250t-class torpedo boat

250t-class
torpedo boat
a black and white photograph of a small ship underway
The first of the 250t class, 74 T
Class overview
Builders:
Operators:
Preceded by: 110t-class torpedo boat
Built: 1913–16
In commission: 1914–63
Completed: 27
Lost: 15
Scrapped: 12
General characteristics
Type: Sea-going torpedo boat
Displacement:
  • 262–270 t (258–266 long tons)
  • 320–330 t (315–325 long tons) (full load)
Length: 58.2–60.5 m (190 ft 11 in–198 ft 6 in)
Beam: 5.6–5.8 m (18 ft 4 in–19 ft 0 in)
Draught: 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) (all groups)
Installed power:
  • 2 × Yarrow boilers
  • 5,000–6,000 shp (3,700–4,500 kW)
Propulsion:
Speed: 28–28.5 knots (51.9–52.8 km/h; 32.2–32.8 mph)
Endurance:
  • T-group
  • 980 nmi (1,810 km; 1,130 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
  • F-group and M-group
  • 1,200 nmi (2,200 km; 1,400 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement: 38–39
Armament:

The 250t class were high-seas torpedo boats built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy between 1913 and 1916. A total of 27 boats were built by three shipbuilding companies, with the letter after the boat number indicating the manufacturer. There were small variations between manufacturers, mainly in the steam turbines used, and whether they had one or two funnels. The eight boats of the T-group, designated 74 T  81 T, were built by Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino, located at Trieste. The sixteen boats of the F-group, designated 82 F  97 F, were built by Ganz & Danubius at their shipyards at Fiume and Porto Re. The three M-group boats, designated 98 M  100 M, were manufactured by Cantiere Navale Triestino at Monfalcone.

All 27 boats saw service in World War I, performing convoy, escort and minesweeping tasks, and anti-submarine operations. Although widely used during the war, the class suffered no losses, and available sources indicate they were only involved in a few engagements. In 1917, one of the 66 mm (2.6 in) guns on each boat was placed on an anti-aircraft mount. Under the terms of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the boats were transferred to various countries, including seven to Romania, six to Portugal, six to Greece, and eight to the newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). By 1940, thirteen boats of the class had been lost or scrapped, including all six Portuguese boats.

During World War II, the five remaining Greek boats were sunk by Axis aircraft during the German-led invasion of Greece in April 1941. One Romanian boat was lost during the war, while the two remaining Romanian boats performed escort tasks in the Black Sea before being taken over by the Soviet Navy, and serving in their Black Sea Fleet until the end of the war; they were finally stricken in late 1945.

The six surviving Yugoslav boats were captured by the Italians during the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, and were operated by the Regia Marina. Immediately following the Italian capitulation in September 1943, one ex-Yugoslav boat was sunk by German aircraft, another was scuttled by its Italian crew, and two more fell back into Yugoslav hands. The remaining two were seized by the Germans. Of the two ex-Yugoslav boats taken over by the Germans, both were operated by Croatian crews or by the Navy of the Independent State of Croatia for some time before being recovered from them by the Germans. One was destroyed by Royal Navy Motor Torpedo Boats in June 1944, and the other was sunk by Royal Air Force aircraft in 1945. The two surviving boats were commissioned by the Yugoslav Navy after the war, with one continuing in service until the early 1960s.

Background

In 1910, the Austria-Hungary Naval Technical Committee initiated the design and development of a 275-tonne (271-long-ton) coastal torpedo boat, specifying that it should be capable of sustaining 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) for 10 hours. This specification was based on an expectation that the Strait of Otranto, where the Adriatic Sea meets the Ionian Sea, would be blockaded by hostile forces during a future conflict. In such circumstances, there would be a need for a torpedo boat that could sail from the Austro-Hungarian Navy base at Cattaro to the Strait during darkness, locate and attack blockading ships and return to port before morning. Steam turbine power was selected for propulsion, as diesels with the necessary power were not available, and the Austro-Hungarian Navy did not have the practical experience to run turbo-electric boats.[1]

Description and construction

Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino (STT) of Trieste was selected for the contract to build eight vessels, ahead of one other tenderer. Despite the specifications of the contract being very close to the requirements for the coastal torpedo boat, the STT boats were classified as sea-going.[1] The STT boats used Parsons turbines driving two propeller shafts.[2] Another tender was requested for four more boats, but when Ganz & Danubius reduced their price by ten percent, a total of sixteen boats were ordered from them. These boats were powered by AEG-Curtiss turbines, and had two funnels rather than the single funnel of the STT boats.[1] The third contract went to Cantiere Navale Triestino (CNT), who used Melms-Pfenniger turbines, and their boats also had two funnels.[3] The boats of all three groups used steam generated by two Yarrow water-tube boilers, one of which burned fuel oil and the other coal.[4]

