Hellenic Navy’s 107-year-old battle cruiser Georgios Averof concluded a three-month refit returning to its homeport in Athens where it serves as a museum ship.
The battle cruiser returned to Athens on Thursday where it was welcomed by a naval band and a helicopter while other ships sounded their horns.
Georgios Averof was refurbished in a shipyard in Skaramangas with maintenance funds covered by sponsorships.
The battle cruiser was named after Georgios Averof, a Greek businessman who paid for 1/3 of the ship’s cost, while the other 2/3 was paid by the Treasure of the National Fleet and sponsorships by Greeks from all over the world.
According to Hellenic Navy, the cruiser is the only “alive” ship that participated actively in both World Wars, concluding her mission in 1945 during the celebrations for the integration of the Dodecanese with Greece.