Derzki class Destroyer (1913)

The next big tree for WW2 in 2026 is about Russian, then Soviet Destroyer, from 1910 and the Novik class up to the early cold war ships (Skoryy).
Before even world war one for what Russia was concerned, the Russo-Japanese war caused a great train of reforms in the Navy and and generated a new generaton of fleet destroyers, the Novik.
This was a great leapfrog in Russian destroyer design. Design for “active minelaying” and protecting lines of communications at longer range, the result was an absolute beast of a destroyer when completed, sending shockwaves across admiralties.

The Russian Navy built about fifty derivatives of the Novik design in several classes, most surviving the revolution, civil war, still active in 1941.
The first class after Novik is the Derzki also known as Bespokoiny in many publications. Nine were built and they proved extremely popular and effective for their short time of combat in the black sea fleet, but the revolution and civil war saw many flags changes, from the Bolsheviks to the White Russians and Wrangel fleet, sometimes German and British, but with most scrapped in Bizerte.
Two were lost, Gromky scuttled in June 1918, Schastlivy grounded on her way to internment in 1919 with the only one still in service in 1941 being Frunze, ex-Bystry (rapid). She was sunk by a Stuka in September. #russkiyfot #russiannavy #sovietnavy #ww1 #blackseafleet #sovietdestroyer #frunze #novik

Development

The Novik, true trailblazer

The seismic event that was the Russo-Japanese war and losses of Tsushima ignited a major train of reform across the Navy. Officers and ministers at the head of the Naval Staff changed, as well as procedures, tactics, in fact the whole rulebook at the Russian Naval Academy was rewritten. Nothing was spared. The new men in charge wanted the Navy put back in shape, and the process was still ongoing when WWI broke out, catching the Imperial Navy off-guard. The lack of adequate support for Battleships in the Yellow sea in 1904 and Tsushima in 1905 led to the design of a new generation of large vessels for reconnaissance and protection, a new generation of fleet destroyers.
See WW1 Russian Destroyers.

The fruit of studies and design work was Novik financed by donations in the 1904-1905 war. It was delayed due to reports and experiences compiled. First, the new ship needed to be very fast, have the most powerful torpedo broadside of the time (eight or ten) and a sufficient artillery to deal with light cruisers if needed as well as laying “flying” minefields, that is in the path of an approaching battlefleet. A reunion in 1905 saw the Marine Technical Committee (MTC) confering with the commander of the 2nd Pacific squadron Z. P. Rozhestvensky defined specialized “mine cruisers” but in the latter year this eveolved into a new type of turbine destroyers.

This was confirmed by a Summer 1907 reunion of the “Special Committee” working on a high-speed turbine destroyer (36-knot) while the Naval General Staff worked on a new multi-purpose minelayer still with torpedo and artillery for high seas reconnaissance and commerce raiding. Then came the final Requirements of 1908 setup by the admiralty. A. N. Krylov, I. G. Bubnov and G. F. Shlesinger work on it and the committee started to look for several shipyards as well as launching an international competition for the new “36-knot destroyer”. Admiralty, Creighton, Nevsky and Putilov in Russia answered the call and Putilov won the order in 1909.

Putilov Yard signed an agreement for a construction within 28 months from signing, voted by the Imperial treasury on August 1, 1912 for 2 million and 190 thousand rubles. The detailed design was comfirmed in 1909-1910, but an agreement saw the German company Vulkan involved deeply in the process, precising design, manufacture and providing the three-shaft boiler and steam turbine units under supervision by D. D. Dubitsky. The resulting Novik had a four-funnel silhouette, two island superstructures, three-shaft powerplant, two masts, long forecastle ptting the base of all subsequent Russian destroyers until the Gnevny in the 1930s. See the full development of the Novik for more.

Building a follow-on class

The order for the design and construction of Derzkiy-class was labelled under the “urgent reinforcement of the Black Sea Fleet” program. This was to at least partially compensate for the absence of cruisers in the Black Sea. Six different shipyards, Admiralty, Creighton & Co., Lange & Son, Metallichesky, Nevsky, and Naval took part in the competition to design these turbine destroyers along with six foreign firms, including Vulkan that already worked on Novik. Putilov Shipyard (which made the Novik with Vulcan) was awarded the contract as at the time it was the only one experienced in turbine-powered destroyers. The next two went to Metallichesky and Nevsky Shipyards.

