The historic Hellenic Navy destroyer “Velos”, which now operates as a floating museum and had been docked at the waterfront in Thessaloniki since 2019, was on Sunday towed to the facilities of the Thessaloniki Port Authority after sustaining damage to its stern in the bad weather on Saturday.
The ship was taken to the commercial section of the port, where cruise ships and passenger ferries dock, so that there can be a further inspection of the damage and decisions made on what to do next.
Built in Boston, USA and launched on June 3, 1942 as the USS “Charrette” DD 581, it served in the Hellenic Navy for 32 years, as well as fighting in World War II and in the US naval operations in the Pacific. It was refurbished and given to the then Greek Royal Navy in 1958 and withdrawn from active duty in 1991, while it was designated a Museum of Antidictatorial Struggle in 1994. It is one of four remaining ships of its type that still exist and had received more than 250,000 visitors while docked in Thessaloniki.
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
