Victory
9
Biography
Born in 1891, Aristide Moraitinis is one of the great pioneers of Greek military aviation. In 1910, he finished his studies at the naval school and graduated with the rank of ensign. When the Balkan War broke out on October 5, 1912, Moraitinis was second in command of a torpedo boat. It was at this time that the Greek navy, like the army, began to show interest in aviation. At the end of 1912, the Admiralty acquired two French Astra seaplanes based at Moudhros, on the island of Lemnos, facing the Dardanelles strait guarded by the Turks.
Moraitinis s' has meanwhile volunteered to serve as an observer for this embryonic observation squadron. And on January 24, 1913, he participated in the first war mission of the Greek naval aviation. On board the Astra seaplane, baptized Nautilus, piloted by Lieutenant Michaël Moutoussis, he took a sketch of the layout of the Turkish fleet anchored in the Dardanelles Strait.
From this date, Aristide Moraitinis will devote all his energy to the development of maritime aviation. He then entered the aviation school founded near Eleusis by a British mission under the orders of Commander Pizey. In 1914, Moraitinis was appointed instructor and second Pizey in his formative action. A few months later, Moraitinis was made chief of the Greek maritime aviation.
The financial and political difficulties of Greece added to the effects of an epidemic of malaria which decimated the school of 'Eleusis, lead to an almost complete cessation of aerial activity. The arrival of four Henry Farman F.22 seaplanes nevertheless made it possible to form a squadron whose command was entrusted to Lieutenant Aristide Moraitinis.
At the end of 1916, this squadron was transferred to the island of Thassos and was attached to the N°2 Wing of the R.N.A.S. British who lends some Bristol Scout D to the Greeks. Sometimes operating from Thassos, sometimes from Lemnos, this squadron performs many missions above the Turkish fleet. The following spring, it was renamed squadron Z.
In June 1917, Greece officially joined the Allied camp and received a contingent of better quality aircraft from Great Britain. Thus, maritime aviation was offered Sopwith Pup and Camel fighter planes, Airco D.H. 4 reconnaissance planes and Sopwith Baby and Short 184 seaplanes. Four squadrons could then be formed H 1 at Thassos, H2 at Moudhros, H3 in Stavroupolis and H4 in Mitilinoi. In January 1918, Aristide Moraitinis led a spectacular action in person with the fighter squadron:he attacked the German destroyers Gôben and Breslau. The German air force, based in Beykoz, in the Bosphorus, reacts:two Greek planes are missing, but Moraitinis claims three victories.
At the end of the war, promoted to the rank of captain of corvette, Aristide Moraitinis has a good track record:25 anti-submarine patrols, 15 support missions, 80 bombing, 27 reconnaissance, 18 fighters, 20 aerial combats during which Moraitinis was credited with nine confirmed victories . He is decorated with the D.S.O. by the King of England and is showered with honors by his own government. In appreciation of his service with the Allies, the British Admiralty personally presented him with an Airco D.H. 9 bearing the inscription "To the Commander A. Moraitinis, D.S.O."
During On a connecting flight between Salonika and Athens on December 22, 1918, he was caught in a violent storm. The body of Aristide Moraitinis is found a few days later in the wreckage of his plane which crashed on top of Mount Olympus.