Nembo-class destroyer

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Italian destroyer Zeffiro.jpg
Zeffiro
Class overview
NameNembo class
BuildersPattison, Naples
OperatorsFlag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Regia Marina
Preceded by Lampo class
Succeeded by Soldato class
Built1899–1905
In commission1902–1924
Completed6
Lost3
Scrapped3
General characteristics
Type Destroyer
Displacement
  • 325 long tons (330 t) normal
  • 380 long tons (390 t) full load
Length
  • 63.39 m (208 ft 0 in) pp
  • 64.00 m (210 ft 0 in) oa
Beam5.94 m (19 ft 6 in)
Draught2.29 m (7 ft 6 in)
Propulsion
Speed30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement55
ArmamentNembo and Turbine:
1 × 76 mm/40 gun
5 × 57 mm/43 guns
2 × 356 mm (14 in) torpedo tubes

Remaining ships:

5 × 57 mm/43 guns
3 × 356 mm (14 in) torpedo tubes
1 × 356 mm (14 in) bow tube

The Nembo class was a class of destroyer of the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy). Six destroyers were built by the Pattison shipyard of Naples between 1899 and 1905, to a design based on the contemporary destroyers of the British shipyard Thornycroft. They were active in the Italo-Turkish War and in the First World War, where three were lost.

Contents

Design

In 1899, work began at the Pattison shipyard of Naples on the first ships of a new class of destroyers, the Nembo class. [1] The Nembo class were based on a design by the British shipbuilders Thornycroft, and were similar to the Thirty-knotter destroyers that Thornycroft were building for the British Royal Navy (such as HMS Stag). [2]

The ships were 64.0 metres (210 ft 0 in) long overall and 63.39 metres (208 ft 0 in) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 5.94 metres (19 ft 6 in) and a draught of 2.29 metres (7 ft 6 in). Displacement was 325 long tons (330 t) normal and 380 long tons (390 t) full load. [3] Three Thornycroft boilers fed steam to two triple expansion steam engines rated at 5,000 indicated horsepower (3,700 kW) and driving two propeller shafts, giving a design speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph). [3] [4] The ships featured a raised turtleback [lower-alpha 1] forecastle and two funnels. [6] Crew was between 51 and 58 officers and men. [4]

The first two ships of the class, Nembo and Turbine were armed with one 76 mm (3 in)/40 calibre gun (capable of firing a 5.9 kilograms (13 lb) shell to a range of 9,850 metres (32,320 ft) at a rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute per gun [7] ) and five 57 mm/43 guns, with two 356 mm (14 in) torpedo tubes, [3] while the remaining four ships had a reduced gun armament of five 57 mm/43 guns, allowing an increased torpedo armament of four 356 mm torpedo tubes to be carried. [3]

The six ships of the class were completed between 1902 and 1905, reaching speeds of up to 30.2 knots (55.9 km/h; 34.8 mph) during sea trials (corresponding to a realistic sea speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)). [8]

Nembo and Turbine were rearmed in 1905 to match the other four ships. [3] From 1908, all ships of the class were fitted with new oil-fired boilers, with a resulting change in the ships' profile, with three funnels being fitted rather than two. Sufficient oil was carried to give a range of 330 nautical miles (610 km; 380 mi) at 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) or 2,200 nautical miles (4,100 km; 2,500 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph). The ships' armament was changed at the same time, to four 76 mm/40 guns and two 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes. [4]

Service

The ships of the class were active during the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912. [9] They were fitted for minelaying, with a capacity of 10–16 mines during the First World War, during which three destroyers were lost. [3] Following the end of the war, the remaining three ships had a boiler removed, with the consequent loss of a funnel, together with a 76 mm gun, and were reclassified as torpedo boats. [4]

Ships

ShipLaid down [8] Launched [8] Completed [8] Operational History
Nembo 6 August 189918 May 190126 June 1902Torpedoed by Austro-Hungarian submarine U-16 on 17 October 1916. [10] [lower-alpha 2]
Turbine 20 August 189921 November 190128 August 1902Sunk by Austro-Hungarian cruiser Helgoland and destroyers Csepel, Tátra and Lika on 24 May 1915. [10]
Aquilone 10 September 189916 October 190212 October 1903Re-rated as torpedo boat 1 July 1921, discarded 4 March 1923. [4]
Borea 2 October 189912 December 19026 October 1903Sunk by Austro-Hungarian destroyers Csepel and Balaton 14/15 May 1917. [4]
Zeffiro 14 May 19041 April 1905Re-rated as torpedo boat 1 July 1921, discarded 13 March 1923. [10]
Espero 9 July 19041 April 1905Renamed Turbine 16 January 1921. Re-rated as torpedo boat 1 July 1921, discarded 5 April 1923. [4]

Notes

  1. ↑ A turtleback is an arched structure over the deck of a ship, normally at the ship's bow. [5]
  2. ↑ U-16 was also sunk in this engagement, possibly by the explosion of Nembo's depth charges after the destroyer sank, [3] [10] [11] [12] or possibly by ramming, either by Nembo [13] or by another ship. [14]

Citations

  1. ↑ "Nembo: Cacciatorpedinere" (in Italian). Marina Militare. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Friedman 2009, p. 50.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chesneau and Kolesnik 1979, p. 356.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fraccaroli 1970, p. 65.
  5. ↑ "turtleback: Definitions". wordnik.com. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  6. ↑ Purnell's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Modern Weapons and Warfare, p. 1877.
  7. ↑ Fraccaroli 1970, pp. 281–282.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Fraccaroli 1970, pp. 65–66.
  9. ↑ Beehler 1913, pp. 10, 89.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Fraccaroli 1970, p. 66.
  11. ↑ Fraccaroli 1985, p. 258.
  12. ↑ Grant 1964, p. 163.
  13. ↑ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Nembo". U-Boat War in World War I. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  14. ↑ Fraccaroli 1985, p. 343.

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References

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