Nikolaos Pappas

Nikolaos Pappas
Nikolaos Pappas as Vice Admiral, 1980s
Born	21 June 1930 Kymi
Died	5 April 2013 Athens
Allegiance	Greece
Service/branch	Hellenic Navy
Years of service	1948–1973, 1974–1986
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	Leon (D-54), Velos (D-16), Hellenic Navy General Staff
Other work	Minister for Mercantile Marine in 1989–1990

Nikolaos Pappas (Greek: Νικόλαος Παππάς; 21 June 1930 – 5 April 2013) was a Hellenic Navy admiral who, as commander of the destroyer Velos, played a major part in the abortive rebellion of the Navy in May 1973 against the ruling military junta. After the restoration of democracy he served as chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff in 1982–1986 and Minister for Mercantile Marine in 1989–1990.

Pappas was born in Kymi on 21 June 1930. He entered the Hellenic Naval Academy in September 1948, and graduated on 7 April 1952 as an Ensign. He served as commander of the minesweepers Salaminia and Kalymnos, being promoted to Second Lieutenant on 11 April 1955. He then commanded the hydrographic survey ship Vegas, before being sent to Britain in 1958–59 to attend the British Royal Navy's Navigation School.

On his return, he was promoted to Lieutenant (18 April 1959), and assumed command of the gunboats Arslanoglou (1960) and Pezopoulos (1962). In 1963–65 he was adjutant to the Minister for National Defence. Promoted to Lieutenant Commander on 11 June 1965 (later retroactive to 7 April 1964), he commanded the LST Lesvos in 1965–67 and the destroyer Leon in 1967–68. In the latter capacity he received a commendation from the Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff and the Minister for Mercantile Marine for his role, despite extremely difficult weather conditions, in the rescue of the crew of the steamer Stratoniki, which sank on 7 September 1967.