Bespokoyny 1914
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Беспокойный [Bespokoyny] | Naval, Nikolayev | 10/1912 | 31.10.1913 | 10/1914 | captured by Germany 19.6.1918 | ||
| Гневный [Gnevny] | Naval, Nikolayev | 10/1912 | 31.10.1913 | 10/1914 | wrecked 30.4.1918 | ||
| Дерзкий [Derzkiy] | Naval, Nikolayev | 10/1913 | 15.3.1914 | 10/1914 | captured by Germany 19.6.1918 | ||
| Пронзительный [Pronzitelny] | Naval, Nikolayev | 10/1913 | 15.3.1914 | 10/1914 | scuttled 17.6.1918 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
1100 |
|
Displacement full, t |
1320 |
|
Length, m |
93.9 pp 98.0 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
9.30 |
|
Draught, m |
3.20 |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
2 Brown-Boveri steam turbines, 5 Thornycroft boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
25500 |
|
Max speed, kts |
34 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 350 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 1715(21) |
|
Armament |
3 x 1 - 102/60, 4 x 1 - 7.6/94, 5 x 2 - 450 TT, 80 mines |
|
Complement |
125 |
Project history: Part of the 1911 Programme, intended for the Black Sea Fleet. Design studies for a 35kt destroyer had begun however just after the issue of the 1907 Naval Shipbuilding Estimate. The preliminary characteristics of this class were influenced by those decided for Novik. Tenders for the design having been invited, the one prepared by the Metal Wks was regarded as the best (1025t, 35kts, 2 102mm/60, 4-450mm TT). The contract was not signed however as the existing 1908 Programme did not provide new destroyers, so the Naval General Staff changed the requirements by adding 1 102mm, 6 450mmn TT and pressed for use of AEG or Parsons turbines, instead of Rateau ones fitted in the awarded design.
Tenders for the design were invited once again and a displacement increase of 50t was accepted to house the additional armament, which would cost a knot of speed. It was stipulated that these ships had to be built on the Black Sea coast. This time the Putilov Yd, backed by the Vulkan Yd, and the Naval Yd, backed by Vickers, were awarded design contracts, the former one became obligatory for the other Baltic coast yards which were to deal with the order. Externally both design variations could be recognised by shape of the funnels - round section in the Putilov Yd design and the oval one of the Naval Yd design. A small assembly yard was erected at Vadona off Kherson to lay down the hulls of Bystry, Pylkiy and Shchastlivy (sections for the former pair were subcontracted to the Putilov Yd). The hulls of Gromky and Pospeshny were laid down in the Admiralty Yd, Nikolayev. Except for the Nevski Yd, the other Baltic coast yards subcontracted the turbines to the German Vulkan Yd. Because of labour and transportation problems the Nevski and Putilov orders were taken over by the Naval Yd.
The first 4 were commissioned on 29 October 1914 while the Baltic boats entered service in summer 1915 - over a year behind schedule. Not one of this class attained the contracted speed during trials, the best one, Bespokoiny, was able to develop 32.7kts while the slowest of them Pylkiy attained 28.9kts only.
Modernizations: 1916, all: + 2 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss AA
Naval service: Derzkiy was damaged slightly during the gun duel with the Turkish cruiser Hamidiye in January 1915. All four left Sevastopol for Novorossiysk on 30 April 1918 (Gnevny damaged by a German shore battery was beached en route 30.4.1918) but returned except for Pronzitelny which was scuttled there 17.6.1918.
Bespokoyny and Derzky were seized by Germans 19.6.1918 at Sevastopol, re-captured by British-French troops 24.11.1918 and departed Sevastopol to Izmit (Turkey) in April 1919. Gnevny was 30.4.1918 damaged by German field guns at escape from Sevastopol, ran ashore at Ushakov Bulk and scutteld by crew; in Summer 1918 she was salvaged by Germans and included to German ship list as R03 but 24.11.1918 captured by British-French troops. 29.4.1918 she was re-captured by Red Army, 24.6.1919 re-captured by White Army and included to the White Fleet list. In October 1920 Bespokoyny, Derzkiy and Gnevny were transferred to Wrangel fleet of White Army and interned by French Government 29.12.1920 at Bizerte. Later they were admitted by French as Russian property but sold for scrap en situ. Pronzitelny was scuttled by own crew 17.6.1918 at Novorossiysk to avoid capture by Germans.
Derzkiy
© Ivan Gogin, 2014