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fighting ships of the world

BULGARIAN NAVY (BULGARIA)

COASTAL FORCES

NO1 motor torpedo boats (1940/1941, 1943)

No4 1941

Names

¹4 [No4] (ex-S201, ex-TM52)

¹5 [No5] (ex-S202, ex-TM53)

¹6 [No6] (ex-S208, ex-TM68)

¹7 [No7] (ex-S209, ex-TM69)

Builders

Gusto, Schiedam, Netherlands: No4, 5

Gusto, Schiedam, Netherlands // Varna or Burgas: No6, 7

Commissioned

autumn 1940 // 1.1941: No4, 5

summer 1943: No6, 7

7/1945: No4, 5 (2nd time)

Losses

No4 (9.9.1944 Soviet TK-961), No5 (9.9.1944 Soviet TK-962), No6 (9.9.1944 Soviet TK-963), No7 (9.9.1944 Soviet TK-964)

Transfers

none

Discarding

1960: No4, 5

 

Displacement standard, t

30.8

Displacement full, t

38.3

Length, m

21.4

Breadth, m

6.05

Draught, m

1.14

No of shafts

3

Machinery

3 Rolls-Royce Merlin petrol engines

Power, h. p.

3300

Max speed, kts

40

Fuel, t

petrol 11

Endurance, nm(kts)  

Armament

2 x 1 - 20/80 HS804, 2 - 533 TT, 8 DC

Complement

14

Project history: Dutch MTBs of TM52 class built under licence of British Power Boat. In May, 1940 they were captured by German troops on slipways and 10 from them were formally enlisted by Kriegsmarine as S201-210. S201 and 202 (ex-TM52 and TM53) were commissioned in the autumn of 1940 and in January, 1941 were sold to Bulgaria as No4 and 5 and arrived Varna in August, however then they were again returned to Linz for replacement of defective engines and were actually commissioned only in 1942. Two MTBs (presumably, S209 and 210, ex-TM68 and 69) were transferred in summer 1943 in partly completed condition, engined and armed already in Bulgaria. All MTBs were equipped by Rolls-Royce Merlin III aviation engines, and owing to absence of spare parts their operation has been interfaced to considerable difficulties.

Modernizations: None.

Naval service: No significant events.

© Ivan Gogin, 2009-16