The ship, along with her three sister ships Ierax, Panthir and Aetos, had originally been ordered by Argentina from the English shipyard Cammell Laird in Birkenhead. Leon was originally named Tucumán. They were purchased in 1912 by Greece, ready for delivery, each for the sum of £148,000, when the Balkan Wars seemed likely.

During the Balkan Wars, the Royal Hellenic Navy purchased only the minimum amount of ammunition, 3,000 rounds. Torpedoes were not available for this class of ship, and for this reason these ships were initially named 'scouts' rather than 'destroyers'. Leon was in action during the Balkan Wars under Lieutenant Commander J. Razikotsikas, also on board was Squadron Commander Lieutenant Commander D. Papachristos.

During World War I, Greece belatedly entered the war on the side of the Triple Entente and, due to Greece's neutrality the four Aetos-class ships were seized by the Allies in October 1916, taken over by the French in November, and served in the French Navy from 1917-18. By 1918, they were back on escort duty under Greek colors, and was in action blockading the coasts of the Black Sea from Bosphorus up to Trebizond.

On 22 December 1921, while moored with Ierax in Piraeus harbour they were both severely damaged by the explosion of a depth charge which the crew of Leon was transporting. Two officers, one petty officer and two sailors were killed on Leon and two sailors on Ierax. Leon completely lost her aft section up to her stern gun.^[1]

After the war, Leon was refurbished from 1925–1927. She also participated in the Second World War, On 18 April 1941, during a convoy escort, she collided with the passenger ship Ardena followed by the explosion of two depth charges. As a result, her stern section was cut off and two officers were killed. She was finally sunk by German bombers on 15 May 1941, in Souda Bay (Crete) where she had been towed from Salamis Naval Base.

• History of the Hellenic Navy

• A History of Greek Military Equipment (1821-today): Destroyer Leon II