Ierax

Ierax ("Hawk") was an Aetos-class destroyer which served in the Royal Hellenic Navy from 1912 to 1946.

The four ships of the class, Aetos, Ierax, Panthir and Leon had originally been ordered as the San Luis class by Argentina from the English shipyard Cammell Laird. They were purchased in 1912 by Greece, ready for delivery when the Balkan Wars seemed likely.

Greece belatedly entered World War I on the side of the Triple Entente. Due to its neutrality, the four Aetos-class ships were seized by the Allies in October 1916. They were taken over by France in November, serving in the French Navy from 1917-18. In 1918, they were returned to Greece and served on escort duty, mainly in the Aegean Sea.