When completed, all 27 boats were armed with two Škoda 66 mm (2.6 in) L/30[lower-alpha 1] guns, and four 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes. Each vessel could carry 10–12 naval mines.[4][5]

T-group

The T-group were built by STT at the Port of Trieste between April 1913 and December 1914. They had a waterline length of 58.2 m (190 ft 11 in), a beam of 5.7 m (18 ft 8 in), and a normal draught of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in). While their designed displacement was 262 tonnes (258 long tons), they displaced about 320 tonnes (310 long tons) fully loaded. The crew consisted of 39 officers and enlisted men. Their Parsons turbines were rated at 5,000 shp (3,700 kW) with a maximum output of 6,000 shp (4,500 kW) and designed to reach a top speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph).[2] They carried 18 tonnes (17.7 long tons) of coal and 24 tonnes (23.6 long tons) of fuel oil,[6] which gave them a range of 980 nmi (1,810 km; 1,130 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph).[2]

The T-group boats were originally to be armed with three 66 mm (2.6 in) L/30 guns, and three 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes,[1] but this was changed to two guns and four torpedo tubes before the first boat was completed,[2] in order to standardise the armament with the following F-group. In 1914, one 8 mm (0.31 in) machine gun was added.[1]

Construction of T-group torpedo boats[2]
Name Laid down Launched Completed
74 T
16 April 1913
28 August 1913
1 February 1914
75 T
25 May 1913
20 November 1913
11 July 1914
24 June 1913
15 December 1913
20 July 1914
77 T
24 August 1913
30 January 1914
11 August 1914
22 October 1913
4 March 1914
23 August 1914
79 T
1 December 1913
30 April 1914
30 September 1914
80 T
19 December 1913
3 August 1914
8 November 1914
81 T
6 February 1914
6 August 1914
1 December 1914

When 74 T's turbines were initially installed, the problems with them were so significant that all her power and propulsion machinery had to be rebuilt. She was launched for a second time on 26 June 1914.[2]

F-group

The F-group were built by Ganz & Danubius at Fiume and nearby Porto Re between October 1913 and December 1916. They had a waterline length of 58.5 m (191 ft 11 in), a beam of 5.8 m (19 ft 0 in), and a normal draught of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in). While their designed displacement was 266 tonnes (262 long tons), they displaced about 330 tonnes (320 long tons) fully loaded.[2] The crew consisted of 38 officers and enlisted men. Their AEG-Curtiss turbines were rated at 5,000 shp (3,700 kW) with a maximum output of 6,000 shp (4,500 kW), and the boats were designed to reach a top speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph). During trials, 93 F produced 6,450 shp (4,810 kW), and reached a top speed of 29.7 knots (55.0 km/h; 34.2 mph). They carried 20 long tons (20.3 t) of coal and 34 long tons (34.5 t) of fuel oil,[6] which gave them a range of 1,200 nmi (2,200 km; 1,400 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph).[7]

black and white photograph of several vessels alongside each other at a dock
Several 250t-class torpedo boats, including F-group vessels 83 F, 93 F and 96 F
Construction of F-group torpedo boats[7]
Name Laid down Launched Completed
82 F
30 October 1913
11 August 1914
16 August 1916
17 November 1913
7 November 1914
7 August 1915
84 F
27 November 1913
21 November 1914
2 November 1916
85 F
7 January 1914
5 December 1914
19 December 1915
86 F
26 January 1914
19 December 1914
23 May 1916
5 March 1914
20 March 1915
25 October 1915
88 F
7 March 1914
24 April 1915
30 November 1915
89 F
13 May 1914
12 May 1915
1 March 1916
90 F
9 September 1914
28 May 1915
8 August 1916
91 F
24 November 1914
21 June 1916
11 July 1916
30 November 1914
29 September 1916
23 March 1916
93 F
9 January 1915
25 November 1915
16 April 1916
19 January 1915
8 March 1916
17 June 1916
9 February 1915
24 June 1916
27 September 1916
24 February 1915
7 July 1916
23 November 1916
97 F
5 March 1915
20 August 1916
22 December 1916

When Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary in May 1915, five incomplete F-group boats were towed to be completed in safety. 82 F, 83 F and 84 F were taken from Porto Re to Pola, and 90 F and 91 F were taken to Novigrad. This resulted in delays to the completion of these boats.[7]

