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Basileus Georgios (1867)

Basileus Georgios (1867) History

In the second half of the 19th century, the world was a radical place of rapid change, especially in Europe, due to the unfolding of the Industrial Revolution. The era of sail-powered wooden tall ships gave way to steam-powered ladle ships.

The main warship of the time was undoubtedly the "Iron Armor", which was armored to the core, low-key, and at the same time wielded powerful cannons to deal devastating blows.

By the 1860s, the Greek nation was far behind its European contemporaries and could only deploy two ironclad ships under its flag - Basileus Georgios and her sister ship Basilissa Olga. Basileus Georgios was designed by George Mackrow of Thames Steel Works and procured in the mid-19th century, launched in December 1867, followed by Basilissa Olga in 1869. Since these ships appeared in a transitional period in naval history, they were equipped with internal engines to harness energy from combustible sources, and mast sails to harness wind energy.

In honor of their leader, Basils Georges is named after King George I, ruler of Greece from 1863 to 1913.

Basileus Georgios (officially classified as a "central battery ship" due to the placement of armored batteries) is the lighter of the two ship types, weighing 1,774 tons, compared to Basilissa Olga's 2,060 tons. Basileus Georgios had a barrel length of 200 feet, a beam of 33 feet, and a draft of 16 feet.

The boat's twin-screw compound engine produces 2,400 horsepower and propels the boat to 12 knots under ideal conditions. The engine was drained from a funnel in the midship. The sails are attached to the masts on the foredeck and aft deck. Lifeboats were also carried on the quarter deck.

The range is 1,200 miles. The ship had a crew of 152 and was armed with 2 x 9 in (229 mm) guns and 2 x 20 pdr (84 mm) guns.

The 9-inch main gun was housed in a hexagonal casing (the "battery"), mounted forward of the engine's smoke funnel and amidships, with ports for firing on forward or stern targets. The pair of 20 pdr guns were placed outside the turret and could engage the target if necessary.

Perhaps most importantly, the ship's armor is 7 inches thick and runs as long as the belt. The shelter rises about 6 feet, 6 inches from the waterline and sits another 3 feet, inches below. Their armor totaled 335 tons. The turret is protected by up to 6 inches of armor.

For her time, Basileus Georgios seemed to have the perfect blend of offensive firepower and defensive protection, and was quite small in profile - making her one of the most powerful ironclad warriors of her time.

It was not until 1887 that further steps were taken to strengthen the Greek navy in the region, resulting in the development of the "Hydra" class of small battleships. The class consists of her pilot ship - Hydra - and her two sisters, Psara and Spetsai.

It wasn't until the turn of the century that the Greek navy found more help.