Hrabri-class submarine

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Peacemaker67 (talk | contribs) at 05:24, 24 July 2016. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Hrabri class
a black and white photograph of a submarine underway on the surface
Hrabri underway in 1934
Class overview
BuildersVickers-Armstrong Naval Yard, River Tyne, United Kingdom
Operators
Succeeded byTemplate:Sclass-
Built1925–27
In commission1928–54
Completed2
Retired2
Scrapped2
General characteristics
TypeDiesel-electric submarine
Displacement
  • 975 long tons (991 t) (surfaced)
  • 1,164 long tons (1,183 t) (submerged)
Length72.05 m (236 ft 5 in)
Beam7.32 m (24 ft)
Draught3.96 m (13 ft)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 15.7 knots (29.1 km/h; 18.1 mph) (diesel)
  • 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) (electric)
Range3,800 nmi (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement45
Armament

The Hrabri class consisted of two submarines built by the Vickers-Armstrong Naval Yard, on the River Tyne, in the United Kingdom, for the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). Launched in 1927, the vessels were named Hrabri (Brave) and Nebojša (Fearless). Their design was based on that of the British L-class submarine of World War I, and they were built using parts originally assembled for L-class submarines that were never completed. The Hrabri-class were the first submarines to serve in the Royal Yugoslav Navy, and the class was joined by the two smaller French-made Template:Sclass-s to make up the pre-war Yugoslav submarine force. They were armed with six bow-mounted 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes, two 102 mm (4 in) guns and one machine gun, and could dive to 60 metres (200 ft).

Prior to World War II both submarines participated in cruises to Mediterranean ports. Hrabri was captured by Italian forces in April 1941 during the German-led Axis invasion of Yugoslavia. She was never commissioned by the Italians and was subsequently scrapped. Nebojša evaded capture, and served with British submarine forces in the Mediterranean as an anti-submarine warfare training boat until the end of the war. Following the war, she served in the Yugoslav Navy as Tara in a training role until 1954, when she was stricken.

Description and construction

Yugoslav naval policy in the interwar period lacked direction until the mid-1920s,[1] although it was generally accepted that the Adriatic coastline was effectively a sea frontier that the naval arm was responsible for securing with the limited resources made available to it. In 1926, a modest ten-year construction program was initiated to build up a force of submarines, coastal torpedo boats, torpedo bombers and conventional bomber aircraft to perform this role. The Hrabri-class submarines were one of the first new acquisitions aimed at developing a naval force capable of meeting this challenge.[2]

The Hrabri-class was built for the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia) by the Vickers-Armstrong Naval Yard on the River Tyne in the United Kingdom.[3] Their design was based on that of the British L-class submarine of World War I, and they were built using parts originally assembled for the Group III boats HMS L-67 and HMS L-68, which were never completed due to the end of the war. The L-class were designed for operations in the North Sea, but during the interwar period the Royal Navy had deployed them around the world, including in the Mediterranean from 1929 onward.[4] The two Yugoslav boats had an overall length of 72.05 metres (236 ft 5 in), a beam of 7.32 m (24 ft 0 in), and a surfaced draught of 3.96 m (13 ft 0 in). Their surfaced displacement was 975 long tons (991 t) or 1,164 long tons (1,183 t) submerged, and their crews consisted of 45 officers and enlisted men. They had a diving depth of 60 m (200 ft).[5]

They had two shafts driven by two diesel engines (when surfaced) or two electric motors (when submerged). The diesel engines were rated at 2,400 bhp (1,800 kW) and the electric motors at 1,600 shp (1,200 kW), and they were designed to reach a top speed of 15.7 knots (29.1 km/h; 18.1 mph) under diesel power while surfaced, and 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) on their electric motors when submerged. The Hrabri-class were armed with six bow-mounted 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes and carried twelve torpedoes.[6] They were also equipped with two 102 mm (4 in) guns (one forward and one aft of the conning tower), and one machine gun.[3] Their radius of action was 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[7]

