Photo Album 7

Greek Air force

The Greek Airforce presence in Asia Minor can be officially considered as the second historical period of the Hellenic Airforce. On 1914 the so-called Navy Airforce, which was based at Elefsina at the beginning and at Paleo Faliro afterwards, begun to develop under British Royal Airforce (RAF). At the same time the military Airforce tried to regain ground after a period of inactivity during the Balkan Wars. Many squadrons started to be formed using mainly local personnel. A large number of airplanes was disposed on these escadrilles. Most of them were new and after the war they were given to the corresponding Airforce. The Greek Navy Airforce was mainly equipped with English planes, whereas the Greek Military Airforce used French planes. The number of airplanes that were accorded, their condition and the terms of the deal with England and France are ambiguous and uncertain. On September 1916 after the declaration of the war against the Germans and their allies, a Navy Airforce station was established on the Greek island of Limnos, at the port of Moudros, with the initiative of the famous Greek pioneer aviator Aristedes Moraitinis.

The Navy station at Moudros was also the base of the British Royal Air Corp command, which operated under the command of Colonel Gorson of the Royal Marines. Gorson also reinforced the British squadrons of the area and he was responsible for the training of new pilots. The training aircraft of the Greek pilots were Bleriot , BE-2E and BE-2C. The frequent bombardment of the Turkish Navy station at Nagara that included German ships caused German air raids at Moudros that caused several damages at the Greek base.

The period 1919-1920 ended with the Minor Asia expedition. At the beginning of that expedition the Greek Airforce was in an incredibly good condition with modern material and European training. But by the end of the expedition the Airforce was seriously damaged and there was an immediate need for reorganization and for supply of new material.

No:	Thumbnail:	Size:	Description:
1.		48.742b   571x439	Greek airmen at Odemissio, summer 1920
2.		269.398b 1606x1093	A team of Greek Airmen in front of an aircraft.
3.		272.677b 1606x1093	Transportation of aircrafts by train to the Front
4.		310.172b 1606x1093	Airport of Oussak, 1920.
5.		288.509b 1606x1093	IV Division. Nautical air force. Airport of Afion Kara Hisar, 26-7-1921.
6.		285.362b 1606x1093	IV Division. Aircraft repairs at Afion Kara Hissar Airport, 11-7-1921
7.		285.840b 1606x1093	An aircraft "Dehavilan DH4" at Kazamir Airport of Smyrni, 1919
8.		253.355b 1606x1093	Ready for taking off. Kazamir airport of Smyrni, 1919.
9.		39.273b 213x400	Aristedes Moraitinis, the famous pioneer Greek Aviator.

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