The contract was not signed yet however, since the new 1908 naval program ignored the building of new destroyers. The Naval General Staff changed the requ1rements by adding a single 4-in gun, six 18-in TTs and pressed for use of AEG or Parsons turbines, instead of the Rateau model preconized in the awarded design. Tenders for the design were invited once again, displacement increased to 50 tons to house the additional armament, and that cost a knot of speed.

It was stipulated also that these ships had to be built by Black Sea Yards only. Putilov Yard, backed by Vulkan, and the Black sea Naval Admiralty Yard, backed by Vickers, were awarded design contracts. The latter became mandatory for the other Baltic coast yards which were to deal with the order. In the end there were design variations recognisable by the shape of the funnels: Round section at Putilov Yd, and the oval at the Naval Yd.

When reviewing the Putilov Plant’s design, the shipbuilding department noted its improvement on their previous design with an even better longitudinal bulkheads scheme and forecastle, stern shapes, and a more rational arrangement for the fuel tanks, as well as its good overall and local hull strength. However the order for the construction of four destroyers codenamed “Derzkiy” (“Daring”) officially (that is why it should be the class name) after the lead ship was eventually awarded to the rival Society of Nikolaev Plants and Shipyards (ONZiV). Only fourth in the competition, it promised to complete the work within a tighter deadline than Putilov.

On August 8, 1911, ONZiV received an order for four destroyers. In early October, they were named and registered already as “Bespokoiny” (Restless), “Gnevny” (Angry), “Derzkiy” (Daring), and “Pronzitelny” (Piercing). After detailed design development, the displacement was reduced by 170 tons, length by 2 meters. Lightening the hull, improving its shapes, allowed for a major reduction in the propulsion by 7,000 horsepower. This also enabled the removal of one boiler and the fourth funnel. Design speed was reduced by one knot (to 33 knots), accepted by the admiralty.

Construction

During construction, a number of changes were made to the already approved designs, at the request of the Main Directorate of Shipbuilding. Thanks to the experience gained during trials of Novik, a new stern capstan was installed, a second compass on the bridge (four total) and a sick bay, and observer station with internal communication on the foremasts. On February 11, 1912, after all design refinements were sanctioned by the Naval Ministry, a contract was signed for the construction of four destroyers, two required for sea trials, no later than February 7, 1914, then two within six months. They were expected to be delivered to the Navy within two months of trials presentation. The Derzkiy-class cost was inferior to Novik, at 2 million rubles.

In June 1912, construction started in a double covered slipway at the shipyard with orders for almost all the steel needed for construction ordered from various Russian metallurgical plants. On July 20, 1912, manufacture of part of the hull and machinery commenced and two months later on September 20, Bespokoyny and Gnevny were laid down (hence the class name in some publications). On October 18 next year, they were launched and immediately the next two Derzky and Pronzitelny were laid down, the latter launched on March 2, 1914, same day Bespokoyny started shipyard trials. The installation of boilers and turbines on Gnevny was completed as well.

A small assembly yard was erected at Vadona, off Kherson, to lay down the hulls of Bystry, Pyliki and Schastlivy (sections were subcontracted to the Putilov Yd). The hulls of Gromki and Pospeshny were laid down in the Admiralty Yard, Nikolayev. Except for the Nevski Yard, the other Baltic coast yards subcontracted the turbines to Vulkan. Because of labour and transportation problems the Nevski and Putilov orders were taken over by the Naval Yard.

A triumph of organization for Nikolaev shipyards in the black sea: The slipway construction time for the last two only lasted six months, outfitting period, including trials, seven months. These deadlines were saluted as unprecedented for Russian shipbuilding, and achieved only thanks to well-organized production lines, rational layout of the workshops, state-of-the-art machinery, excellent crane equipment. The yard’s previous infrastructure investments paid off.

