Soviet destroyer Karl Libknekht

Karl Libknekht (Russian: Карл Либкнехт) was an Leytenant Ilin-class destroyer built for the Imperial Russian Navy during World War I under the name of Kapitan Belli (Russian: Капитан Белли). Launched in 1915, construction was suspended for the rest of the war. She was seized by the Bolsheviks during the October Revolution, but construction did not resume until 1925. The ship was renamed Karl Libknekht the following year Completed in 1928 and serving in the Baltic Fleet, she was transferred to the Northern Flotilla five years later.

History
Russian Empire
Name	Kapitan Belli
Builder	Putilov Shipyard, Saint Petersburg
Laid down	16 November 1913
Launched	10 October 1915
Fate	Seized by the Bolsheviks, November 1917
Soviet Union
Name	Kapitan Belli
Namesake	Karl Liebknecht
Acquired	November 1917
Commissioned	3 August 1928
Renamed	Karl Libknekht, 13 July 1926 PPR-63, 1956
Reclassified	As target ship, 1955 As floating jetty, 30 December 1955
Refit	28 October 1940–8 November 1944
Stricken	3 June 1955
Fate	Disarmed and converted into a floating jetty, 30 December 1955
General characteristics (as built)
Class & type	Leytenant Ilin-class destroyer
Displacement	1,360 t (1,340 long tons)
Length	98 m (321 ft 6 in)
Beam	9.34 m (30 ft 8 in)
Draught	4.2 m (13 ft 9 in) (deep load)
Installed power	4 water-tube boilers 30,000 shp (22,000 kW)
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 steam turbines
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	1,720 nmi (3,190 km; 1,980 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement	150
Armament	4 × single 102 mm (4 in) guns 1 × single 76 mm (3 in) AA gun 3 × triple 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes 80 mines

Design and description

The Leytenant Ilin-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 Leytenant Ilins were propelled by two Brown-Boveri-Parsons steam turbines, each driving one propeller using steam from four Normand-Vulcan 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. On Karl Libknekht's sea trials on 2 August 1928, she reached 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph). The ship carried enough fuel oil to provide a range of 1,720 nautical miles (3,190 km; 1,980 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph). Their crew numbered 150.^[2]

The Leytenant Ilin-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.^[3] Anti-aircraft defense was provided by a 3-inch (76 mm) Lender anti-aircraft (AA) gun in a single mount amidships. The Leytenant Ilins 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.^[4][5]

Construction and career

Kapitan Belli was launched on 10 October 1915, but construction was suspended on 2 August 1918 with the ship 95 percent complete. Funds to complete the ship were not available until 2 September 1924, but she broke loose from her moorings during a severe flood on 24 September and grounded on a sand bank. The ship was only slightly damaged, but extensive dredging work was required to refloat her. Kapitan Belli was towed to Leningrad in mid-1925 to be completed at the Severnaya Verf shipyard.^[6] The ship was renamed Karl Libknekht on 13 July 1926 in honor of the executed co-founder of the Communist Party of Germany while being worked on. She was commissioned on 3 August 1928 and assigned to the Baltic Fleet. Karl Libknekht was transferred to the Arctic Flotilla in 1933 via the White Sea Canal.^[7]