Fidonisy-class destroyer
 Fidonisy-class destroyers maneuvering in close formation
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| 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 |
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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.
Design and description
In early 1914, several months before the beginning of
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
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
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]
Armament
The Fidonisy class were armed with four 60-
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]
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)
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]
Ships
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 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 |
Service
Only Fidonisy was completed in time to participate in combat, helping to sink some Turkish
Bolshevik Decree on Peace in early November before a formal Armistice was signed the next month.[16]
References
- ^ a b c Verstyuk & Gordeev, p. 100
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Breyer, p. 64
- ^ Apalkov, p. 136
- ^ a b c d Apalkov, p. 137
- ^ Platonov, p. 149
- ^ a b Verstyuk & Gordeev, p. 116
- ^ Breyer, pp. 64–65
- ^ Friedman, pp. 263–264
- ^ Friedman, pp. 119, 264–265
- ^ Budzbon 1984, p. 311
- ^ Friedman, p. 348
- ^ a b c d e f Verstyuk & Gordeev, p. 101
- ^ a b c Likachev, p. 49
- ^ a b c d e Breyer, p. 119
- ^ a b c Breyer, p. 171
- ^ Greger, pp. 64–65
Bibliography
- Apalkov, Yu. V. (1996). Боевые корабли русского флота 8.1914–10.1917 гг.; справочник [Directory of Russian Navy Warships, August 1914 – October 1917] (in Russian). St. Petersburg: Intek. ISBN 5-7559-0018-3.
- Breyer, Siegfried (1992). Soviet Warship Development: Volume 1: 1917–1937. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-604-3.
- Budzbon, Przemysław (1985). "Russia". In Gray, Randal (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 291–325. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
- Budzbon, Przemysław (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. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
- Budzbon, Przemysław; Radziemski, Jan & Twardowski, Marek (2022). Warships of the Soviet Fleets 1939–1945. Vol. I: Major Combatants. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-68247-877-6.
- Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
- ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.
- Greger, René (1972). The Russian Fleet, 1914–1917. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0255-X.
- Hill, Alexander (2018). Soviet Destroyers of World War II. New Vanguard. Vol. 256. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-2256-7.
- Likachev, Pavel Vladimirovich (2005). Эскадренные миноносцы типа «Новик» в ВМФ СССР 1920-1955 гг [Novik-class Destroyers in the Soviet Navy 1920-1955] (in Russian). Samara, Russia: ISTFLOT. ISBN 5-98830-009-X.
- Platonov, Andrey Vitalevich (2002). Энциклопедия советских надводных кораблей 1941–1945 [Encyclopedia of Soviet Warships 1941–1945] (in Russian). Saint Petersberg: Poligon. ISBN 5-89173-178-9.
- ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
- Verstyuk, Anatoly & Gordeyev, Stanislav (2006). Корабли Минных дивизий. От "Новика" до "Гогланда" [Torpedo Division Ships: From Novik to Gogland] (in Russian). Moscow: Voennaya Kniga. ISBN 5-902863-10-4.
- ISBN 0-87021-326-1.
- Yakubov, Vladimir & Worth, Richard (2008). Raising the Red Banner: A Pictorial History of Stalin's Fleet. Gloucestershire, UK: Spellmount. ISBN 978-1-86227-450-1.
Further reading
- Watts, Anthony J. (1990). The Imperial Russian Navy. London: Arms and Armour. ISBN 0-85368-912-1.
Media related to Gadzhibey class destroyer at Wikimedia Commons
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