Soviet destroyer Skory (1939)
 An unidentified Storozhevoy-class destroyer in the Black Sea
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Soviet Union | |
| Name | Skory (Скорый (Fast)) |
| Ordered | 2nd Five-Year Plan |
| Builder | Leningrad |
| Yard number | 524 |
| Laid down | 23 October 1938 |
| Launched | 24 July 1939 |
| Completed | 18 July 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk by mine, 28 August 1941 |
| General characteristics (Storozhevoy, 1941) | |
| Class and type | Storozhevoy-class destroyer |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 112.5 m (369 ft 1 in) ( o/a ) |
| Beam | 10.2 m (33 ft 6 in) |
| Draft | 3.98 m (13 ft 1 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 2 shafts, 2 steam turbine sets |
| Speed | 40.3 knots (74.6 km/h; 46.4 mph) (trials) |
| Endurance | 2,700 nmi (5,000 km; 3,100 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) |
| Complement | 207 (271 wartime) |
| Sensors and processing systems | Mars hydrophones |
| Armament |
|
Skory (Russian: Скорый, lit. 'Fast') was one of 18 Storozhevoy-class destroyers (officially known as Project 7U) built for the Soviet Navy during the late 1930s. Although she began construction as a Project 7 Gnevny-class destroyer, Skory was completed in 1941 to the modified Project 7U design.
With her
evacuation of Tallinn on 28 August, she struck a mine while attempting to tow the damaged destroyer leader Minsk
and was nearly broken in half, sinking within minutes with the loss of 57 crewmen and an unknown number of passengers.
Design and description
Originally built as a Gnevny-class ship, Skory and her
en echelon, instead of linked as in the Gnevnys, so that a ship could still move with one or two boilers disabled.[1]
Like the Gnevnys, the Project 7U destroyers had an
kW) using steam from four water-tube boilers, which the designers expected would exceed the 37-knot (69 km/h; 43 mph) speed of the Project 7s because there was additional steam available. Some fell short of it, although specific figures for most individual ships have not survived. Variations in fuel oil capacity meant that the range of the Project 7Us varied from 1,380 to 2,700 nautical miles (2,560 to 5,000 km; 1,590 to 3,110 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph), that upper figure demonstrated by Storozhevoy.[3]
The Project 7U-class ships mounted four
amidships. The ships could also carry a maximum of 58 to 96 mines and 30 depth charges. They were fitted with a set of Mars hydrophones for anti-submarine work, although these were useless at speeds over 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).[5]
Construction and career
Skory was
naval jack was raised aboard her on 15 July, before joining the 2nd Division of the Baltic Fleet Light Forces Detachment three days later. Skory accompanied the hospital ships Iosif Stalin and Andrey Zhdanov to Tallinn on 25 July, and was officially transferred to the fleet on 1 August.[7][8]
During her brief career the destroyer fought in the defense of Tallinn, expending 172 shells from her main guns between 24 and 28 August. While in the Tallinn
captain, in addition to an unknown number of Baltic Fleet Naval Aviation mechanics.[7] Skory was struck from the Soviet Navy on 10 September.[8]
Citations
Sources
- Balakin, Sergey (2007). Легендарные "семёрки" Эсминцы "сталинской" серии [Legendary Sevens: Stalin's Destroyer Series] (in Russian). Moscow: Yauza/Eksmo. ISBN 978-5-699-23784-5.
- Berezhnoy, Sergey (2002). Крейсера и миноносцы. Справочник [Guide to Cruisers and Destroyers] (in Russian). Moscow: Voenizdat. ISBN 5-203-01780-8.
- Hill, Alexander (2018). Soviet Destroyers of World War II. New Vanguard. Vol. 256. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-2256-7.
- ISBN 0-7146-4895-7.
- Yakubov, Vladimir & Worth, Richard (2008). "The Soviet Project 7/7U Destroyers". In Jordan, John & Dent, Stephen (eds.). Warship 2008. London: Conway. pp. 99–114. ISBN 978-1-84486-062-3.
Further reading
- 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. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.