Pick the ship

[bcoop1701]

I'm guessing that the reconstruction in 1920 changed that.

From the wikipedia: In 1920 she underwent a reconstruction in France, along with the armored cruiser Georgios Averof. In that reconstruction she obtained modern anti-aircraft armament and the equipment to carry and lay 100 sea mines.

The ship also underwent major alterations in France from 1925-27. This included giving it a minelaying ability so its possible the raised poop deck was eliminated at that time.

Yes, I agree it's possible. Seems like a lot of expensive changes (by my count, removing a mast, moving the smoke stacks forward, adding a third gun midships and lowering the poop deck and gun mount) but it certainly could have happened. Especially the aft part if they added minelaying capability. I'll move on though.

Phrox, my guess is Alaska class. Those turrets look American and she was the only class to use the new 12"/50 gun.

 

[jamesd]

Yes, it's possible. Seems like a lot of expensive changes (by my count, removing a mast, moving the smoke stacks forward, adding a third gun midships and lowering the poop deck and gun mount) but it certainly could have happened. Especially the aft part if they added minelaying capability. I'll move on though.

The larger surface ships in the Greek navy of 1940 were:
Kilkis and Lemnos (pre dreadnoughts operating as a training and barracks ship in 1940) - laid down 1904
Averof armoured cruiser - laid down 1910
Elli protected cruiser - laid down 1913
4 destroyers laid down 1911
4 destroyers laid down 1931/2

They obviously didn't have much to invest in the navy and in the 1920's reconstruction was seen as a cheaper option than buying new ships.

 

[Lexis]

I support the Alaska guess due to the very special construction on top of the bow.

Edit: Is this structure AA?

 

[jcpvdberg]

Missing the second mast too. It's possible they changed when the ship underwent it's reconstruction, but I'm not convinced they're the same.

Anyway, while we resolve this puzzle, I'll throw up another pic. For those that don't feel like just searching for the image and need a clue, this was the only ship class to use these guns:

USS Guam

 

[PhroX]

Yep, 'tis indeed an Alaska. And as jcpvdberg identified, specifically it's the CB-2 USS Guam.

 

[IopBlack74]

Clue: Build in UK

 

[bcoop1701]

The larger surface ships in the Greek navy of 1940 were:
Kilkis and Lemnos (pre dreadnoughts operating as a training and barracks ship in 1940) - laid down 1904
Averof armoured cruiser - laid down 1910
Elli protected cruiser - laid down 1913
4 destroyers laid down 1911
4 destroyers laid down 1931/2

They obviously didn't have much to invest in the navy and in the 1920's reconstruction was seen as a cheaper option than buying new ships.

Sorry to take two steps back but my internet connection died right after I guessed the Alaska and I just got it back but to put a bow on the Elli, I found this in Conway's which seems to definitively confirm it was a picture of the Elli. Conway's calls her the Helle but it's obviously talking about the same ship.

 

[jcd000]

Sorry to take two steps back but my internet connection died right after I guessed the Alaska and I just got it back but to put a bow on the Elli, I found this in Conway's which seems to definitively confirm it was a picture of the Elli. Conway's calls her the Helle but it's obviously talking about the same ship.

yup, 'Elli' is Greeklish (letter-to-letter conversion in latin) while 'Helle' is an attempt to traslate its name. Certainly the same ship.

 

[Axe99]

The mystery of the Helle is resolved . Great ship and great pic of it Jamesd .

Clue: Build in UK

Nothing like a good vintage British destroyer . I'm going to guess for W class, but could be a V, or I could be completely off the mark .

 

[IopBlack74]

The mystery of the Helle is resolved . Great ship and great pic of it Jamesd .



Nothing like a good vintage British destroyer . I'm going to guess for W class, but could be a V, or I could be completely off the mark .

Nope Second Clue it was not used by the British

 

[Axe99]

Nope Second Clue it was not used by the British

Hmmm...I'm stumped, can't think of another ship that was built in the UK, looked like that but wasn't (at least at some point) one of those two - but I daresay they built some DDs based on that design for someone else (or I'm completely off the mark, one of the two ). Did it serve in a European navy?

 

[jamesd]

Hmmm...I'm stumped, can't think of another ship that was built in the UK, looked like that but wasn't (at least at some point) one of those two - but I daresay they built some DDs based on that design for someone else (or I'm completely off the mark, one of the two ). Did it serve in a European navy?

I know Britain sold or gave destroyers to Australia, Canada & Greece before WW2 started.

I think the only ships to Greece were 4 stackers in 1912 so we can rule them out.
The Australian ships were all V/W except Stuart, and it doesn't look like Stuart.
I've had a look at pics of the C class destroyers that went to Canada and it doesn't look like them. There were also E & G class destroyers, but they were transferred after the war started, as far as I can tell, and were used by Britain first, so it shouldn't be them. Those types also look a little short in comparison to the picture.

Could it be another one of those small light cruisers constructed in Britain around 1910-14 and sold to a minor power?

 

[jamesd]

Nope Second Clue it was not used by the British

Chilean Serrano class?

The picks I can find don't line up that well, but they were constructed in Britain and not used by Britain.

 

[SchwarzKatze]

I think the only ships to Greece were 4 stackers in 1912 so we can rule them out.

You sure? They looked like this after refit:

 

[Smiffus]

Is this another Elli complete reconstruction story? Then it could be the destroyer Aetos, wild beast class. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_destroyer_Aetos An original 5 stacker rebuilt to a 2 stack destroyer. Haven't found pictures from after the refit yat though, so I can't be sure.

 

[jamesd]

This pic is of the Panthir, one of the Wild Beast class after modernisation in 1925-27. It looks pretty close to what we're looking for. That'll teach me to just look at the pictures during TV add breaks rather than reading the full text.

 

[IopBlack74]

This pic is of the Panthir, one of the Wild Beast class after modernisation in 1925-27. It looks pretty close to what we're looking for. That'll teach me to just look at the pictures during TV add breaks rather than reading the full text.

View attachment 154878

I intentionally made it a tough one. Impressed with how close you got without me having to give the clue that the ship was indeed refitted from a 5 stack to 2 before the war. It is indeed a Wild Beast class though not the Panthir but sister ship RHS Aetos.

 

[SchwarzKatze]

I intentionally made it a tough one. Impressed with how close you got without me having to give the clue that the ship was indeed refitted from a 5 stack to 2 before the war. It is indeed a Wild Beast class though not the Panthir but sister ship RHS Aetos.

P.S. Remember to re-upload it somewhere else next time. Opened the pic in a new tab and it reads "http://uboat.net/media/allies/warships/gr/dd_rhs_aetos.jpg"

 

[Axe99]

Great pic @IopBlack74 . Those rebuilds are tricky - must keep that in mind for the future .

Here's one I've been waiting for a gap to use. Ships from this class served in three different navies during the time period, but none of those navies were on the continent where the vessels were built (although, sadly, it wasn't this particular vessel, which was long gone by 1936). One of this class served in both sides of WW2....

 

[jcpvdberg]

Is it a british build ship?