Yugoslav destroyer Split
Encyclopedia
R-11 Split was a destroyer
built for the Yugoslav Navy
in 1938. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders
and was named after the city of the same name. She was acquired in 1950 and was commissioned in July 1958 and was decommissioned in 1980.
with an updated version significantly larger than her predecessor. The French company Chantiers de Loire helped with design work basing the ship on the Le Fantasque class destroyer
. The machinery was supplied by Yarrow Shipbuilders
and the guns by Skoda (Czechoslovakia) and Bofors (Sweden).
The designed armament was
The ship was laid down in 1939 with material supplied from France and Britain. By the time war with Italy broke out in 1940, 600 tons of material had been delivered. The guns from Skoda
and Bofors
were embargoed due to the war.
decided to complete the ship. New machinery was ordered from Tosi, and 135mm, 37mm, and 20mm guns replaced the Czech and Swedish weapons. The incomplete ship was launched in July 1943 but Italy's Armistice with the Allies led to her being scuttled
in Split harbour. The Germans salvaged the wreck but did not seriously consider completing her. When Yugoslav Partisans and Royal Marines
liberated the city of Split the hull was found half sunken next to the yard's fitting out dock.
in late 1958.
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
built for the Yugoslav Navy
Yugoslav Navy
The Yugoslav Navy was the navy of Yugoslavia. It was essentially a coastal defense force with the mission of preventing enemy landings along the Yugoslavia's rugged 4,000- kilometer shoreline or coastal islands, and contesting an enemy blockade or control of the strategic Strait of Otranto...
in 1938. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Limited , often styled as simply Yarrows, was a major shipbuilding firm based in the Scotstoun district of Glasgow on the River Clyde...
and was named after the city of the same name. She was acquired in 1950 and was commissioned in July 1958 and was decommissioned in 1980.
Design
The Yugoslav Navy decided to order a new large destroyer in the late 1930s to follow the DubrovnikDubrovnik (ship)
The Dubrovnik was a destroyer built for the Yugoslav Royal Navy in the 1930s. The ship was named after the city of Dubrovnik....
with an updated version significantly larger than her predecessor. The French company Chantiers de Loire helped with design work basing the ship on the Le Fantasque class destroyer
Le Fantasque class destroyer
The Fantasque class of six large, very fast destroyers was ordered under the French naval programme of 1930...
. The machinery was supplied by Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Limited , often styled as simply Yarrows, was a major shipbuilding firm based in the Scotstoun district of Glasgow on the River Clyde...
and the guns by Skoda (Czechoslovakia) and Bofors (Sweden).
The designed armament was
- 5 - 140mm guns in single mountings
- 10 - 40mm guns (5x2)
- 5 - 15mm machine guns
- 6 - 533mm torpedo tubes (2x3)
The ship was laid down in 1939 with material supplied from France and Britain. By the time war with Italy broke out in 1940, 600 tons of material had been delivered. The guns from Skoda
Škoda Works
Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...
and Bofors
Bofors
The name Bofors has been associated with the iron industry for more than 350 years.Located in Karlskoga, Sweden, the company originates from the hammer mill "Boofors" founded 1646. The modern corporate structure was created in 1873 with the foundation of Aktiebolaget Bofors-Gullspång...
were embargoed due to the war.
World War II
When the city of Split was captured by the Axis, the hull remained undamaged and Regia MarinaRegia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
decided to complete the ship. New machinery was ordered from Tosi, and 135mm, 37mm, and 20mm guns replaced the Czech and Swedish weapons. The incomplete ship was launched in July 1943 but Italy's Armistice with the Allies led to her being scuttled
Scuttling
Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
in Split harbour. The Germans salvaged the wreck but did not seriously consider completing her. When Yugoslav Partisans and Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
liberated the city of Split the hull was found half sunken next to the yard's fitting out dock.
Postwar completion
The war damage to the Split yard led the Yugoslavs to tow the hull to Rijeka for completion by the 3 Maj yard. The Yugoslavs received assistance from Great Britain, which supplied new boilers and turbines, and the USA which supplied guns and fire control equipment. The ship was finally commissionedShip commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
in late 1958.