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The Greek Submarines in WWII

by Valtrex


RHNS Pipinos-Y8



One of four of the same class submarines ( Argonaphtes/Argonaut, Delphin/Dolphin, Triaena/Trident) transfered on loan by the Royal Navy . All four were built at the Vickers-Armstrong Shipyard. Pipinos' construction was completed on November 1st 1943 and she was the only one of the four that saw any action (7 war patrols). Accepted in England on October 13th 1943 by Lieutenant Commander Rallis RHN she sailed to the Middle East in February 1944 . On August 9th of the same year under Lieutenant Commander Loundras RHN she sunk in Samos island harbour the Italian destroyer Kalafatini and the small freighter Orion a former Greek lighthouse tender, captured by the Germans. Was returned to the British in 1959 .


RHNS Matrozos-Y7



Built in 1936 by Santieri Riuniti Adriatico Shipyards (Monfalcone, Italy). On July 9th 1942 she was seized in the Mediterranean Sea by the British corvette HMS Hyacinth . She was transferred by the British to the Royal Hellenic Navy and the Greek Flag was hoisted on December 5th 1942 under Lieutenant Massouridis RHN . Up to the end of 1944 she accomplished a total of 4 war patrols . In 1945 she was decommissioned.


RHNS Glaphkos-Y6


One of four submarines built in France by Chantier Naval in Blainville between 1927-30 on order of the Greek Government. Same class: Nereus, Proteus and Triton . Accepted on December 1st 1930 by Commander Zagas RHN with second in command Lieutenant Commander Lambrinopoulos RHN . Did not participate in any patrols during the 1940-41 war as she was undergoing major repairs. However she did sail to Alexandria on April 23rd 1941 and from the Middle East carried out two war patrols under Commander Arslanoglou RHN. On these patrols she sunk with her guns on June 21st and 22nd 1941 two 40-ton diesel operated German vessels and on November 10th 1941 the German freighter Norburg (2,392 tons) off Souda bay in Crete. On April 4th 1942 she was attacked by air while being repaired in the port of Malta and sunk. About a month preceding this attack, during another German air attack, Commander Arslanoglou was killed.

RHNS Triton-Y5


One of four submarines built by Chantier de la Loire, Nantes in France between the years 1927-30 by order of the Greek Government. Triton was accepted on March 1st 1930 by Lieutenant Commander Protopapas RHN . During the 1940-41 war she effected 5 war patrols . On January 14th 1941 under Lieutenant Commander Zepos RHN she possibly sunk the Italian submarine Neghelli while on March 23rd 1941 it is established that she sunk the passenger ship Carnia (5,451 tons) 30 nautical miles east of Cape Galo, Brindisi . When Greece was occupied by the Germans she sailed for Alexandria where she arrived on April 23rd 1941 . From the Middle East she completed 7 patrols and a voyage taking in supplies to Malta. She was sunk on November 16th 1942 (under Lieutenant Commander Kontoyiannis RHN ) near the Euboea island after giving a heroic battle with the German patrol boat UJ201 . In total 23 of her crew died and 30 were captured among them her Commanding Officer, while 2 escaped swimming to the shore Chief Petty Officer Maroulas &
Petty Officer Papademetriou .

RHNS Nereus-Y4


She was accepted on March 1st 1930 by Lieutenant Commander Tsirimokos RHN . She participated in sixteen war patrols during WWII under Lieutenant Commander Rotas RHN . On September 24th 1942 under Lieutenant Commander Rallis RHN , she sunk the troopship Fiume (1,500 tons) in the Rhodes island area. On September 25th 1942 , she sunk a large fully loaded Italian sailer as well as on different dates smaller Italian sailers. She was also used for the transport of commando units and other personnel leaving the German occupied Greece. On May 3rd 1947 she was decommissioned.


RHNS Proteus-Y3


She was accepted on August 31st 1929 by Commander Xiros RHN . On December 29th 1940 , while on her third patrol mission under Lieutenant Cdr Hadjiconstantis RHN , she attacked a protected Italian convoy 40 nautical miles east of Brindisi and sunk the troopship Sardegna (11,452 tons). Due to her loss of depth she was detected and rammed by the Italian torpedo boat Antares and sunk with all hands on board.