Hull Design

The hull of the Derzki class was riveted, like the Novik class. The architecture and structural design was standard for turbine-powered destroyers with a distinctive, graceful hull lines and a silhouette bearing many similarities to British destroyers at the time, so they were referred as “English-type” destroyers. They shared the same armament as the “Baltic-type” destroyers (Novik-class from St. Petersburg), but the Derzkiy-class differed in their slightly inclined oval-section funnels, cut perpendicular to the funnel axis, distinctive aft superstructure, 102-mm gun platform and aft control station. The Derzkiy-class destroyers had a slightly higher forecastle running a quarter of the hull’s length with a continuous upper deck to the stern.

For a displacement between 1,100 long tons (1,118 t) standard and 1,320 long tons (1,341 t) fully loaded they were smaller tha the Novik, and shorter as well, at 98 m (321 ft 6 in) overall for a beam of 9.3 m (30 ft 6 in) and draught of 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in). Their crew amounted to 125, but in 1941, Frunze with her extra armament perhaps reached circa 160.

Powerplant

Cutaway of the Gavril class, but its gives an idea of the internal arrangements

The four Nikolayev ships had two Brown-Boveri steam turbines fed by five Thornycroft boilers. These turbines operated on saturated steam. The operating cycle was: boiler – turbine – Refrigerator – air-condenser pump – heat exchanger – feedwater pump – boiler. Thet had two shaft propellers, onto which a total output of 25,500 horsepower was passed on. This was far less than for the Novik class, but for just a knot less. Schastlivy on trials still managed 30 knots. vnvnvnvbn

On May 23, 1914, after another run of factory trials, a fire broke out in the second boiler room of the Bespokoyny. It was extinguished within half an hour, by sealing the compartment, and activating the steam suppression system. Repairs took two weeks, after which she was sent to Sevastopol, soon followed by Gnevny for stability tests at normal, minimum, and maximum displacements The metacentric height values ​​corresponding to these displacements were also calculated and the result “satisfactory”.

Bespokoynyy trials 1914

During 10-hour trials of July 1, 1914, Grozny averaged 3.4 tons/hour for fuel consumption at 21 knots with an observed output of 14,319 hp at 332 rpm, on displacement of 1,185 tons. On July 5, during a similar test at 30 knots (21,357 hp/563 rpm) fuel consumption rose to 11.92 tons/hour for an estimated cruising range at 30 knots of 700 nautical miles. The cruising range was 1,717 nmi (3,180 km; 1,976 mi) at 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) and judged “satisfactory” although strong vibration were measured at 30 kts, of the forward walls of the boilers as well as a “thick, heavy smoke from all funnels”.

Armament

102 mm L/60 Guns

The main guns consisted in three, not four (on Novik) 102 mm (4 inches) L/60 Obukhov cannons. These 4″/60 (10.2 cm) Pattern 1911 coincided with the Novik class. They were placed in the axis, one forward and the remaining three aft, alternating with the torpedo tubes banks. They had a high-mounted pivots for good elevation, but no gun shield.

Performances of these were as follows:
-Shell Obukhovsky 38.58 lbs. (17.5 kg) HE mod 1911
-Unitary cartridge 30 kg including the 17.5 kg shell
-Brass cartridge case containing a 7.5 kg charge
-Elevation Rate 3 degrees per second
-Train 360 degrees at 3 degrees per second
-Gun recoil 28 inches (71 cm)
-Muzzle velocity 823 m/s.
-Range at 30 degrees 16,800 yards (15,360 m).
-Rate of fire 12 rounds per minute.
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These were rapid-fire guns, provided with 160 unitary artillery rounds per barrel (HE) for a grand total of 640 shells aboard. In 1941 this was increased to 810 rounds. Cartridges were stored in two artillery cellars. There was a feed system upwards using two elevators driven by electric motors (with manual backup), which was quite modern for a destroyer at the time.
Many more shells were made available on the long run as these guns were widepsread and still used in WW2: HE mod 1915 and mod 1911, FRAG mod 1915, HE mod 1907, Shrapnel, Star Shell, Diving shell (for ASW use), Incendiary shell.

