Fidonisy-class destroyers maneuvering in close formation | |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | Fidonisy class |
Builders | Naval Shipyard, Nikolayev |
Operators | |
Preceded by | Derzky class |
Succeeded by | Opytny |
Cost | 2.2 million rubles each |
Built | 1915–1924 |
In commission | 1916–1956 |
Planned | 20 |
Completed | 8 |
Cancelled | 12 |
Lost | 7 |
Scrapped | 1 |
General characteristics (Fidonisy as built) | |
Type | Destroyer |
Displacement | |
Length | 92.51–93.26 m (303 ft 6 in – 306 ft 0 in) |
Beam | 9.05–9.07 m (29 ft 8 in – 29 ft 9 in) |
Draught | 3.2–3.81 m (10 ft 6 in – 12 ft 6 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion | 2 shafts; 2 steam turbines |
Speed | 31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph) |
Range | 1,850 nmi (3,430 km; 2,130 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
Complement | 136 |
Armament |
|
General characteristics (1943) | |
Displacement | 1,760 t (1,730 long tons) full load |
Armament |
|
The Fidonisy class, also known as the Kerch class, were a group of eight destroyers built for the Black Sea Fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy during World War I. They participated in World War I, the Russian Civil War, and World War II.
In early 1914, several months before the beginning of World War I, the construction of a third series of eight destroyers based on Novik for the Black Sea Fleet was proposed by the Naval Ministry in response to a perceived strengthening of the Ottoman Navy. This was approved by Nicholas II on 24 June after the destroyers had received names in honor of the victories of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov on 16 June. [1] The Fidonisy-class ships were ultimately built as an improved version of the Derzky class with an additional 102-millimetre (4 in) gun. Naval historian Siegfried Breyer considered the class to be the least successful of Novik's successors. [2]
The ships had an overall length of 92.51–93.26 metres (303 ft 6 in – 306 ft 0 in), had a beam of 9.05–9.07 metres (29 ft 8 in – 29 ft 9 in), and a draught of 3.2–4.04 m (10.5–13.3 ft) at deep load. [3] They normally displaced 1,326 long tons (1,347 t ) and 1,745 long tons (1,773 t) at full load. [2] Their crew consisted of 136 officers and ratings. [4]
They were powered by two Parsons direct-drive steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, [1] using steam provided by five Thornycroft boilers that operated at a pressure of 17 kg/cm2 (1,667 kPa ; 242 psi ) [4] and a temperature of 205 °C (401 °F). [5] The turbines, rated at 29,000 shaft horsepower (22,000 kW ), were intended to give a maximum speed of 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph), although they reportedly averaged about 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) in service. [2] The destroyers carried a maximum of 330 tonnes (320 long tons) of fuel oil although the ships varied widely in their endurance, ranging from 1,560 nautical miles (2,890 km; 1,800 mi) at 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) (Nezamozhnik) to 2,050 nmi (3,800 km; 2,360 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) (Zheleznyakov). [6]
The Fidonisy class were armed with four 60-calibre 102 mm Pattern 1911 Obukhov guns, one on the forecastle and three aft; one of these latter guns was superfiring over the other two. [7] The guns had a rate of fire of 12–15 rounds per minute. They fired a 17.5-kilogram (39 lb) shell out to a range of 16,095 m (17,602 yd) at an elevation of +30°. [8] Each ship stowed 150 rounds per gun. [4]
Anti-aircraft armament varied between ships. The first four were completed either with a pair of 39-calibre 40-millimetre (1.6 in) "pom-pom" guns or 58-calibre 57-millimetre (2.2 in) Hotchkiss guns. The second batch of four were fitted with a single 30-calibre 76-millimetre (3 in) Lender gun. [6] The "pom-pom" fired its 0.91-kilogram (2 lb) shells at a rate of 300 rounds per minute, out to 6,300 m (6,900 yd) at an elevation of +45°. The 991 m/s (3,250 ft/s) muzzle velocity of the Hotchkiss gun gave its 2.22-kilogram (4.9 lb) shells a range of 8,520 m (9,320 yd) at an elevation of +21°. The Lender gun's muzzle velocity of 588 m/s (1,930 ft/s) gave it a range of 6,100 m (6,700 yd) with its 6.5-kilogram (14 lb) shell. It had a practical rate of fire of 10–12 rounds per minute. [9]
The ships were also armed with a dozen 450-millimetre (17.7 in) torpedo tubes in four triple mounts amidships. [10] They probably most often used the M1912 torpedo which had a 100-kilogram (220 lb) warhead. It had three speed/range settings: 6,000 metres (6,600 yd) at 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph); 5,000 metres (5,500 yd) at 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) and 2,000 metres (2,200 yd) at 43 knots (80 km/h; 49 mph). [11] The ships could also carry 80 mines. [4]
The ships were ordered on 17 March 1915 [1] and all eight were built in the Russud Shipyard in Nikolaev. [2]
