Russian destroyer Gnevny (1913)

Gnevny (Russian: Гневный) was a Derzky-class destroyers built for the Imperial Russian Navy shortly before World War I. Completed in 1914, she served with the Black Sea Fleet.

Gnevny aground and partially submerged off Sevastopol, May 1918
History
Russian Empire
Name	Gnevny
Builder	Naval Yard, Nikolayev
Laid down	1912
Launched	18 October 1913
Completed	16 October 1914
Fate	Captured by German Empire, 1 May 1918
German Empire
Acquired	1 May 1918
Renamed	R-3
Fate	Turned over to the United Kingdom, November 1918
United Kingdom
Acquired	November 1918
Fate	Turned over to Wrangel's fleet, September 1919
White Army
Name	Gnevny
Operator	Wrangel's Fleet
Acquired	September 1919
Out of service	29 December 1920
Fate	Scrapped, early 1930s
General characteristics (as built)
Class & type	Derzky-class destroyer
Displacement	1,185 t (1,166 long tons)
Length	93.82 m (307 ft 10 in)
Beam	9.02 m (29 ft 7 in)
Draught	3.42 m (11 ft 3 in) (deep load)
Installed power	5 Vulkan-Thornycroft boilers 23,000 shp (17,000 kW)
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 steam turbines
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	1,717 nmi (3,180 km; 1,976 mi) at 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) (estimated)
Complement	111
Armament	3 × single 102 mm (4 in) guns 2 × single 7.62 mm (0.30 in) machine guns 5 × twin 45 mm (1.8 in) torpedo tubes 80 mines

Design and description

In 1911, the Imperial Russian Navy conducted a design competition for destroyers to serve with the Black Sea Fleet based on the successful design of the Novik. The Navy selected the design submitted by the Putilov Shipyard, but only awarded a contract for one ship to Putilov. Contracts for two ships were given to St. Petersburg Metal Works and Nevsky Shipyard. All three of these shipyards were in Saint Petersburg and would have to assemble their ships on the Black Sea. The Navy awarded four destroyers to OSNiV in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, based on a promise of early delivery. It also allowed the company to alter the design as necessary.^[1]

Gnevny was one of the OSNiV-designed ships. They normally displaced 1,180–1,191 long tons (1,199–1,210 t)^[2] and 1,405–1,464 long tons (1,428–1,487 t) at full load.^[3] They measured 93.82–93.9 meters (307 ft 10 in – 308 ft 1 in) long overall with a beam of 9.02–9.3 meters (29 ft 7 in – 30 ft 6 in), and a draft of 3.2–3.42 meters (10 ft 6 in – 11 ft 3 in).^[2] The ships were propelled by two Boveri-Brown-Parsons steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam from five Vulkan-Thornycroft boilers. The turbines were designed to produce a total of 25,500 shaft horsepower (19,000 kW) for an intended maximum speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph). During Gnevny's sea trials, she only reached 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) from 23,000 shp (17,000 kW). The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them an estimated range of 1,717 nautical miles (3,180 km; 1,976 mi) at 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph). Their crew numbered 111.^[4]

The main armament of the Dzerky-class ships did not vary between the two designs. It consisted of three single four-inch (102 mm) Pattern 1911 Obukhov guns and ten 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedo tubes in five twin mounts. One of these guns was mounted on the forecastle and a superfiring pair on the stern, aft of the torpedo tubes. All of the ships were initially fitted with two 7.62 mm (0.30 in) machine guns,^[5] with most ships receiving another pair of guns during the war. A pair of 47 mm (1.9 in) anti-aircraft (AA) guns were also added during the war. The ships could carry 80 M1912 naval mines. They were also fitted with a Barr and Stroud rangefinder and two 60-centimeter (24 in) searchlights.^[6]

Construction and career

Gnevny was laid down by OSNiV in September 1912. Completed in 1914, she was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. Her crew joined the Bolsheviks in December 1917. She was scuttled by her crew in April 1918, but was salvaged by the Germans.^[7]