M-group

black and white photograph of a vessel underway
First of the "M"-group, 98 M, underway

The M-group were built by CNT at Monfalcone between March 1914 and March 1916. They had a waterline length of 60.5 m (198 ft 6 in), a beam of 5.6 m (18 ft 4 in), and a normal draught of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in). While their designed displacement was 270 tonnes (266 long tons), they displaced about 330 tonnes (320 long tons) fully loaded. The crew consisted of 38 officers and enlisted men. Their Melms-Pfenniger turbines were rated at 5,000 shp (3,700 kW) with a maximum output of 6,000 shp (4,500 kW), and the boats were designed to reach a top speed of 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h; 32.8 mph). They carried enough coal and fuel oil to give them a range of 1,200 nmi (2,200 km; 1,400 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph).[3]

Construction of M-group torpedo boats[3]
Name Laid down Launched Completed
19 March 1914
18 November 1914
19 August 1915
22 March 1914
17 December 1914
29 October 1915
28 March 1914
15 January 1915
13 March 1916

Service history

World War I

a black and white photograph of the side of a ship hull with a large hole in it
Damage to 80 T incurred during a raid on Porto Corsini on 24 May 1915

At the outbreak of World War I, 74 T 77 T comprised the 1st Torpedo Group of the 3rd Torpedo Craft Division of the Austro-Hungarian 1st Torpedo Craft Flotilla.[8] All 27 boats saw service, performing convoy, escort and minesweeping tasks, and anti-submarine operations.[1] They also conducted patrols and supported seaplane raids against the Italian coast. Due to inadequate funding, the 250t class were essentially coastal vessels, despite the original intention that they would be used for "high seas" operations.[9] On the morning of 24 May 1915, 80 T was part of the Bombardment of Ancona, a fleet action that involved the shelling of various targets in the Province of Ancona and 11 other Adriatic ports. At Porto Corsini near Ravenna, an Italian 120 mm (4.7 in) shore battery returned fire, hitting the light cruiser Novara and damaging 80 T.[10] In late November 1915, the Austro-Hungarian fleet deployed a force from its main fleet base at Pola to Cattaro in the southern Adriatic; this force included six of the T-group torpedo boats. This force was tasked to maintain a permanent patrol of the Albanian coastline and interdict any troop transports crossing from Italy.[11] On the night of 31 May – 1 June 1916, the Tátra-class destroyers Orjen and Balaton, accompanied by 77 T, 79 T and 81 T, raided the Otranto Barrage, an Allied naval blockade of the Strait of Otranto. Orjen sank one drifter, but once the alarm had been raised, the Austro-Hungarian force withdrew.[12]

In 1917, one of the 66 mm (2.6 in) guns on each boat was placed on an anti-aircraft mount.[4] On 11 May 1917, the British submarine HMS H1 stalked 78 T off Pola, firing two torpedoes at her. The British captain had kept his submarine's periscope extended too far and for too long, and the tell-tale "feather" alerted the crew of 78 T, allowing her to avoid the incoming torpedoes.[13] On 14–15 May 1917, several 250t-class boats were part of the support forces for a major raid on the Otranto Barrage. On the departure of the raiding force, consisting of three light cruisers and two destroyers — torpedo boats and aircraft secured the approaches to the Austro-Hungarian naval base at Cattaro. Once the raiding force had departed for the barrage, the armoured cruiser Sankt Georg, a destroyer, and 84 F, 88 F, 99 M and 100 M were to be prepared to sortie out to support the raiders on their return voyage. The old coastal defence ship Budapest and 86 F, 91 F and 95 F were also available at Cattaro if needed. While the raid was a success, the raiding force was then engaged by Allied ships in the Battle of the Otranto Straits. Both support groups sailed to meet the returning Austro-Hungarian force, which included the heavily damaged Novara, which was under tow. On marrying-up with the raiding force, the torpedo boats fanned out to screen the larger warships, protecting them as they returned to port.[14][15]

In late September 1917, 98 M was part of a squadron of four destroyers and four torpedo boats supporting an air attack on the Italian airfield at Ferrara by flying boats. After destroying an Italian airship, the squadron withdrew at high speed in the darkness, but was intercepted by an Italian squadron of eight destroyers that had been sent to support an Italian air raid on Pola. In the resultant 45 minute melee, several Austro-Hungarian destroyers were damaged. As the squadron retreated through the minefields off Parenzo, 98 M was hit by Italian fire, resulting in one casualty.[16] In June 1918, 76 T was part of the escort force that failed to protect the Austro-Hungarian dreadnought Szent István from the Italian motor torpedo boats that sank her. During that action, 76 T fired at the Italian vessels, but did not score a hit.[17][18]