Service history

Both submarines were launched in 1927,[3] and left the Tyne in late January 1928.[8] In company with the Yugoslav submarine tender Hvar, the submarines arrived in the Bay of Kotor on the southern Adriatic coast on 8 April 1928.[9] In May and June 1929, Hrabri, Nebojša, Hvar and six torpedo boats accompanied the light cruiser Dalmacija on a cruise to Malta, the Greek island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea, and Bizerte in the French protectorate of Tunisia. According to the British naval attaché, the ships and crews made a very good impression while visiting Malta.[10] In June and July 1930, Hrabri, Nebojša and the fleet auxiliary Sitnica again cruised the Mediterranean, visiting Alexandria and Beirut.[11] In 1932, the British naval attaché reported that Yugoslav ships engaged in few exercises, manoeuvres or gunnery training due to reduced budgets.[12] In 1933, the attaché reported that the naval policy of Yugoslavia was strictly defensive, aimed at protecting her more than 600 km (370 mi) of coastline.[13]

Hrabri

Main article: Yugoslav submarine Hrabri

The first of the class, Hrabri was involved in a series of visits to Mediterranean ports during the interwar period.[14] She was captured in port by the Italians during the German-led Axis invasion of Yugoslavia,[15][16] but was not commissioned by them and was scrapped later that year due to her poor condition.[3][6]

Nebojša

Main article: Yugoslav submarine Nebojša

Nebojša was the second and last of the class. After repairs following an accident in 1930, she participated in several cruises in the Mediterranean during the interwar period.[17] She evaded capture during the German-led Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941,[18] and was used by the Royal Navy as an anti-submarine warfare training vessel. After the war she was overhauled by the Yugoslavs and renamed Tara,[19] continuing in a training role until she was stricken in 1954.[3][6]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Jarman 1997a, p. 732.
  2. ^ Jarman 1997a, p. 779.
  3. ^ a b c d e Chesneau 1980, p. 358.
  4. ^ Akermann 2002, pp. 168–169.
  5. ^ Bagnasco 1977, p. 171.
  6. ^ a b c Fontenoy 2007, p. 148.
  7. ^ Akermann 2002, p. 166.
  8. ^ Hood 1928, p. 154.
  9. ^ Luković & 6 April 2013.
  10. ^ Jarman 1997b, p. 183.
  11. ^ Radio Tivat & 9 July 2014.
  12. ^ Jarman 1997b, p. 451.
  13. ^ Jarman 1997b, p. 453.
  14. ^ Jarman 1997b, pp. 544, 641, 838.
  15. ^ Terzić 1982, pp. 267, 374, 457.
  16. ^ Bagnasco 1977, p. 251.
  17. ^ Jarman 1997b, pp. 247, 453, 738.
  18. ^ Willmott 2010, p. 311.
  19. ^ Novosti 2011.

References

Books

  • Akermann, Paul (2002). Encyclopedia of British Submarines 1901–1955. Penzance, Cornwall: Periscope Publishing. ISBN 978-0-907771-42-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-962-7. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922–1946. London, England: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 978-0-85177-146-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Fontenoy, Paul E. (2007). Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-85109-563-6. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Jarman, Robert L., ed. (1997a). Yugoslavia Political Diaries 1918–1965. Vol. 1. Slough, Berkshire: Archives Edition. ISBN 978-1-85207-950-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Jarman, Robert L., ed. (1997b). Yugoslavia Political Diaries 1918–1965. Vol. 2. Slough, Berkshire: Archives Edition. ISBN 978-1-85207-950-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Terzić, Velimir (1982). Slom Kraljevine Jugoslavije 1941: Uzroci i posledice poraza (in Serbo-Croatian). Vol. 2. Belgrade, Yugoslavia: Narodna knjiga. OCLC 10276738. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  • Willmott, H.P. (2010). The Last Century of Sea Power: From Washington to Tokyo, 1922–1945. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-35214-9. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

Periodicals

  • Hood, A.G. (1928). "The Jugo-Slavian Submarines Hrabri and Nebojsa". The Shipbuilder and Marine Engine-builder. Vol. 35. London, England: Shipbuilder Press. OCLC 2450525. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)

Websites

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hrabri-class_submarine&oldid=731260656"