Tashkent class destroyer
Encyclopedia
The Tashkent Class were a group of destroyer leaders built for the Soviet Navy
just before World War II
. Only one ship was completed.
The first ship, Tashkent was ordered under the second Five Year Plan
, from the Italian OTO
company of Livorno
in 1935. She was considerably larger and more capable than the home built Leningrad Class
destroyer leaders. Ten more ships were planned to be built in the Soviet Union to a slightly modified design (Project 48) of which 4 were started. The start of World War II meant that none were completed. The lead ship was named after the capital of Uzbek SSR
, Tashkent
.
Machinery comprised two Parsons type turbines which were housed in two separate compartments with alternating boiler rooms in a unit system layout. The horse power was 130,000 hp and the maximum revolutions were 350 rpm
Armament comprised three twin 130mm B-2LM
turrets which were splinterproof and weatherproof but were for surface fire only. Initially 45mm AA guns wer planned but replaced by automatic 37mm AA guns. Later two 76mm AA guns were fitted. Torpedo armament comprised three triple 533mm tubes. Fire control comprised a single director on top of the bridge and an Italian made basic fire control computer, an a further range finder aft.
Following the relative poor performance of the Leningrad Class destroyer leaders the Soviets decided to seek foreign assistance and went out to tender to French and Italian companies in 1934. The contract was awarded to OTO in 1935 for a single ship and assistance in building follow on ships in the Soviet Union.
The ship was delivered without armament reaching 43 knots on trials. She was initially armed with three single 130mm guns
until her main gun turrets were delivered in 1941. She was painted a cobalt blue
colour and was nicknamed the "blue cruiser" by Russian sailors. She served with the Black Sea Fleet
and fought during the Siege of Sevastopol
making 40 supply trips through the German Blockade. On 28 June 1942 she was bombed by Stukas and managed to reach Novorosiysk but foundered in the port on 2 July 1942. Her gun turrets were salvaged for use in the destroyer Ognevoi
In his memoirs VN Eroshenko stated that: The leader «Tashkent» steamed 27 000 miles, escorted without loss of 17 transports, carried 19 300 people, 2 538 tons of ammunition, food and other goods into Sevastopol. Held 100 live main caliber bombardments silenced 6 batteries and damaged one airfield. Shot down and damaged 13 enemy aircraft. Sank a torpedo boat
A further six ships (1 Black Sea, 3 Baltic and 2 Arctic) were ordered but not laid down by 1941.
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
just before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Only one ship was completed.
The first ship, Tashkent was ordered under the second Five Year Plan
First Five-Year Plan
The First Five-Year Plan, or 1st Five-Year Plan, of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a list of economic goals that was designed to strengthen the country's economy between 1928 and 1932, making the nation both militarily and industrially self-sufficient. "We are fifty or a hundred...
, from the Italian OTO
Oto Melara
Oto Melara is an Italian defence company with factories in Brescia and La Spezia. It was founded in 1905 as a joint venture of Vickers and Terni. During World War I, Vickers Terni produced many weapons with calibre 40 mm and upwards. In 1929 the company was renamed Odero Terni Orlando with the...
company of Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
in 1935. She was considerably larger and more capable than the home built Leningrad Class
Leningrad class destroyer
The Leningrad-class destroyer leaders were built for the Soviet Navy in the late 1930s. They were inspired by the contre-torpilleurs built for the French Navy. They were ordered in two groups of three ships each, the first group was designated Project 1 and the second Project 38...
destroyer leaders. Ten more ships were planned to be built in the Soviet Union to a slightly modified design (Project 48) of which 4 were started. The start of World War II meant that none were completed. The lead ship was named after the capital of Uzbek SSR
Uzbek SSR
The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Uzbek SSR for short, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union since its creation in 1924...
, Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
.
Design
The hull was riveted with a raised forecastle and 15 compartments. The hull strength was not up to requirements in Tashkent and was increased for the Project 48 ships. A streamlined enclosed bridge was fitted.Machinery comprised two Parsons type turbines which were housed in two separate compartments with alternating boiler rooms in a unit system layout. The horse power was 130,000 hp and the maximum revolutions were 350 rpm
Armament comprised three twin 130mm B-2LM
B-2LM
"B-2LM" is a 130 mm two-gun naval artillery turret, based on the "B-13" gun. Production started in 1939. "B-2LM" was established on several Soviet ships, including the destroyer leader Tashkent...
turrets which were splinterproof and weatherproof but were for surface fire only. Initially 45mm AA guns wer planned but replaced by automatic 37mm AA guns. Later two 76mm AA guns were fitted. Torpedo armament comprised three triple 533mm tubes. Fire control comprised a single director on top of the bridge and an Italian made basic fire control computer, an a further range finder aft.
