Greek destroyer Leon (D54)

Leon (D54) (Greek: Α/Τ Λέων, "Lion") was a Cannon-class destroyer that served with the Greek Navy between 1951–1992. The ship had formerly served with the United States Navy under the name USS Eldridge (DE-173), famous for its alleged role in the Philadelphia Experiment.

For other ships with the same name, see Greek ship Leon.
USS Eldridge (DE-173) ca. 1944
History
United States
Name: Eldridge
Namesake: John Eldridge Jr.
Ordered: 1942
Builder: Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newark, New Jersey
Laid down: 22 February 1943
Launched: 25 July 1943
Commissioned: 27 August 1943
Decommissioned: 17 June 1946
Struck: 26 March 1951
Fate: Sold to Greece, 15 January 1951
Greece
Name: Leon
Acquired: 15 January 1951
Decommissioned: 15 November 1992
Fate: Sold for scrap, 11 November 1999
General characteristics
Class and type: Cannon-class destroyer escort
Displacement:
  • 1,240 long tons (1,260 t) standard
  • 1,620 long tons (1,646 t) full
Length:
  • 306 ft (93 m) o/a
  • 300 ft (91 m) w/l
Beam: 36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Draft: 11 ft 8 in (3.56 m)
Propulsion: 4 × GM Mod. 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6,000 shp (4,474 kW), 2 screws
Speed: 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range: 10,800 nmi (20,000 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement: 15 officers and 201 enlisted
Armament:

Service history

Leon was transferred to Greece under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. It was put to service in January 1951 by Vice Admiral D. Foifas. She was used mainly for patrols in the Eastern Aegean Sea and for cadet officer (midshipmen) training.[1]

Leon was decommissioned on November 15. 1992 and later in November 1999 it was sold as scrap to the Piraeus-based V&J Scrapmetal Trading Ltd.[2]

Sister ships

Leon belonged to a group of four Cannon-class destroyers that were transferred to the Greek Navy in 1951. The other three were Ierax (D31) (Greek: Ιέραξ, "Hawk"), Aetos (D01) (Greek: Άετός, "Eagle") and Panthir (D67) (Greek: Πάνθηρ, "Panther"), affectionately known as the Thiria (Greek: Θηρία, "Beasts").

References
  1. Vice Admiral C. Paizis-Paradellis, HN (2002). Hellenic Warships 1829–2001 (3rd Edition). Athens, Greece: The Society for the study of Greek History. p. 111. ISBN 960-8172-14-4.
  2. "Leon D-54 (1951-1992)". Hellenic Navy. Archived from the original on 2009-09-28. Retrieved 2009-09-01.



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