Elements of the Austro-Hungarian fleet mutinied in Cattaro in February 1918,[19] and in May, a plot was discovered to take over 80 T at Pola. The motive appeared to be nationalism. Two of the ringleaders, a Czech and a Dalmatian Croat, were tried, convicted and executed by firing squad.[20][21][22] In October 1918, 87 F was at Durazzo in Albania when the port was bombarded by a multinational Allied naval force. She escaped with minor damage, in what was the last major action involving the Austro-Hungarian Navy.[23]

Post-World War I transfers

Under the provisions of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, all Austro-Hungarian warships were surrendered to the Allies. The 250t-class torpedo boats were distributed among Romania, Portugal, Greece, and the newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia), as follows:[4]

Transfer of T-group torpedo boats[2]
Austro-Hungarian name Transferred to New name Inter-war fate
74 T
Viforul
scrapped in 1932
75 T
Romanian Navy
Vartejul
scrapped in 1932
76 T
T1
77 T
Navy of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
T2
scrapped in 1939
78 T
Navy of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
T3
79 T
Navy of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
T4
80 T
Romanian Navy
Vijelia
scrapped in 1932
81 T
Romanian Navy
Sborul
Transfer of F-group torpedo boats[7]
Austro-Hungarian name Transferred to New name Inter-war fate
82 F
Romanian Navy
Naluca
83 F
Romanian Navy
Smeul
84 F
Romanian Navy
Fulgerul
85 F
Zezere
86 F
Portuguese Navy
Ave
scrapped 1940
87 F
Navy of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
T5
88 F
Portuguese Navy
Cavado
89 F
Portuguese Navy
Sado
scrapped 1940
90 F
Portuguese Navy
Liz
scrapped 1934
91 F
Portuguese Navy
Mondego
scrapped 1938
92 F
Proussa
93 F
Navy of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
T6
94 F
Hellenic Navy
Panormos
95 F
Hellenic Navy
Pergamos
96 F
Navy of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
T7
97 F
Navy of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
T8
Transfer of M-group torpedo boats[3]
Austro-Hungarian name Transferred to New name Inter-war fate
98 M
Hellenic Navy
Kyzikos
99 M
Hellenic Navy
Kios
100 M
Hellenic Navy
Kydoniai

World War II

By 1940, thirteen boats of the class had been lost or scrapped, including all six Portuguese boats.[4] At the time of the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, the Yugoslav boats T1 and T3 were assigned to the Southern Sector of Coastal Defence Command based at the Bay of Kotor, along with several minesweepers and other craft.[24] T5T8 comprised the 3rd Torpedo Division located at Šibenik.[25] On 8 April, the four boats of the 3rd Torpedo Division, along with other vessels, were tasked to support an attack on the Italian enclave of Zadar on the Dalmatia coast. They were subjected to three Italian air attacks and, after the last one, sailed from the area of Zaton into Lake Prokljan, where they remained until 11 April.[26] On 12 April, the 3rd Torpedo Division arrived at Milna on the island of Brač, and refused to follow orders to sail to the Bay of Kotor.[27] All six Yugoslav boats were then captured by the Italians.[28]

The five surviving Greek boats were all sunk by aircraft during the German invasion of Greece, also in April 1941. The first was Proussa, which was sunk off Corfu on 4 April by Italian Junkers Ju 87 "Picchiatello"s of the 239th Squadron, 97th Dive Bomber Group.[29][lower-alpha 7] Later, Kios was sunk off Athens on 22 April, Kyzikos at Salamis on 24 April, Pergamos off Salamis on 25 April, and Kydoniai south of the Peloponnese peninsula on the following day, all by German aircraft.[3]

The three Romanian boats were initially deployed against the Soviet Navy Black Sea Fleet following the launch of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941,[4] with Naluca and Sborul allocated to the 3rd Section of the Romanian Navy. On 9 July 1941, Naluca, along with a gunboat and three Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs), sank the Soviet submarine SC-206 off the southern Romanian coast near Mangalia.[30] Between 7–16 October 1941, all three Romanian torpedo boats were part of the escort for a minelaying group that laid several minefields along the Bulgarian coast to protect Axis shipping.[31] Naluca was sunk by Soviet aircraft at Constanța on 20 August 1944, but Sborul and Smeul survived World War II,[28] having been transferred to the Soviet Black Sea Fleet in late August 1944 after Romania changed sides and joined the Allies, serving as Musson and Toros respectively.[32]