Ships
The ships were named after citiesFollowing the relative poor performance of the Leningrad Class destroyer leaders the Soviets decided to seek foreign assistance and went out to tender to French and Italian companies in 1934. The contract was awarded to OTO in 1935 for a single ship and assistance in building follow on ships in the Soviet Union.
Tashkent
- Tashkent ( Ташкент )
- built by OTOOtoOto may refer to:*The Otoe tribe , a Native American people*The Oto Reservation was located in southeastern Nebraska*Oto, Iowa, a city in the United States*Ōtō, Fukuoka, a town in Japan...
, LivornoLivornoLivorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
, - laid down January 1937,
- launched 21 November 1937,
- completed May 1939 and was accepted in 1939 by the future Admiral of the Black Sea FleetBlack Sea FleetThe Black Sea Fleet is a large operational-strategic sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. It is based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov....
Lev VladimirskyLev VladimirskyLev Anatolevich Vladimirsky , was a Soviet naval officer and an Admiral .He joined the Red Army as a volunteer during the Russian Civil War and fought against Islamic insurgents in Turkestan, later volunteering for service in the navy from 1921.Vladimirsky graduated from the M. V...
.
The ship was delivered without armament reaching 43 knots on trials. She was initially armed with three single 130mm guns
130 mm/50 B13 Pattern 1936
The 130 mm/50 B13 Pattern 1936 was a 50 caliber Soviet Union naval gun. The gun was used as a standard destroyer weapon during World War II, and it was also used as a coastal gun and railway gun. The gun was produced in three different versions which all had mutually incompatible ammunition and...
until her main gun turrets were delivered in 1941. She was painted a cobalt blue
Cobalt blue
Cobalt blue is a cool, slightly desaturated blue color, historically made using cobalt salts of alumina. It is used in certain ceramics and painting; the different cobalt pigment smalt, based on silica, is more often used directly in tinted transparent glasses...
colour and was nicknamed the "blue cruiser" by Russian sailors. She served with the Black Sea Fleet
Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet is a large operational-strategic sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. It is based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov....
and fought during the Siege of Sevastopol
Battle of Sevastopol
The Siege of Sevastopol took place on the Eastern Front of the Second World War. The campaign was fought by the Axis powers of Germany, Romania and Italy against the Soviet Union for control of Sevastopol, a port in Crimea on the Black Sea. On 22 June 1941 the Axis invaded the Soviet Union under...
making 40 supply trips through the German Blockade. On 28 June 1942 she was bombed by Stukas and managed to reach Novorosiysk but foundered in the port on 2 July 1942. Her gun turrets were salvaged for use in the destroyer Ognevoi
In his memoirs VN Eroshenko stated that: The leader «Tashkent» steamed 27 000 miles, escorted without loss of 17 transports, carried 19 300 people, 2 538 tons of ammunition, food and other goods into Sevastopol. Held 100 live main caliber bombardments silenced 6 batteries and damaged one airfield. Shot down and damaged 13 enemy aircraft. Sank a torpedo boat
Project 48 Ships
Ten ships were ordered from Soviet yards in 1939 as the Project 48 destroyer leaders. This design had minor modificatins to suit Soviet shipbuilding practice. Four ships were laid down, all of them for the Black Sea Fleet:- Kiev -
- built by Marti Yard, Nikolayev,
- launched December 1940, evacuated to PotiPotiPoti is a port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti in the west of the country. Built near the site of the ancient Greek colony of Phasis, the city has become a major port city and industrial center since the early 20th century. It is also...
(49.8 % complete), but not completed after the war, the hull was used as a target ship in the 1950's- Yerevan -
- built by Marti Yard Nikolayev,
- launched June 1941, evacuated to Poti (25.4 % complete),but not completed after the war, the hull was used as a target ship in the 1950's
- Perekop -
- built in Nikolayev not launched - wreck scrapped by the Germans
- Ochakov -
- built in Nikolayev not launched - wreck scrapped by the Germans
A further six ships (1 Black Sea, 3 Baltic and 2 Arctic) were ordered but not laid down by 1941.