Bditelny was one of 29 Gnevny-classdestroyers (officially known as Project 7) built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1939, she was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union began in 1941, the ship provided naval gunfire support during the Siege of Odessa. Frequently under repair due to running aground in 1941, Bditelny was unable to support the defenders of Sevastopol until early 1942 when she began to ferry supplies and troops there while also bombarding German positions outside the besieged city. She was sunk during a German airstrike in July when some of her torpedoes exploded. Her wreck was salvaged for scrap between 1948 and 1952.
Having decided to build the large and expensive 40-knot (74km/h; 46mph)Leningrad-classdestroyer leaders, the Soviet Navy sought Italian assistance in designing smaller and cheaper destroyers. They licensed the plans for the Folgore class and, in modifying it for their purposes, overloaded a design that was already somewhat marginally stable.[1]
The Gnevnys had an overall length of 112.8 meters (370ft 1in), a beam of 10.2 meters (33ft 6in), and a draft of 4.8 meters (15ft 9in) at deep load. The ships were significantly overweight, almost 200 metric tons (197 long tons) heavier than designed, displacing 1,612 metric tons (1,587 long tons) at standard load and 2,039 metric tons (2,007 long tons) at deep load. Their crew numbered 197 officers and sailors in peacetime and 236 in wartime.[2] The ships had a pair of geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller, rated to produce 48,000 shaft horsepower (36,000kW) using steam from three water-tube boilers which was intended to give them a maximum speed of 37 knots (69km/h; 43mph).[3] The designers had been conservative in rating the turbines and many, but not all, of the ships handily exceeded their designed speed during their sea trials. Others fell considerably short of it, although specific figures for most individual ships have not survived. Variations in fuel oil capacity meant that the range of the Gnevnys varied between 1,670 to 3,145 nautical miles (3,093 to 5,825km; 1,922 to 3,619mi) at 19 knots (35km/h; 22mph).[4]
When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, Bditelny was assigned to the 2nd Destroyer Division and was refitting in Nikolayev. The refit was completed by 10 July when the ship steamed for Sevastopol, but she had to return for repairs. The same thing happened eight days later. While covering the transfer of incomplete ships from Nikolayev to Sevastopol on 13 August, Bditelny was damaged when she accidentally collided with the freighterSSKaments-Podolsk. After repairs were completed, the ship provided gunfire support for the defenders of Odessa on 26–27 August. On 24 September, she ran aground, damaging her bow, and repairs were completed the following month. Bditelny helped to evacuate cut-off Soviet troops from pockets along the Black Sea coast to Sevastopol in early November. On 9 November, she ran aground off the Tuzla Spit, damaging her propellers and flooding her middle boiler room. The ship was pulled off and was under repair at Tuapse until mid-February 1942.[10]
On 26 February, Bditelny, together with her sister Boyky and the leaderKharkov, bombarded German positions at Feodosia, expending 60 rounds from her main guns. The ship conducted further gunfire support missions in the area on 28 February and 3, 11 and 14 March. The following month, she began transporting supplies and troops to and from besieged Sevastopol and providing gunfire support. Between 16 April and 13 June, Bditelny fired 535 shells from her main guns. On 17 April, the ship rescued 143 survivors from the sunken transport SSSvaneti and she was briefly refitted the following month. After the destroyer leader Tashkent was crippled by German aircraft on 26 June, Bditelny was one of the ships sent to assist her and towed Tashkent to Novorossiysk for repairs. During an air raid on Novorossiysk by I. Gruppe (First Group) of Kampfgeschwader 76 (Bomber Wing 76) on 2 July, bomb splinters caused torpedoes in her forward mount to detonate, which set off her aft magazines, sinking the ship. Her wreck was salvaged in pieces and scrapped in 1948–1952.[11]
Berezhnoy, Sergey (2002). Крейсера и миноносцы. Справочник[Guide to Cruisers and Destroyers] (in Russian). Moscow: Voenizdat. ISBN5-203-01780-8.
