A few months ago the century-old battleship "Georgios Averof" left Athens for repairs and extensive maintenance. After completion of the maintenance, the warship has recently returned to the berth again.
According to ABC News, the 107-year-old warship "Georgios Averof" has come back to Athens after three months' maintenance work. After spending 60 years as a floating museum in Athens, the battleship left Athens for repair and conservation work. With refurbished upper deck, and hull the ship has gained an extensive maintenance, even the interior portion of the ship renovated.
The century-old naval warship received a grand welcome after returning to its destination in Athens. Horns from the surrounding vessels greeted the battleship while entering to the mooring spot. The Naval helicopter just flew away above this Hellenic Navy's battleship, and a naval band also played to give a warm welcome.
The maintenance and repair works of this heavy ten thousand tons Greek navy flagship was completed at the shipyard in Skaramangas. Private funding played a significant role to complete this maintenance work. According to Naval Today, the Hellenic Navy previously estimated that the maintenance work of the warship would complete within two months. It also mentioned that sponsorships would cover part of the necessary funds to complete the work.
Greek businessman, Georgios Averof, paid a huge amount to purchase the warship. The businessman carried 1/3 of the cost to buy the ship. Sponsorships and the Treasure of the National Fleet supported with the rest 2/3 part. This battleship was made in 1910 in the Italian shipyard, and its introduction in the Aegean Sea made it a feared warship at that time.
This armored cruiser was very helpful for the Greek navy at the time of Balkan wars. The warship took part actively in the war and played significantly to encounter the famous Ottoman Turkish navy. With this battleship, the Greek navy was able to free many Greek islands located in the Aegean Sea's northeastern side. The "Georgios Averof" helped the Greek navy to secure the dominance in the important archipelago.
The warship participated in both the World Wars and played an important role in the World War II. The ship carried the Greek government again back to the Athens after the end of the war. "Georgios Averof" served until 1952, and later it was deployed on the Poros island. The Greek navy decided to use the warship as the floating museum in the mid-1980s.
The "Georgios Averof" is a 460-foot battle cruiser. Visitors can see this warship again from September. Each year around 60,000 visitors come to visit the ship.
