Aristeidis Moraitinis (aviator) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lieutenant Commander
Aristeidis Moraitinis
DSO
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A painting of Moraitinis in uniform
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| Native name |
Αριστείδης Μωραϊτίνης
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| Born | 3 February 1891 Aegina, Kingdom of Greece |
| Died | 22 December 1918 (aged 19) Mount Olympus, Kingdom of Greece |
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| Service/ |
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| Years of service | 1912–1918 |
| Rank | Lieutenant commander |
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| Commands held | Hellenic Naval Air Service |
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| Alma mater | Hellenic Naval Academy |
Aristeidis Moraitinis DSO (1891–1918) was a brave officer in the Greek Navy. He was also a very important person in the early days of naval aviation, which is flying planes from ships.
Together with Michael Moutoussis, he flew the first ever naval air mission during the Balkan Wars. Later, in World War I, he became Greece's only "flying ace." This means he shot down nine enemy aircraft in air battles.
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Becoming a Pilot and Early Missions
Aristeidis Moraitinis was born on February 3, 1891, on the island of Aegina. He joined the Greek Naval Academy in 1906. He became a Navy officer in 1910.
During the First Balkan War (1912–1913), Moraitinis volunteered for a new group. This was the Greek Naval Air Service. It was just starting up in Moudros, Lemnos.
On February 5, 1913, Moraitinis and Army Lieutenant Michael Moutoussis flew a special mission. They used a hydroplane, which is a plane that can land on water. Their job was to find the Ottoman fleet in the Dardanelles.
They flew over the Nara naval base and wrote down where the Turkish ships were. Moraitinis also dropped four bombs. Three landed in the sea, and one landed near a hospital. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt.
This flight was a huge deal! It was the first time in history that planes were used for a naval mission. People all over Greece and the world talked about it.
World War I Heroics
In 1914, Moraitinis and Dimitrios Kamberos started the first naval air force academy in Greece. In the same year, he also helped create Greece's first aircraft factory. This factory was a very early version of the modern State Aircraft Factory.
Moraitinis earned his British Aviator's Certificate on February 26, 1915. He had passed his flying tests on a Sopwith seaplane in Greece.
When Greece joined the Triple Entente in World War I (1917), Moraitinis moved to the northern Aegean Sea. He flew Sopwith Camel planes for the British Royal Naval Air Service.
On January 20, 1918, he showed incredible bravery. He was escorting two British Sopwith Baby seaplanes. They were going to bomb a Turkish warship called the Yavuz Sultan Selim. Suddenly, ten enemy planes attacked them!
Moraitinis fought them all by himself. He managed to shoot down three of the enemy aircraft. For his amazing service, the United Kingdom gave him the Distinguished Service Order award.
By the end of the war, Moraitinis had shot down a total of nine enemy planes. This made him Greece's only flying ace. He also became the commander of the Greek Naval Air Service.
His Final Flight
On December 22, 1918, Moraitinis was flying from Thessaloniki to Athens. Sadly, his plane crashed because of very bad weather. The accident happened over Mount Olympus, and he died.
Awards and Recognition
Aristeidis Moraitinis received several important awards for his bravery and service:
- Greek War Cross
- Distinguished Service Order
He also received many special mentions from Greek and British commanders. The British even offered him a new Airco DH.9 plane. It had a special message on it: "To the Commander A. Moraitinis, D.S.O."
Images for kids
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A painting of Moraitinis in uniform
