july 1914 drastically altered situation; british government declared naval blockade of germany in august after entered war. blockade meant guns not delivered, ship nevertheless launched on 11 november 1914. no possibility of arming ship, work halted on 31 december 1914. in addition, manpower shortages created war, along redirection of steel production needs of army meant less critical projects not completed, since other warships nearing completion , finished more quickly. time greece had paid ag vulcan £450,000. bethlehem refused send main battery guns greece. 14-inch guns instead sold british, used them arm 4 abercrombie-class monitors.

the wartime activities of ship unclear. according postwar report written proceedings of united states naval institute, incomplete vessel towed kiel, used barracks ship. modern naval historian rené greger states incomplete hull never left hamburg. contemporary observers believed ship had been completed service german navy, , british admiral john jellicoe, commander of grand fleet, received intelligence ship might have been in service 1916. other observers, such barnett, pointed difficulty german navy have had in rearming ship german guns, given fact germany possessed no designs naval guns of caliber or mountings suitable use aboard salamis. regarded claim had been put service doubtful . barnett s assessment correct; germans have had have done substantial rebuilding of ship s barbette structures accommodate german guns, , since guns available naval use not available owing needs of german army, work directed toward german vessels under construction battlecruiser hindenburg. british realized rumor false when ship did not appear @ battle of jutland on 31 may – 1 june 1916.

regardless of ship s wartime disposition, however, proceedings noted in 1920 improbable construction resume upon ship. indeed, greek navy refused accept incomplete hull, , result ag vulcan sued greek government in 1923. lengthy arbitration ensued. greek navy argued ship, designed in 1912, obsolete , under treaty of versailles not armed german shipyard anyway. greeks requested vulcan return advance payments made before war had stopped work. dispute went before greco-german mixed arbitral tribunal (established under article 304 of treaty of versailles), dragged on throughout 1920s. in 1924, dutch admiral appointed tribunal evaluate greek complaints, , sided vulcan, in part due greek inquiries vulcan earlier year possibility of modernizing design. vulcan s response did not satisfy greek requirements, proposal dropped.

yavuz, ship salamis counter

in 1928, concerns @ impending recommissioning of turkish battlecruiser yavuz (ex-sms goeben) meant greece considered responding positively offer vulcan reach compromise, 1 option being complete , modernize salamis. cost of ship absorbed war reparations germany owed greece years 1928 through 1930 , part of 1931. admiral periklis argyropoulos, minister of marine, wanted accept offer, pointing study general staff demonstrated modernized salamis capable of defeating yavuz owing heavier armor , more powerful main battery of greek ship. british naval architect eustace tennyson d eyncourt issued study in support of argyropoulos, pointing out salamis faster yavuz , have stronger anti-aircraft battery. commander andreas kolialexis opposed acquiring salamis, , wrote memorandum in mid-1929 venizelos, again prime minister, argued completing salamis take long , fleet of torpedo-armed vessels, including submarines, preferable.

venizelos determined cost of completing salamis high, since preclude acquisition of destroyers or powerful naval air arm. instead, 2 old pre-dreadnoughts kilkis , lemnos retained coastal defense against yavuz. decision reinforced onset of great depression year, weakened greece s limited finances. on 23 april 1932 arbitrators determined greek government owed ag vulcan £30,000, , ag vulcan awarded hull. ship broken scrap in bremen year. second greek dreadnought, vasilefs konstantinos, met similar fate. salamis, work on ship halted outbreak of war in august 1914, , in aftermath greek government refused pay unfinished ship well.