Greek frigate Hydra (F-452)

It has been built in the ship yards Blohm and Voss after the order of the Greek Government. It was the first from four frigates of this type (HYDRA, SPETSAI, PSARA and SALAMIS). It was delivered in the Greek Martial Navy on 15 October 1992 with first Commanding Officer the CommanderA. Papahristodoulou HN. It sailed into in Greece on 28 January 1993. Crest:The Crest of the Frigate Hydra is the same as those of her predecessors. It has been actually designed as a copy of one of the versions of the flag, under which the ships of Hydra sailed during the 1821 revolution. This Flag and consequently the crest designed after it, depicts the Cross as a symbol of the nation during the years of struggle.

The Hellenic Navy, in the effort to modernize its Fleet and after years of struggle that concerned gathering and assessing valuable information and offers, proposed, and the Hellenic Government decided in April 1988 to obtain four Frigates MEKO 200 type. In order to fulfill this program and after a large number of negotiations the following contracts were signed: a. Contract with ΜΕΚΟ Consortium (MC) composed of BLOHM + VOSS AG and THYSSEN RHEINSTAHL TECHNIC for building up the first Frigate in Germany. b. Contract with MC - parts and the Hellenic Shipyards for building up the rest three Frigates MECO 200 Class in Scaramanga, Greece. The first Frigate was HS HYDRA and she's Flag was raised in Germany on 15 October 1992.

History
The ship's name comes from the island Hydra, which participated with its powerful fleet at the war of national independence in 1821, under the command of capable and charismatic Hydrian Admirals like Andreas Miaoulis. Hydra's fleet was in full cooperation with the rest two powerful fleets of the Hellenic islands Spetsai and Psara and succeeded in taking full control of the Aegean sea prohibiting the Ottoman Empire to organize and lay out its fleet. Frigate Hydra is the fifth ship in the history of the Hellenic Navy, bearing this name. The first ship was a 26 gun sail corvette, which was purchased by the Hellenic government and commissioned with the National Fleet on its first official formation in 1830. She was burnt in 1831 in Poros island. Then followed a 433 ton steam gunboat built in Blackwall shipyard, England in 1881. She was armed with one fixed Krupp 270/30 gun and one small rapid fire gun. Third ship in sequence was a battleship with a displacement of 4,808 tons, built by the French company Forges et Chantiers de la Mediterranee at their St. Nazaire shipyard, between 1887 and 1891. Following certain modifications and additions on her armament, Hydra participated in 1897 and 1912-13 war's Naval operations. She was stricken off the list in 1918 and, anchored at Poros island, was used as Odnance School between 1922 and 1929, whence was sent to the breakers. The fourth ship bearing this name was one of four Dardo - class destroyers, with a full displacement of 1936 tons and a trial speed of 41.5 knots, built by Odero - Terni - Orlando shipyard in La Spezia, Italy and commissioned in 1932. She participated in the 1940-41 war Naval Operations and in the first surface raid in the Otrando straits (14 - 15 Nov. 1940). She sank fighting, attacked by dive bombers on the 22 April 1941 near the Lagouses islets in the Saronic gulf, killing the Commanding Officer, the Executive Officer as well as forty more officers, petty officers and ratings.