Salamis was being built in Germany for Greece with eight 14-inch guns, while the gun supply itself depended on the United States. When wartime delivery failed, those American weapons instead went to British monitors. Greece also considered a French-built battleship with 12-inch guns, creating a heterogeneous but powerful two-ship programme. Completed Greek capital ships might alter the eastern Mediterranean balance against the Ottoman Empire. A direct encounter with an Ottoman Argencourt would combine regional rivalry with ships, guns, and yards drawn from several foreign powers.
Chapter · 31:02-38:57
Salamis and Greece's interrupted battleship programme
The uncompleted Greek battleship Salamis shows how foreign construction, imported guns, and regional rivalry could reshape the eastern Mediterranean.