Budzbon, Przemysaw (1980). "Soviet Union". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. pp.318–346. ISBN0-85177-146-7.
Hill, Alexander (2018). Soviet Destroyers of World War II. New Vanguard. Vol.256. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN978-1-4728-2256-7.
Platonov, Andrej V. (2002). Энциклопедия советских надводных кораблей 1941–1945[Encyclopedia of Soviet Surface Ships 1941–1945] (in Russian). Saint Petersburg: Poligon. ISBN5-89173-178-9.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Reviseded.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-59114-119-2.
Rohwer, Jürgen & Monakov, Mikhail S. (2001). Stalin's Ocean-Going Fleet. London: Frank Cass. ISBN0-7146-4895-7.
Yakubov, Vladimir & Worth, Richard (2008). "The Soviet Project 7/7U Destroyers". In Jordan, John & Dent, Stephen (eds.). Warship 2008. London: Conway. pp.99–114. ISBN978-1-84486-062-3.
Further reading
Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-326-1.
Gnevny was the lead ship of her class of 29 destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1938, she was assigned to the Baltic Fleet and played a minor role in the 1939–1940 Winter War when the Soviet Union invaded Finland. A few days after the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, the ship struck a German mine and was badly damaged. After taking off the survivors, the Soviets failed to sink Gnevny with gunfire before they withdrew and the abandoned wreck drifted until she was sunk by German bombers three days later.
Grozny was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1938, she was initially assigned to the Baltic Fleet before being transferred to the Northern Fleet in mid-1939 where she participated in the 1939–1940 Winter War against the Finns.
Grozyashchy was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1939, she was assigned to the Baltic Fleet and played a minor role in the Winter War of 1939–1940 against the Finns. After the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Grozyashchy participated in the Gulf of Riga Campaign and laid minefields in the Gulf of Finland. She was badly damaged by a mine in July and was under repair for over a month. The ship was crippled by German bombs in late September and did not become operational for almost a year. Grozyashchy provided naval gunfire support in 1944 for the Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive.
Gordy was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1938, she was assigned to the Baltic Fleet. The ship was covering a minelaying operation after the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 when she entered a German minefield. One of her sister ships had her bow blown off and Gordy rescued the survivors. The ship provided naval gunfire support for Soviet ground forces over the next several months, although she was badly damaged by a mine during the evacuation of Tallinn, Estonia, in August. After repairs, Gordy was assigned to evacuate Soviet troops from their enclave in Hanko, Finland, in November, but struck several mines en route and sank with heavy loss of life.
Steregushchy was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1939, she was assigned to the Baltic Fleet. The ship played a minor role in the Winter War of 1939–1940 against the Finns. After the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Steregushchy participated in the Gulf of Riga Campaign. The ship briefly provided naval gunfire support during the Siege of Leningrad before she was sunk by German dive bombers on 21 September. Her wreck was refloated in 1944, although the repairs were not completed until 1948. Steregushchy was broken up for scrap in 1959.
Stremitelny was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyer built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1938, the ship was assigned to the Baltic Fleet and played a minor role in the 1939–1940 Winter War against Finland. Stremitelny was transferred to the Northern Fleet in mid-1940. After the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, she covered an amphibious landing along the Arctic coast. The ship was attacked and sunk by German dive bombers the following month in Polyarny with the loss of 111 crew and passengers. Her wreck was partially salvaged the following year.
Smetlivy was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1938, she was assigned to the Baltic Fleet and played a minor role in the 1939–1940 Winter War against Finland. After the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, the ship participated in the Gulf of Riga Campaign before withdrawing to Tallinn, Estonia. Smetlivy supported Soviet forces during the defense of Tallinn in August and covered the subsequent evacuation to Leningrad. The ship provided naval gunfire support to the defenders of Leningrad over the next several months before she was assigned to evacuate Soviet troops from their enclave in Hanko, Finland, in November. Smetlivy struck several mines returning from Hanko and sank with heavy loss of life.
