- Greek destroyer Vasilissa Olga (D 15)
"Vasilissa Olga" ( _el. ΒΠ "Βασίλισσα Όλγα") was a Greek destroyer of the "Vasilefs Georgios" (modified G) class, which served with the
Royal Hellenic Navy during theSecond World War , becoming its most distinguished and successful ship until her loss in 1943. She was named after Queen Olga of Greece, the wife of King George I, and was the second ship to bear this name.Built by Yarrow & Company (
Scotstoun ,Scotland ), along with her sister ship, the "Vasilefs Georgios", she was the most modern ship of the Greek Navy at the outbreak of theSecond World War . She participated in the naval operations of theGreco-Italian War , in convoy escort duty and in the first and third naval raids against Italian shipping in theStrait of Otranto (14-15 November 1940 , and 4-5 January 1941 ).After the German invasion of Greece, along with several other ships, she escaped to
Alexandria in May 1941. She was assigned the Britishpennant number "H 84", and after undergoing modernization inCalcutta (November-December 1941), she returned to active duty in theMediterranean Sea . Under her captain, Lt. Cmdr. G. Blessas, she enjoyed several successes:
* OnDecember 14 ,1942 , she sank the Italian Adua-class submarine "Uarsciek" (620 tons) offMalta , along with the British destroyer HMS "Petard". [Italian Warships of World War II, Ian Allan Ltd., London 1974, p. 139]
* OnJanuary 19 ,1943 , "Olga", along with the British destroyers HMS "Pakenham" and HMS "Nubian", intercepted and sunk the Italian transport ship "Stromboli" (475 tons) off the Libyan coast.
* OnJune 2 ,1943 , "Olga" and the British destroyer HMS "Jervis" sunk the ItalianSpica class torpedo boat "Castore" (ca. 790 tons) off Cape Spartivento. [Italian Warships of World War II, Ian Allan Ltd., London 1974, p. 83]"Olga" also participated in the capture of
Pantelleria and theAllied invasion of Sicily . During the Allied operations during theDodecanese Campaign in theAegean Sea in September 1943, together with the British destroyers HMS "Faulknor" and "Eclipse", she sank a German convoy, consisting of the transports "Pluto" (2,000 tons) and "Paolo" (4,000 tons), nearAstypalea . During theBattle of Leros , she transported members of theLong Range Desert Group to the island, but onSeptember 26 , she was attacked and sunk by 25Junkers Ju 88 bombers in theGulf of Lakki inLeros . Cmdr. Blessas, 6 officers and 65 other members of the crew perished with the ship. A monument has been erected in Lakki in honour of the ship.References
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