Excerpt from "The Last Gun Ship - History of USS Mullinnix DD-944"
A Historical Novel By Frank A. Wood
Alexandroupoli or Alexandroupolis is a city in Greece and the capital of the Evros regional unit. It is the largest city in Western Thrace and the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.
The city was first settled by the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century and grew into a fishing village, Dedeagac. In 1873, it became a kaza and one year later, it was promoted to a sanjak. The city developed into a regional trading center. Later, it became a part of Adrianople Vilayet. During the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), it was briefly captured by the Russians. Ottoman rule ended with the First Balkan War, when the city was captured by Bulgaria in 1912. In the Second Balkan War, Greece took the control of the city. With the Treaty of Bucharest (10 August 1913), the city returned back to Bulgaria.
With the defeat of Bulgaria in WWI, the city came under Greek control for the second time. In 1920, the city was renamed to honour the King of Greece, Alexander. With the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, Alexandroupoli became an official part of Greece.
According to Herodotus the modern city is near the site of ancient Sale, a colony of Samothrace. The zone of Alexandroupolis, as well as the whole area from the Evros Delta to Lake Vistonida and the foothills of Rhodope Mountains, was inhabited by Cicones. Cicones were Thracian people, with whom, according to mythology, Odysseus and his comrades clashed on their return from Troy.
Landmarks in Alexandroupoli include the city's lighthouse in the port, the archaeological sites of the Mesimvria Zone, the city's waterfront (the center of commercial activity), the Ethnological Museum of Thrace, the thermal springs (Hana) of Traianoupoli, the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemus and the nearby Evros delta.
Mullinnix arrived at Cape Dheftero, Greece on 14 October, anchoring in 50 fathoms of water with sand bottom, staying only one night. The ship anchored in Alexandropolus @ 0228 at Naval Gun Fire Support Anchorage. Mullinnix was underway on 18 October to participate in Operation Deep South.
