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Introduction
Both the Greek Merchant Marine (GMM) as well as the
Hellenic Navy (HN), played together very important roles on
the side of the Allies during WW II. The purpose of this short
account is to summarize their substantial contribution to the
allied war effort and associated heavy sacrifice in men and
ships.
In peacetime the roles of the GMM and HN are separate and
different, but in wartime the two of them combine and
operate together in as much as the needs of sea
replenishment and transport are concerned. Additionally,
GMM seamen are the most valued source of manpower for HN
ships, due to their marine qualifications.
Although Greece remained neutral until attacked by
Italy on the 28 t h October 1940, the Greek Government
called upon the GMM to immediately commence serving
the Allies from the first day of WW II, on the 1 s t
September 1939 . Early the following year 1940, the Greek
Prime Minister sent the Greek Minister of Merchant Marine to
London, to formalize the availability of GMM ships to the
Allies. On the very first day of WW II, when Germany
attacked Poland, the GMM cargo ship IOANNIS CARRAS
became the first Greek casualty . She was bombed in the
harbor of Gdynia, where she had arrived the previous day.
Between 1 s t September 1939 and 28 t h October 1940, i.e.
before Greece was drawn into WW II, about 350 allied and
neutral merchant ships were lost, out of which about 100 or
28% were Greek. GMM continued to serve faithfully the
allied cause to the very end of WW II in August 1945.
The HN was also the victim of Italian warplane and
submarine attacks before Greece entered WW II and in
conjunction with the GMM continued to serve effectively its
country during the victorious five-month Greek defence
against invading Italy at first and later on Germany as well.
The latter came to the help of the defeated Italy on 6 t h April
1941, in order to overcome Greece. When, two months later,
the whole of Greece finally came under German occupation,
the King, the Hellenic Government and the remaining ships
of the HN Fleet did not surrender , but sailed to Alexandria
and continued in active service on the side of the Allies until