In addition they had two and up to four 7.62-mm Maxim liquid-cooled machine guns installed on pedestals on the bow bridge, and upper deck aft, near the galley. Total boxed ammunition and belts totalled 810 rounds per Machine Gun.

For night fighting, these ships were equipped with a combat 60 cm Sperry searchlight, to illuminate targets. For fire control there was a single manual Barr and Strood 9-foot (base 2,745 mm) coincidence rangefinder installed on the bridge providing data. They were coordinated by a single Geisler-type fire control system communicating setting angles from sights located in the conning tower. There were four sets of data display (for each of the guns). These were equipped with bells and howlers to signal a shot or a volley.

Torpedoes

The Novik class was was designed with four twin torpedo launchers on the centerline. For the the Derzki, the admiralty wanted more torpedoes, and managed to have a fifth twin mount installed: N°1 beteween the forecastle and 1st funnel, one aft of it, two forward of the aft mast, one aft of the radio/quartedeck house aft. These were 1908 and 1912 models (45-08 and 45-12). In 1915, the 45-15 torpedo was developed, and in 1938, the 45-36N torpedo was accepted into service.

-The 45-12 torpedo, 5.58 m x 0.45 m or 18 inches diameter, weighing 810 kg, and carrying a 100 kg warhead of TNT. Range was 5 km at 30 knots. First Russian torpedo with a “wet heating” system. Designed by the Fiume plant, it was produced at Obukhov and Lessner plant.

These twin-tube 450 mm torpedo tubes were already above average destroyer armament in 1909, less so in 1913. The admiralty at some point wanted triple tubes, dropped due to stability issues. For these many tubes, no spare torpedoes were provided. These were Whitehead models propelled using compressed air. The twin-tube from Putilov factory lacked rigidly however and needed fastened tubes with the impossibility of target tracking, lacking the appropriate clutch in the gear train and with a slow mechanical rotation, plus an issue in the charger shutter, never fixed.

Mines

The Derzki class were designed as “active minesweepers”, able to perform a rapid minelaying directly into the path of an underway enemy battle formation, even under fire. Their speed was still their best asset, but dropping mines at 30 knots was esepcially risky if the stern wake was not well managed. The risk of a premature detonation especially with contact mines was real due to turbulences. The mines werre stacked on two long rail tracks on either side of deck aft, starting at the forecastle. This made up for small 80 mines or 50 larger, dropped on sloped lips at 20° which protruded overboard by 1.5 m. However even this configuation only allowed minelaying at below 24 knots.

For ASW warfare, they were given in WW1 ten 10 depth charges of the types 4V-B or 4V-M on two five-charge racks at the stern. They were replaced in the interwar by more advanced BB-1 and BM-1, respectively 8 and 20, stored between racks, manually dropped overboard or using carts tailored to support 4 large or 5 small depth charges.

⚙ specifications
Displacement	1,100 long tons (1,118 t) standard, 1,320 long tons (1,341 t) full load*
Dimensions	98 x 9.3 x 3.2 m (321 ft 6 in x 30 ft 6 in x 10 ft 6 in)
Propulsion	2 shafts steam turbines (variable), 5 Thornycroft boilers, 25,500 shp (19 MW)
Speed	34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range	1,717 nmi (3,180 km; 1,976 mi) at 21 knots
Armament	3x 102 mm, 5×2 533mm TTs, 2 LMGs, 80 mines, see notes.
Crew	125 (1941 Frunze: 172)

Livery and general appearance:

Grey was initially present on the fan-ejectors capstan, artillery, projectors, and generally all vertical surfaced for the hull above the waterline, notably the superstructure, mast, yard, funnels and everythong on deck. Painted in black were the Hall anchor, deck hawse, bollards, bitteng, standing rigging, chimney caps, mine rails, ladder brackets, bale slats, Legof stoppers and chain stop frames, anchor tubes and in white lifebuoy (white and red) as smaller morse spotlights. The hull below the waterline was red, as the propeller shafts and their brackets and rudder. The running rigging was in yellow. The deck was in wood the propellers with in bronze as the twin torpedo tubes and magnetic compass caps. Side and stern inscription, and sights for 102 mm guns were in polish metal and the state emblem was in copper as these were hand-made by sculptors.

