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Wednesday, October 13th 2004, 12:29pm

Greek Scrapbook - 1924 News Items

Embarrising security breach at the Navy Ministry.

The following document was found as a bin liner at the offices of Imerisia news paper. Subsequent invesitgations have revealed that the Navy Ministry and Imerisia contract the same cleaning company.

Greece 1924 Strategic Review

Global Risk Areas;
Greece has four powers within it's immediate sphere of influence; Turkey, Russia, Italy and Atlantis.

Turkey
We have fought and won a number of wars in recent years with our eastern neighbour. Our fleet is marginally larger than Turkey's but far better resourced. We securely hold the Agean Islands and Cyprus, Atlantis holds the Dardanelles. Only Anatolia is at serious risk from the Turks.

Russia
Russia has a much larger fleet than Greece but the Black Sea Fleet is marginally smaller than the Greek Navy. The Russians are at a considerable disadvantage in that the only exit to the Meditterainian is through the Dardanelles, controlled by Atlantis but easily mined.

Italy
Italy's fleet is twice the size of Greece's however, Italy has Indian Ocean interests and Greece sits astride the shipping route via the Suez Canal.

Atlantis
Atlantis has a precense in the eastern Med through a Mandate that excludes Constantanople.

Diplomatic Strategy
Russia and France have an alliance. Atlantis is also tied in. Italy and Iberia are also linked militarily and enjoy internal lines of communication with respect to the France-Atlantis-Russia combination.

Greece must make nice with Atlantis lest she hand her Mandate over to the Turks. Greece must strive for good relations with Turkey as we maintain a toe hold on Asia Minor and have a potential clash over Cyprus.

Keep the Turks isolated while not siding with either the FAR or Italy-Iberia alliance. The reformation of the Balkan League could be a counter against these two alliances.

Turkey is not a signatory to the Clieto Treaty and if Turkey moves to rebuild her fleet than Greece will have to withdraw from the limitations treaty.

National Defence Strategy
Maintain a strong presence in Anatolia against possible Turkish invasion. The Greek army in Anatolia is better equiped that Turkish forces but out numbered.

Naval Strategy
All supplies will have to come to Anatolia by sea. The RHN will have to maintain this sea link against possible Turkish intervention.

None of Greece's main bases are secure from attack, especially by the air. It is adviasable to develop a 'mobile' base capability. The fleet train will ahve to be greatly expanded with many specialised ships.

Develop a rapid deployment force to ferry in supplies and troops to Anatolia.

Develop an amphibious assault capability to counterattack an invasion of one of the Greek Islands or to land on the Turkish mainland in support of defensive operations in Anatolia.

The former Royal Navy subs and their improved counterparts, the Nemesis class all suffer from short range. It is proposed that a specialised 'submarine support ship' be built that could transport the 400t submarines between bases or service and maintain them at remote locations. The 4500ton ship will essentially be a self propelled floating dock and be able to accomodate upto four submarines.


Much of the document was obscured by coffee stain. We believe the document to be authentic, one unnamed official at the Navy Ministry claimed that it was a fabrication. However, when presented with the above transcription to the Head of Reserve command he exclaimed 'Who the #$%^& released this!'.

The Navy Minister declined to comment although later today announced the resignation of the Reserve Fleet commander.

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Yard Queen Thermopylae to be converted to target ship.

The third Salamis Class BB; Thermopylae , will be completed as a seagoing target ship. The ship was laid down in 1919 with modifications from the first pair of ships (Salamis and Navarinon ) including Turbo-Electric drive allowing for better hull subdivision. Her completion was suspended by the Clieto Treaty which permitted Greece only four ships with a total limit of 120,000tons. Her hull languished in Drydock A at Attica until early 1924 where the decision was first made to complete her as a seagoing target ship.

It was widely believed that she would be completed as an Aircraft Carrier. Rumors persist that she is being converted to a target ship to retain her as a potential carrier conversion. This is a clear breach of the treaty where a signatory undertakes not to convert a target ship back into a warship. This assertion has been denied by the Navy although there are plans to use her as a troop transport in an emergency.


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Greece announces 10 year naval program.

Today the Greek Navy Minister released the long awaited Defence review.

Greece will posess a Navy built to it's treaty limit within 10 years. This will include 600,000tons of warships and auxilliaries to be completed by 1935. All warships will be underage (16 years for Destroyers and 20 years for all other vessels). The battleships and battlecruisers will be rebuilt as part of the program.

The extensive program has been a result of recent tension with Turkey and a desire of the Greek government to maintain an independent foreign policy free of treaty arrangements. This is also a counter to Turkish reamament and recent ethnic inspired clashes in Constantinople and Asia Minor. The Minister stated that there was obviously an agenda with regards to the ethnic purity ideas of the current Turkish government. The Army in Anatolia may be the first line of defence but the Navy is the key to security in the many Greek Islands of the Agean and Cyprus.

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Wednesday, October 13th 2004, 12:38pm

An interesting analysis of the situation

We look forward to the unfolding of the Greek naval construction plan.

3

Wednesday, October 13th 2004, 3:18pm

"Fascinating"

The submarine carrier is a rather interesting idea.

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Wednesday, October 13th 2004, 11:24pm

Ironically similar to the ANS Patronus and Brazilian Ceara. Nice to see an idea catch on with other fleets!

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Sunday, October 17th 2004, 4:48pm

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

alt naval,

That line about the same cleaning company is a CLASSIC!!! I laughed out loud!!!

Very interesting fleet plan. I wonder if TBs and MTBs were obscured by the coffee?
:-})

Regards,

Big Rich

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Wednesday, October 20th 2004, 2:35pm

Thanks Rich,

Back when I used to work for the government we shared a building with the Police. We use to get blank Police letterheads as bin liners - and them some more interesting stuff. After a few weeks it stopped and we had new cleaners - but not because of bin liners - they had been stealing furniture.

Cheers,