Greek Tjeld-type patrol boat explained

The Greek Tjeld type patrol boats were a set of six fast patrol boats built to a Norwegian design and operated by the Hellenic Navy during the 1960s and early 1970s.

Construction

The six vessels were built by the Norwegian company Westermoen of Mandal, Norway, to the same design as that of the Tjeld class patrol boats built by Westermoen for the Royal Norwegian Navy in 1959. This was in turn based on their prototype fast patrol boat, the Nasty, and the Greek vessels are also described as the "Improved Nasty type". Other sources give the names "Nasty-type" and "Nasty-class" patrol boats.^[1]

The vessels were ordered in 1965, identical to the Tjeld boats except they had two 40mm guns instead of the single 40mm and 20mm guns of the Tjeld boats. They were delivered in 1967, and commissioned with astronomical names. They were the first warships built for the Greek navy since the 1930s.^[2]

Service history

The six vessels remained in service until the 1980s. In 1982 Iniohos was discarded and the remaining vessels were re-numbered P196-200 (inclusive); all were decommissioned and placed in reserve or sold in 1983. In 1989 four boats were re-engined and re-activated, but by 1985 all had been disposed of.^[2]

List of vessels

Name		Builder	Date of launch	Notes
Andromeda (gk) ("Andromeda")	P21		1965	renumbered P196 in 1982, decommissioned 1983. re-engined 1989, stricken 1985
Iniohos (gk) ("the Charioteer")	P22	Westermoen	1965	stricken 1982
Kastor (gk) ("Castor")	P23	Westermoen	1965	renumbered P197 in 1982, stricken 1983
Kyknos (gk) ("the Swan")	P24	Westermoen	1965	renumbered P198 in 1982, decommissioned 1983. re-engined 1989, stricken 1985
Pigasos (gk) ("Pegasus")	P25	Westermoen	1965	renumbered P199 in 1982, decommissioned 1983. re-engined 1989, stricken 1985
Toxotis (gk) ("the Archer")	P26	Westermoen	1965	renumbered P200 in 1982, decommissioned 1983. re-engined 1989, stricken 1985

Notes

Toxotis,Andromeda,Kiknos and Pigasos are still in service at Patrol duty at Eastern Aegean islands.Re-engined with 2 MTU each and 2 fiat iveco engines using as armament only 1 40mm bofors and 1 20mm Oerlikon.No torpedo tubes in usage at the moment

References

• Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995 (1995) Naval Institute Press, Annapolis
• Miller, David The World's Navies: an illustrated review of the navies of the world (1992) Crescent Books,

External links

• fast boats command -history at hellenic navy.gr

https://www.hellenicnavy.gr/en/fleet/patrol-boats2/toksotis.html

Notes and References

1. Miller p84
2. Conway p165