Bystry and a few others received also camouflages, like this one at an unknown date between 1915 and 1917, pure razzle dazzle.

For the only ship still in Soviet service in WW2, Frunze (ex-Bystry), the base medium grey was kept, until changed to dark grey in the 1930s, a new white line was painted as a transition between the grey and black waterline. The brodge was apparently wooden, but painted grey at some point in the early interwar. All previous items in polish metal above the waterline were painted dark or medium grey. The ornaments were replaced by a single red star in stemped metal installed at the poop. Some elements like tarpaulins and barrier canvas were in white. Anchors and other elements were still in black.

Derzki class in service

Derzki was damaged during a duel with the cruiser Hamidieh in January 1915.
Pospeshnyi was badly damaged by German aircraft on 25 August 1916 during action against the U-boat base at Varna.
Except for Bystry and Schastlivy which raised the Ukrainian colors, the others left Sevastopol for Novorossisk on 30 April 1918 (and Gnevny was badly damaged by German shore batteries) but returned except for Pronzitelny and Gromkzi which were scuttled there.

These destroyers were seized by the Germans who commissioned. Schastlivy in October 1918 as R 01, while Bystry and Gnevny were designated R 02 and R 03. They never entered service however. They were Handed over to the Allies in November 1918. Byslry was scuttled by the British on 6 April 1919 to avoid capture by the Reds She was later refloated by the Soviets and recommissioned as Frunze on 2 December 1927. Schastlivy was stranded in a gale while under British tow to Malta. The other ships served with Wrangel’s fleet in September 1919. Bespokoiny was damaged by a mine on 15 September 1920 off Kerch while transiting to the Sea of Azov.

Bespokoiny (Turbulent) was registered in the Black Sea Fleet on October 11, 1911. She was laid down at Nikolayev on September 20, 1912, launched on October 19, 1913. By early June 1914, after completing mooring trials, she sailed to Sevastopol, for final fitting-out and acceptance trials. On October 11, 1914, she was commissioned into the 1st Division, Black Sea Fleet’s Mine Brigade. Her maiden combat sortie in WWI with the 1st Division was on October 22-25. The destroyers laid mines in the Bosphorus, and shelled Zunguldak. Bespokoiny made seven more patrols to the Ottoman coast notably Pontic Coal sites, destroy underway all encountered Turkish coastal vessels, and lay minefields until late December. In 1915, she made 11 sorties for the same, writing off by herself some 90 sailing and steam vessels. At one point she met the ex-<Breslau and Goeben (Midilli and Yavuz) and briefly exhange shells before retreating. In the second half of 1915, with the new, mor ecapable Schastlivy-class destroyers entering service, the Derzky-class fell in second echelon and made lass risky sorties. In the 1916 campaign, Bespokoyny sorties 14 times still along the Turkish coast, laying mines, supporting battleships, even transporting troops and sinking 70 Turkish sailing vessels along the way.

On August 27, 1916, while returning from a minelaying mission with Gnevny, she struck two mines near Constanta (Romania). The first detonated under her amidship boiler room, the second under the left turbine room. As adjacent spaces, they were flooded1, but she remained buoyant enough to be towed by minesweeper No. 241 to Constanta, temporarily patched, water pumped out, armament partially unloaded and dismantled to return home. On September 3-6, Bespokoyny was towed by the salvage ship Chernomor to Nikolaev, arriving on September 8 and repairs went on until June 1917. She never resumed service however, due to the regime change.

On December 16, 1917, she joined the Red banner Black Sea Fleet. After the German ultimatum to the Soviet government on April 25, 1918 demanding the surrender of the Black Sea Fleet, Bespokoyny and others left Sevastopol for Novorossiysk on April 29. She was back evastopol on June 19, 1918, only to be captured by German forces. However after the latter withdrew from Sevastopol in December she came under allied (French) control, hull number “R.1” and under French command, she ran over a rock, bending the port propeller shaft. In August 1919, still in good condition and fully armed, she returned to the Black Sea Fleet, this time captured by White Russians.

