2004-2006 HS Nearchos D-219

Berthed awaiting SinkEx

The HS Nearchos D-219 (former USS Waddell DDG-24) was decommissioned on 7/18/2003. After the decommissioning at the Souda Bay Naval Station (Crete, Greece), the ship was moved across the harbor to a pier that berths the HS Themistocles D-221 (former USS Berkeley DDG-15) decommissioned from Hellenic Navy on 7/29/2002 and the HS Formion D-220 (former USS Joseph Strauss DDG-16) decommissioned from Hellenic Navy on 2/18/2002.

In June of 2004, former Waddell shipmate James (Jimmy John) Johnson, HTCM '66-'70, traveled to Souda Bay, Crete in his capacity as Manager of the Navy's Emergency Ship Salvage Material System (ESSM). As he sailed into Souda Bay, he was able to take the following pictures of the Waddell / Nearchos moored between the Themistocles / Berkeley & Formion / Joseph Strauss. It's interesting that the Berkeley and Strauss were sold for scrap on 2/19/2004, but were still present in June. Knowing that the HS Kimon D-219 (former USS Semmes DDG-18) was decommissioned from the Hellenic Navy on 6/17/2004, I would assume she is now moored with the other CFA ships.

Other ships pictures are: Decommissioned HS Epirous F-456 (former Knox Class - USS Connole FF-1056) and Decommissioned HS Makedonia F-458 (former Knox Class - USS Vreeland FF-1068).

Sinking Exercise (SINKEX)

HN MM-40 FIRINGS/HS NEARCHOS SUNK: On May 29 2006, off Crete, the Hellenic Navy performed acceptance test firings of its MBDA MM40 Block 2 SSMs. These firings were also acceptance tests for its two new, Super Vita-type FAC(M)s, HS Rousen (P-67) and HS Daniolos (P-68), as each fired one missile against HS Nearchos (D-219), a decommissioned C.F. Adams-class DDG. The missile shot by HS Rousen ran a 64 km straight course, while that from HS Daniolos, ran a 44 km dog-leg course. Also taking part were a Sikorsky S-70B Aegean Hawk helicopter, side number ΠΝ 60, which fired a Hellfire II air-to-surface missile and HS Triton (S-112), a Type 209/1100 submarine, which fired a SST-4 torpedo. Following the day-long firings, HS Nearchos finally sunk late in the evening.