Greek frigate celebrates Easter at Dar El Salaam

The frigate was visited by his holiness the Metropolitan of Irinoupolis and the Seychelles, Demetrios accompanied by his aide father Fotios and members of the Greek community of Tanzania. During the visit there was a blessing ceremony on the frigates helicopter deck in the presence of the crew, followed by a tour of the fighting ship.

Among traditional gifts given to the visitors, as is customary, by the ship's command, the captain of “Psara” commander Christou offred the Metropolitan one of the ships main mast banners, a greek flag, to be unfurled next to a Tanzanian flag at the Metropolis, as he noted.

HS PSARA (F 454) ΜΕΚΟ type 200ΗΝ

Dimensions: 117/14,8/6 m
Tonnage: 3.350 t
Main Machine: CODOC (2 αεροστρόβιλοι LM2500 και 2 diesel MTU20V)
Speed: 30 knots
Crew: 198

It is the third ship of this type, and the second that it was manufactured in the Greek Ship yards Skaramagka. It was launched on 30 December 1994 and it was received on 30 April 1998 with first Commanding Officer the Commandr G. Dimitriadi HN.  

Crest

The Crest of the frigate PSARA is the same crest of the former homonymous ships. It actually represents a version of the flag under which the ships of Psara island fought against the Ottoman Fleet, during the 1821 independence war. This Flag and consequently the crest depicts theCross, symbol of the Hellenic Nation during the years of struggle, mounted on an inverted crescent (symbol of the Ottoman Empire). On the right side of the cross is depicted an ancient warrior's Spear and on the left side an anchor with a snake winding around and climbing towards a dove. The color of the cross and climbing the crescent is red and the background field is white.

History

HS PSARA is a MEKO 200 Class frigate, designed by the HDV German shipyards and built by the Hellenic Shipyards in Greece. She was commissioned on April 1998 and is the third of the four ships of this class (HS HYDRA - HS SPETSAI and HS SALAMIS). According to the decision of Supreme Naval Council No 24//29-03-1990, HS PSARA was named after the Greek island which bears the same name, to honor the heroism of the people of PSARA island in the naval battles during naval battles the independence wars from the Ottoman Empire. She was designated side number F-454. She is the fifth ship in the history of the Hellenic Navy bearing the same. The first ship was a sailing corvette,494 tons of displacement, which was commissioned in 1830, on the official formation of the Hellenic fleet after the Independence wars. This ship retained the name Psara until December 1833, when she was renamed "Prince Maximilian". The second ship under the same name, was a steam tender ship, 870 tons of displacement, built in England in 1878 (former "Gettysburg") and purchased in 1880. This ship was tobe and used as a command ship for torpedo boats; The Battleship "Psara" ,was the third ship to bear the same she had name,she had a displacement of 4.808 tons and was built by the French company Forges et Chantiers de la Maditerranee at their shipyards in Granville, Le Havre between 1887 and 1891. After modifications and additions to her armament, she participated in the naval operations,during the 1887 war with the ottoman empire. Dearing the flag of the commander in chief of the Battleship squadron. In 1899 she represented Greece in the celebrations on the anniversary of the foundation of Marseille by the people of Focea and on the coronation of King Edward Z’ of England. The Battleship "Psara" also participated in the 1912-13 Balkan wars naval operations and, afterwards, she was used as a school for Petty Officers, in the island of Poros. In 1932 she was sold off for disolving. The fourth ship bearing the same name, was one of the four "Dardo" class destoyers,having a full displacement of 1936 tons and a speed of 41,5 knots (acceptance trials). She was build by the Odero-Terni-Orlando shipyard in La Spezia, Italy and was commissioned in 1933. She participated in 1940-41 war naval operations, three of which were raids in the Orlando straits. She operated against Italian submarines and there are some indications of possible sinking or damages caused to a submarine , in the areas close to Psara and Falkonera Islands, on March 1941. The destroyer "Psara" (D-98) was sank, fighting, on April 20th 1941, Easterday, attacked by German dive bombers in the Golf of Megara, where she was anchored with the rest of the fleet. Total losses: 37 crew members, Sailors and Patty Officers.