Yunan Savaş Gemisi VELOS Olayı - 1973
Yunan Savaş Gemisi VELOS Komutanı ve 30 personeli , 25 Mayıs 1973 tarihinde katıldıkları NATO Tatbikatında İtalya ' da demirleyerek siyasi sığınma istediler.
HS Velos ( ΒΕΛΟΣ - D 16 ) USS Charrette (DD 581) ismi ile A.B.D. 'de görev yapmış Fletcher sınıfı bir muhripti. ( Length: 114,7 meters (376.6 feet) Beam: 12,1 meters (39.8 ft) Draft: 5,4 meters (17.9 ft) Displacement: 2050 tons (standard) / 2500 tons (full load)
Speed: 35 knots (65 km/h) Range: 5500 NM (8850 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) Complement: 329 )
On 25 May 1973, Velos, under the command of Cdr Nicholaos Pappas, while participating in a NATO exercise and in order to protest against the dictatorship in Greece, anchored at Fiumicino, Italy, refusing to return to Greece. When in patrol with other NATO vessels between Italy and Sardinia the captain and the officers heard from a radio station that naval officers (60 from Hellenic Navy, 4 from Air Force and 4 from Army) had been arrested and tortured in Greece. Cdr Pappas was involved in a group of democratic officers, loyal to their oath to obey the Constitution, and planning to act against the junta. Pappas understood that the arrested officers opposed the junta so there was no hope for a movement inside Greece and decided to act alone in order to motivate global public opinion. He mustered all the crew to the stern and announced his decision, which was received with enthusiasm by the crew. Pappas signaled the commander of the squadron and NATO Headquarters of his intentions, quoting the preamble of the North Atlantic Treaty (founding treaty for NATO) which declares that "all governments ...are determined to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilisation of their peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law", and, leaving formation, sailed for Rome. There when anchored about 3.5 nautical miles away from coast of Fiumicino three officers (three Ensigns Ens Gkortzis, Ens Mataragkas, Ens Stratos) went ashore with a whaleboat and went to the Fiumicino Airport and telephoned to international press agencies informing for the situation in Greece, the presence of the destroyer and for a press confenrance held from the Captain next day. This action caused international interest for the situation in Greece. The captain, six officers, and twenty five petty officers (without family in Greece) requested and remained abroad as political refugees, actually the whole crew wished to follow their captain (269 signed relevent request) but advised (due to fera of retaliations from Junta to their families) by their officers to remain onboard and return to Greece to inform their families and friends about what happened. Velos returned to Greece after a month with a replacement crew. After the fall of junta (July 24 1974) all officers and petty officers returned to Navy by Spacial Decree. Cdr Nicholaos Pappas reached to the rank of Vice Admiral and was appointed as the Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff in 1980's.