Russian destroyer Konstantin

Konstantin (Russian: Константин) was an Gavrill-class destroyer built for the Imperial Russian Navy during World War I. Completed in 1917, she served with the Baltic Fleet. The ship was taken over by the Bolsheviks during the October Revolution later that year. Konstantin was sunk in 1919 in a British minefield during their intervention in the Russian Civil War.

History
Russian Empire
Name	Konstantin
Builder	Russo-Baltic Shipyard, Reval, Governorate of Estonia
Laid down	24 November 1913
Launched	30 August 1915
Completed	6 May 1917
Fate	Seized by the Bolsheviks, November 1917
Russian SFSR
Acquired	November 1917
Fate	Mined and sunk, 21 October 1919
General characteristics (as built)
Class & type	Gavriil-class destroyer
Displacement	1,260 t (1,240 long tons)
Length	98 m (321 ft 6 in)
Beam	9.34 m (30 ft 8 in)
Draught	3.9 m (12 ft 10 in) (deep load)
Installed power	4 water-tube boilers 30,000 shp (22,000 kW)
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 steam turbines
Speed	31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph)
Range	1,680 nmi (3,110 km; 1,930 mi) at 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Complement	150
Armament	4 × single 102 mm (4 in) guns 1 × single 63 mm (2.5 in) AA gun 3 × triple 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes 80 mines

Design and description

The Gavriil-class ships were designed as an improved version of the Derzky class.^[1] The ships normally displaced 1,360 long tons (1,380 t) and 1,562–1,600 long tons (1,587–1,626 t) at full load. They measured 98 meters (321 ft 6 in) long overall with a beam of 9.34 meters (30 ft 8 in), and a draft of 3.15 meters (10 ft 4 in). The Gavriils were propelled by two steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam from four boilers. The turbines were designed to produce a total of 30,000 shaft horsepower (22,000 kW) for an intended maximum speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) using forced draft.^[2] On Konstasntin's sea trials, she reached 30,954 shp (23,082 kW). The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 1,680 nautical miles (3,110 km; 1,930 mi) at 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph). Their crew numbered 150.^[3]

The Gavriil-class ships were originally intended to have an armament of two single four-inch (102 mm) Pattern 1911 Obukhov guns and a dozen 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedo tubes in six double mounts. The Naval General Staff changed this to four triple mounts once they became available and then decided to exchange a torpedo mount for two more four-inch guns in August 1915 while the ships were still under construction. One of these guns was mounted on the forecastle and three on the stern, aft of the torpedo tubes.^[1] All of these guns were on the centerline and interfered with each other's movements.^[4] Anti-aircraft defense was provided by a 2.5 in (64 mm) anti-aircraft (AA) gun in a single mount amidships. The Gavriils were completed with one triple torpedo mount between the forward funnels and two mounts aft of the rear funnel. 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.^[2]

Construction and career

Konstantin was commissioned on 6 May 1917 and participated in operations during the First World War as part of the Baltic Fleet. Her crew joined the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution in 1917. The ship was sunk on 21 October 1919 in a British minefield during their intervention in the Russian Civil War.^[5]