The Yugoslav boats served in a coastal and second-line escort role with the Royal Italian Navy (Italian: Regia Marina) in the Adriatic under their Yugoslav designations, and were fitted with two 76 mm (3.0 in) L/30 anti-aircraft guns in place of their 66 mm (2.6 in) guns,[33] but no other significant alterations were made to them.[34] After the Italians capitulated in September 1943, they transferred T1 back to the KJRM-in-exile in December of that year.[lower-alpha 8] T3 was seized by the Germans at Rijeka on 16 September 1943 and was renamed TA48. She was commissioned on 15 August 1944, and was used for patrol and escort work in the northern Adriatic.[37] The Germans added to her armament, fitting her with two single 20 mm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft guns in addition to the guns fitted by the Italians, and removing two of her torpedo tubes.[38] She was either crewed exclusively by Croatian officers and sailors but remained under German control,[1] or was transferred to the Croatian navy but then repossessed by the Germans on 14 December 1944 due to the unreliable nature of the Croatian navy.[37] Her complement was also increased to 52 during her German/Croatian service.[1] She was sunk in the port of Trieste by Allied aircraft on 20 February 1945.[1][35][lower-alpha 9]

T5 was also returned to the KJRM-in-exile in December 1943.[1] T6 was scuttled by the Italians 30 km (19 mi) north of Rimini on 11 September as she had insufficient fuel on board to reach an Allied port.[41] Once under German control, T7 was also handed over to the Navy of the Independent State of Croatia, and served under her Yugoslav designation. Her crew came under the influence of the Yugoslav Partisans, and were preparing to mutiny when the Germans intervened.[1][35] On 24 June 1944, she and the S-boats S 154 and S 157 of the 7th S-Boat Flotilla were sailing between Šibenik and Rijeka, protecting German sea supply routes along the Adriatic when they were attacked by the Royal Navy Fairmile D motor torpedo boats MTB 659, MTB 662 and MTB 670 near the island of Kukuljari, south of Murter Island. The MTBs fired two torpedoes at T7, but missed, so they closed and engaged her with their guns, setting her ablaze. She was beached, and 21 crew were rescued by the MTBs. The British crews later examined the wreck, capturing five more crew, then destroyed her with demolition charges.[42] T8 was sunk 37 km (23 mi) north-west of Dubrovnik by German aircraft while evacuating Italian troops from Dalmatia on 10 or 11 September 1943.[1][35][36][41]

Post-World War II

Only four of the twenty-seven 250t-class torpedo boats survived World War II, two in Yugoslav service and two in Soviet service. T1 was commissioned by the Yugoslav Navy after the war as Golešnica.[35] She was re-armed with two 40 mm (1.6 in) guns on single mounts and four 20 mm (0.79 in) guns, and her torpedo tubes were removed. She continued in Yugoslav service under that name until October 1959. T5 was also commissioned by the Yugoslav Navy after the war,[35] and renamed Cer. She was fitted with two 40 mm (1.6 in) guns on single mounts and one 20 mm (0.79 in) gun, and her torpedo tubes were also removed. She served until 1962, when she was broken up.[43] Musson and Toros were returned to Romania in October 1945, and stricken the following month.[44][lower-alpha 10]

See also

Notes

  1. L/30 denotes the length of the gun. In this case, the L/30 gun is 30 calibre, meaning that the gun was 30 times as long as the diameter of its bore.
  2. T4 ran aground on the Dalmatian coast and became a total loss.
  3. En route to the Black Sea after handover.
  4. Wrecked near Bône while en route from the Adriatic to Portugal after handover.
  5. Wrecked near Bône while en route from the Adriatic to Portugal after handover.
  6. Struck a reef and sank off the island of Aegina.
  7. According to Greger, Proussa was sunk by German bombers on the same day and at the same location.[3]
  8. One source states that she was captured by the Germans and transferred to the navy of the puppet state, the Independent State of Croatia,[1] but several other sources state that she was returned to the KJRM in December 1943.[33][35][36]
  9. Sources conflict on who sank TA48. Gardiner and Lenton state that they were Allied aircraft without specifying their nationality,[1][39] while Chesneau states they were British aircraft,[35] and Wilmott states that US aircraft carried out the attack.[40]
  10. According to Greger, Toros survived the war and was scrapped in 1960.[7]

Footnotes

References

Books

Websites

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