Beograd-class destroyer

Class overview
Name: Beograd class
Builders:
Operators:
Preceded by: Dubrovnik
Succeeded by: Split
Planned: 3
Completed: 3
Lost: 3
General characteristics
Type: Destroyer
Displacement:
  • 1,210 long tons (1,230 t) standard
  • 1,655 long tons (1,682 t) full load
Length: 98 m (321 ft 6 in)
Beam: 9.45 m (31 ft 0 in)
Draught: 3.18 m (10 ft 5 in)
Propulsion: 2 shaft geared turbines, 3 boilers, 40,000 hp (30,000 kW)
Speed: 38 knots (70 km/h; 44 mph)
Complement: 145
Armament:
  • 4 × 120 mm (4.7 in) guns (4 × 1)
  • 4 × 40 mm (1.6 in) guns
  • 2 × machine guns
  • 6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (3 × 2)
  • 30 naval mines

The Beograd class were destroyers built for the Royal Yugoslav Navy to an Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire design in the late 1930s. A total of three ships were built, one in France and two in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. During the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, one of the ships was destroyed to prevent its capture, and the other two were captured by the Italians. The Italian Navy operated the two captured ships as convoy escorts between Italy and North Africa, but one was lost in the Gulf of Tunis in April 1943. The other was captured by the Germans in September 1943 after the Italian surrender, and was subsequently operated by the German Navy. After being heavily damaged by Yugoslav Partisan artillery in April 1945, she was scuttled in Trieste the following month.

Design

Following the large destroyer Dubrovnik the Royal Yugoslav Navy commission a smaller size for this group of ships. The ships were designed by the French company Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire. The first Beograd-class destroyer was built in France and the other two in Yugoslavia. The armament was provided by the Czech company Škoda and the machinery by Yarrow Shipbuilders.

Operational history

Ljubljana was in dockyard on 17 April 1941 and was captured. Zagreb was blown up in Kotor to prevent capture. Beograd was at sea and damaged from a dive bombing attack. She returned to Kotor, but was also captured by the Italians.

Ljubljana was renamed Lubiana, and Beograd renamed Sebenico by the Regia Marina. Both ships served as convoy escorts on the supply run to North Africa. Lubiana was sunk by grounding in the Gulf of Tunis on 1 April 1943.

Sebenico was captured by the Germans in Venice after the Italian Armistice in September 1943. The ship was renamed TA43 and entered service in the Kriegsmarine on 17 October 1944. She served in the Northern Adriatic Sea and was heavily damaged by Yugoslav artillery in April 1945. The ship was scuttled in Trieste on 1 May 1945.

Ships

Ship Builder Launched Completed Fate
Beograd Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Nantes 23 December 1937 28 April 1939 Captured by Italy 17 April 1941, renamed Sebenico.
Captured by Germans 1943. Scuttled 1 May 1945
Ljubljana Yarrow, Kraljevica 28 June 1938 December 1939 Captured by Italy 17 April 1941. Sunk 1 April 1943
Zagreb Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Split 30 March 1938 August 1939 Scuttled 17 April 1941

References


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