IMPERIAL RUSSIAN NAVY / SOVIET NAVY (RUSSIA / USSR)

Project history: Large batch of turbine-driven destroyers of Imperial  Russian Navy. Built in many series with foreign technical help and possessed a number inter-subclass differences. Common for all ships were artillery (102mm/60 guns), powerful torpedo side salvo (from 8 to 12 450mm torpedoes in twin-and triple mounts) and, except for a lead ship, twin-shaft turbine machinery and a three-funnel outline profile.
   Novik was built under the design of Putilov plant and was equipped with triple-shaft Curtis-AEG-Vulkan machinery and 6 Vulkan boilers. At the moment of commission she was one of the largest (1260t), well armed (4 102mm guns and 4 twin 450mm TTs) and fastest ships of this type in the world. On trials she shown average 36.3kts speed (maximum 37.3kts) at 41910hp.
    On her construction basis for Black Sea Fleet series of Schastlivy class was designed. They differed by machinery structure (2 shafts and 5 boilers), moderated to 30kts speed and arms structure: 3 102mm guns and 5 twin TTs.
    They, in turn, have formed a basis for design of Baltic Fleet Orfey, Leytenant Ilyin and Gavriil classes. Number of boilers on them was moderated to four, and armament in an ultimate variant included 4 102mm guns and 3 triple TTs. The engineering design was developed with the help of Blohm und Voss and Vulkan. At identical general arrangement, dimensions and appearance destroyers differed with type of turbines and boilers: Orfey class had Curtis-AEG-Vulkan turbines and Normand-Vulkan boilers; Leytenant Ilyin class Brown-Boveri-Parsons turbines and Normand boilers; Gavriil class Curtiss-AEG-Vulkan turbines and Normand boilers. On trials the majority of the ships exceeded 31kts.

Modernizations: 1926, Lenin: - 1 x 1 - 40/39, 2 x 1 - 7.6/94; + 1 x 1 - 76/28 8K, 2 DCR (10), mine stowage decreased to 58.

1934, Voykov: + 2 x 1 - 45/43 21K, 2 DCR (10), mine stowage was decreased to 58.

1941, Lenin, Voykov, Valerian Kuybyshev, Karl Libknekht: - 2 x 1 - 7.6/94; + 4 x 1 - 12.7/79

1942, Valerian Kuybyshev, Karl Libknekht: + 2 DCT (24 DC at all)

1943, Valerian Kuybyshev: - 1 x 1 - 76/28, 1 x 1 - 12.7/79; + 2 x 1 - 45/65 21KM, 2 x 1 - 37/63 70K, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

11/1944, Karl Libknekht: - 1 x 1 - 76/28; + 4 x 1 - 37/63 70K, 2 x 1 - 12.7/79

1945, Voykov: - 1 x 1 - 76/28, 2 x 1 - 45/43; + 4 x 1 - 37/63 70K

1/1946, Voykov: 4 x 1 - 102/60, 4 x 1 - 37/73 70K, 2 x 1 - 7.6/94, 3 x 3 - 450 TT, 2 DCR (10), 58 mines

1/1946, Valerian Kuybyshev: 4 x 1 - 102/60, 2 x 1 - 45/69 21KM, 2 x 1 - 37/73 70K, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 3 x 1 - 12.7/79, 3 x 3 - 450 TT, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (24), 50 mines

1/1946, Karl Libknekht: 4 x 1 - 102/60, 4 x 1 - 37/73 70K, 6 x 1 - 12.7/79, 3 x 3 - 450 TT, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (24), 50 mines

Naval service: Spartak ran aground off Develsej bank 26.12.1918 (on approaches to Tallinn), came into British hands. In 1919 British transferred her to Estonian fleet; as Wambola she served in its structure up to 1933, when she was sold to government of Peru. Destroyer served in the Peruvian fleet as Villar till 1955. Kapitan Kroun, Leytenant Dubasov, Kapitan Konon Zotov in view of bad technical condition were broken up after the termination of Civil war.

Spartak as Estonian Wambola

Karl Libknekht 1945

© Ivan Gogin, 2009-15