Ship | Name in Soviet service | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Feodonisy (Феодониси) then Fidonisy (Фидониси) | Not applicable | 29 October 1915 [2] | 31 May 1916 [2] | 28 May 1917 [2] | Scuttled, 16 June 1918 [2] |
Gadzhibey (Гаджибей) | 2 February 1915 [2] | 27 August 1916 [2] | 11 September 1917 [12] | ||
Kaliakria (Калиакрия) | Dzerzhinsky (Дзержинский) | 29 October 1915 [2] | 14 August 1916 [13] | 30 October 1917 [12] | Scuttled, 18 June 1918 Salvaged, 4 October 1925 Sunk, 13 May 1942 [13] |
Kerch (Керчь) | Not applicable | 31 May 1916 [2] | 27 June 1917 [2] | Scuttled, 16 June 1918 [2] | |
Korfu (Корфу) | Petrovsky (Петровский) then Zheleznyakov (Железняков) then PKZ-62 (ПКЗ-62) | 23 June 1916 [12] | 10 October 1917 [14] | 10 June 1925 [15] | Transferred to Bulgaria, 1947 Returned, 1949 Scrapped, 1957 |
Levkas (Левкас) | Shaumyan (Шаумян) | 23 May 1916 [12] | 10 December 1925 [15] | Sunk, 10 April 1942 [14] | |
Tserigo (Цериго) | Not applicable | 1915 [12] | 21 March 1917 [14] | 1918 [14] | Interned in Bizerte, French Tunisia, with Wrangel's fleet and scrapped, 1924 [14] |
Zante (Занте) | Nezamozhny (Незаможный) then Nezamozhnik (Незаможник) | May 1916 [12] | 7 November 1923 [15] | Scuttled, February 1920 Salvaged, 7 September 1920 [13] Sunk as a target, early 1950s |
Only Fidonisy was completed in time to participate in combat, helping to sink some Turkish sailing ships in October 1917, before the navy ceased offensive operations against the Central Powers in response to the Bolshevik Decree on Peace in early November before a formal Armistice was signed the next month. [16]
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Fidonisy (Фидониси) was the name ship of her class of eight destroyers built for the Imperial Russian Navy during World War I. Originally named Feodonisy (Феодониси), she was renamed Fidonisy before she was completed. Completed in 1917, she played a minor role in the war as part of the Black Sea Fleet before the Russian Revolution began later that year. Her crew joined the Bolsheviks in December and she supported their efforts to assert control in the Crimea over the next several months. The ship sailed from Sevastopol as the Germans approached in May 1918, but was scuttled in Novorossiysk harbor the following month when the Germans demanded that she be handed over as per the terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Her wreck was discovered in 1964 and was partially salvaged.
Gadzhibey (Гаджибей) was one of eight Fidonisy-class destroyers built for the Imperial Russian Navy during World War I. Completed in late 1917, too late to see active service during the war, Gadzhibey's sailors joined the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution. In early 1918, the destroyer assisted in the consolidation of Soviet control over Crimea, fighting against Crimean Tatar forces at Yalta and Alushta. After the German-Ukrainian invasion of Crimea, she was withdrawn to Novorossiysk and scuttled there in June to avoid capture by German forces. Raised by the Soviet Union in the late 1920s, Gadzhibey was deemed uneconomical to repair and scrapped. Her propulsion machinery was used to refit a sister ship.
Kerch (Керчь) was one of eight Fidonisy-class destroyers built for the Imperial Russian Navy during World War I. Completed in 1917, she played a minor role in the war as part of the Black Sea Fleet before the Russian Revolution began later that year. Her crew joined the Bolsheviks in December and the ship supported their efforts to assert control in the Crimea over the next several months. The ship sailed from Sevastopol as the Germans approached in April 1918, but was scuttled in Novorossiysk harbor the following month when the Germans demanded that she be handed over as per the terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The Soviets attempted to refloat her in 1929, but the wreck broke apart while being lifted. Three years later they successfully salvaged her engine room and incorporated her steam turbines into a power station in Tuapse.
Dzerzhinsky (Дзержинский) was one of eight Fidonisy-class destroyers built for the Imperial Russian Navy during World War I. She was originally named Kaliakria (Калиакрия) before she was renamed Dzerzhinsky in 1926.
Zheleznyakov was one of eight Fidonisy-class destroyers built for the Imperial Russian Navy during World War I. She was originally named Korfu (Корфу) before she was renamed Petrovsky (Петровский) in 1925 and Zheleznyakov (Железняков) in 1939.
Shaumyan (Шаумян) was one of eight Fidonisy-class destroyers built for the Imperial Russian Navy during World War I. She was originally named Levkas (Левкас) before she was renamed Shaumyan in 1925. Left unfinished during the Russian Revolution in 1917 and later captured by Ukrainian and White forces, the destroyer was completed by the Soviets in 1925 following their victory in the Russian Civil War.