Bodry was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1938, she was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, the ship covered the evacuation of the Danube Flotilla to Odessa the following month. During the Siege of Odessa, Bodry transported troops and supplies while providing naval gunfire support to the defenders and then helped to evacuate them in October. During the Siege of Sevastopol, she performed the same sorts of missions and then participated in the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula at the end of 1941. The ship bombarded German troops in January 1942 before beginning repairs the following month. Bodry was badly damaged during a German air raid in July and was under repair until the end of 1944.
Bystry was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1939, she was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. When the German invasion of the Soviet Union began in June 1941, the ship was under repair. Bystry struck a mine and sank in July. Her wreck was raised, but was too badly damaged for immediate repairs. She was later sunk by German bombs and her wreck had the bow salvaged to repair one of her sisters.
Boyky was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1939, she was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. After the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, the ship helped to lay minefields off Sevastopol. During the Siege of Odessa, Boyky transported troops and supplies while providing naval gunfire support to the defenders and then helped to evacuate them in October. During the Siege of Sevastopol, she performed the same sorts of missions and then participated in the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula at the end of 1941.
Besposhchadny was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1939, she was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. After the start of the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, the ship helped to lay minefields off Sevastopol. During the Siege of Odessa the ship transported troops and supplies while providing naval gunfire support to the defenders until she was crippled by German dive bombers in September. Besposhchadny was further damaged by bombs while still under repair in November and they were not completed for almost another year.
Bezuprechny was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1939, she was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, the ship laid minefields and participated in the Siege of Odessa, ferrying men and supplies to the beleaguered city and providing naval gunfire support. Bezuprechny was damaged by German aircraft in September and was under repair for most of the rest of the year. During the Siege of Sevastopol, the ship resumed her duties in late December, only with a different destination. She was sunk by German aircraft while transporting supplies and troops on 26 June 1942 with the loss of approximately 300 crewmen and 320 passengers.
Ryany was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1939, she was assigned to the Pacific Fleet.
Reshitelny was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Originally named Pospeshny, she was renamed Reshitelny before completion in 1941, and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet. She was sold to People's Liberation Army Navy in 1955 and renamed Changchun. Currently she is preserved as a museum ship.
Revnostny was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Completed in 1941, she was assigned to the Pacific Fleet.
Redky was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Originally named Pylky, she was renamed Redky before completion in 1942, and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet.
Razumny was one of 29 Gnevny-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Originally named Prochny, she was renamed Razumny before completion in 1941, and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet. About a year after the German invasion of Russia in June 1941, she was ordered to join the Northern Fleet, sailing through the Arctic Ocean. Together with several other destroyers, Razumny left the Soviet Far East in July 1942 and arrived in Murmansk three months later where she began escorting convoys, both Allied ones from Britain and the United States and local ones in the White and Barents Seas. The ship was badly damaged by German bombs while she was refitting in 1943 and was under repairs for five months. Razumny spent most of the rest of the war on convoy escort duties, although she did bombard a German-occupied town during the Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive of October 1944.
Sposobny was one of 18 Storozhevoy-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Although she began construction as a Project 7 Gnevny-class destroyer, Sposobny was completed in 1941 to the modified Project 7U design and assigned to the Black Sea Fleet.
Sovershenny (Совершенный) was one of 18 Storozhevoy-class destroyer built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Although she began construction as a Project 7 Gnevny-class destroyer, Sovershenny was completed in 1941 to the modified Project 7U design. The ship struck a mine while running her acceptance trials in September. While under repair in November, she was hit by two bombs that virtually wrecked her; the Soviets subsequently disarmed her. Repairs resumed in early 1942 until Sovershenny was sunk by an artillery shell in June. Her wreck was scrapped in late 1945.
Svobodny was one of 18 Storozhevoy-class destroyers built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Although she began construction as a Project 7 Gnevny-class destroyer, Svobodny was completed in early 1942 to the modified Project 7U design.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Soviet Union 