RHNS Papanikolis-Y2


She was accepted on December 21st 1927 by Commander Vandoros RHN . On the outbreak of the Greek-Italian war and up to the occupation of Greece she accomplished four war patrols under Lieutenant Commander Iatrides RHN during which on December 23rd 1940 she sunk a motor sailer and the following day the troopship Firenze (3,952 tons). With the German occupation of Greece she fled to Alexandria and on November 30th 1942 under Lieutenant Roussen RHN she sunk off the harbour of Calymnia islet, Dodekannese , an 8,000 ton German freighter. She also sunk a number of German and Italian sailers, in fact 'took prisoner' one of them (220 tons). Overall she accomplished from the Middle East nine more war patrols. She returned to Greece after the liberation and was decommissioned in 1945. Papanikolis conning tower was initially preserved at the submarine Naval Base but was later placed and exhibited to this date in front of the Hellenic Maritime Museum.


RHNS Katsonis-Y1


She was accepted on June 8th 1928 by Cdr Arvanitis RHN . Carried on four war patrols during the 1940-41 war under Cdr Athanassios Spanides RHN .
The most heroic figure of the RHN, during WWII, was her last Commanding Officer, Commander Vassilios Laskos RHN .

Commander Vassilios Laskos RHN

On December 31st 1940 she gunned down and sunk the Italian freighter Quindo inside Yugoslav water, creating an international incident. She fled to the Middle East following the German occupation of Greece. On July 2nd 1942, she was damaged while undocking from dry dock and sunk in the harbour of Port Said. After a long overhaul she went on four patrols under Commander Vassilios Laskos RHN and Executive Officer Lieutenant Elias Tsoukalas RHN .
On these patrols she sunk an Italian mine layer on April 2nd near Gythion, Peloponnese , on April 5th 1943 the Spanish merchant ship San Isidro off Kythnos island and on May 29th J943 , the freighter Rigel near the island of Skiathos .

On September 14th 1943 , after a heroic battle against a German submarine chaser, off Skiathos island , Katsonis sunk taking down with her 32 men including her CO. Fifteen men were captured while Executive Officer Lt Tsoukalas RHN and Petty Officers Tsingos & Antoniou managed to reach Skiathos after a 9-hour swim. From Skiathos after an adventurous journey they returned to Egypt, and joined again the submarine flotilla.

The last interview given by Captain Elias Tsoukalas HN (ret.) , in 1995:

-Captain, please tell us a few words about Cdr Laskos

"Laskos was a brave man. Katsonis men literally addored him & carried out his orders blindly. Once, one of his junior officers had a nervous break down & tried to sabotage the ship. Thank God, he didn't succeed in doing so. I placed him under arrest & while I was filling up the papers for court marshal, Laskos came in.
He ordered me not to report the incident & asked me to lead this officer at his quarters. They remained there talking for about one, one and a half hours. What was their conversation about, I never managed to find out. When this officer though, left the captain's quarters, he was ready not only to fight again, but to volunteer for the commandos! Later, during the Katsonis final battle, he was killed next to our beloved Cdr. That kind of influence Laskos exercised on his men."

-Please sir, describe Katsonis final battle

"Well, while we were patroling the Skiathos straights, we received a signal saying that a large German troop transporter was about to reach us. The sub was very old & we couldn't stay submurged for long. So, we had to stay on surface for a long time. This had the result of us being spotted by a German observation station at Trikeri island. Suddenly we spotted over the periscope a large ship coming on us. We thought it was the troop ship. Instead of the transporter though, it was a German Sub chaser (a corvette I think), which started immediately launching depth charges.

As I said, the ship was old & couldn't last submurged for long. Laskos did not hesitate, never crossed his mind the possibility of surrender: "To the surface...Prepare for surface battle" he ordered. Soon, Katsonis was on the surface. The German ship, started firing on us with her guns. A gun shell, cut off the gunner's foot.
Laskos, immediately took his place on the gun. There, uncovered, was trying to give us courage, when suddenly, an enemy shell killed him, granting him a long wished and proud death."

Source: Hellenicnavy.gr