By February-March 1920, she took part in the battles near Novorossiysk and Tuapse. Later, she took part in the evacuation of troops from Novorossiysk to Sevastopol and in April, the battle of the northwestern oblast. From August to October 1920, she operated in the Kerch Strait and Sea of ​​Azov, supporting South Russian armies. On September 15, she ran into a Soviet minefield, hit one, but damage was negligible and she continued operations in the Sea of ​​Azov. On November 14, 1920, Bespokoyny left Crimea, disembarked evacuees to Constantinople, and sailed to Bizerte in Tunisia (French Control), by late December 1920. On October 29, 1924, after France’s recognition of the USSR, she was declared Soviet property and the St. Andrew’s flag was lowered, the crew abandoned ship. In 1923, de facto a French property, not revendicated by the Soviets (no crew was sent), she was sold in 1924 to Rudmetalltorg for scrap but remained untouched in Bizerte until 1933, until dismantled for scrap by a private French firm.

Derzky (Impertinent) was registered by the Black Sea Fleet on October 11, 1911. She was laid down at Nikolayev on October 18, 1913, launched on March 2, 1914, trnsfered for fitting out on mid-August after mooring trials, to Sevastopol. After acceptance trials she was commissioned on October 11, 1914, with the 1st Division, Black Sea Fleet’s Minelayer Brigade. On October 16-18, she had her first sortie to intercept Turkish merchant traffic on the opposite coast. By the end of 1914, she had performed seven more sorties, notably shelling the Ugolny District, sinking all encountered vessels and laying mines. On December 20 she had a bref engagement with Hamidieh. In 1915 she made 21 sorties, destroying more than 120 sailing and steamships with her sisters. On November 28, she co-sank the 315-ton Turkish gunboats Taşkeprü and 240-ton Turkish gunboats Yozgat near Kefken Island.

In 1916 she performed 19 sorties, notably along the Romanian coast, laying mines, transporting troops, escorting convoys. In January 1917 she was part of two sorties along the Anatolian coast, destorying 27 sailing and steamships. She had an overhaul until the end of August. In September-October 1917 she made two raids on Turkish sea lanes. In November-December she took part in an operation against troops of the Ataman Kaledin.On December 16, 1917, she fell under control of the Bolshevik Military Revolutionary Committee. In January 1918, she took part in the Battle of the Danube Arms, based in Sevastopol. After the German ultimatum on April 25, 1918 demanding the surrender of the Fleet, Derzkiy left for Novorossiysk on April 29. In June she was back to Sevastopol, only to be captured by German troops. In December she fell under British control, towed to Izmit, ​​Marmara. In October-December 1919 she was under repairs in Malta with her Russian crew.

She returned to Sevastopol on March 9, 1920 and entered the White Black Sea Fleet. From March to August 1920, she operated against the Red Army Navy in the northwestern Black Sea. By September-October, she operated in the Sea of ​​Azov. On November 14, 1920, she left Crimea with the Wrangel’s fleet, disembarked evacuees to Constantinople and ended interned in Bizerte, Tunisia by late December. On December 29, she was interned, remained moored with her crew for four years. After France recognized the USSR on October 29, 1924 her crew evacuated. She was later sold to a local company for scrap, starting 1933.

Gnevny (Furious) was registered into the Black Sea Fleet on October 11, 1911. She was Laid down at Nikolayev on September 20, 1913, launched on October 18, 1913. In early June 1914, after mooring trials, she went to Sevastopol for fitting-out, acceptance trials, commissioned on October 11, 1914 in the 1st Division Mine Brigade. Her first sortie was on October 16, 1914, to intercept and destroy enemy ships encountered along the hostile coastline. By December she had completed seven more sorties along the coast of Turkey, shalling notably the Ugolny District, destroying Turkish vessels, laying mines. In 1915, Gnevny made 23 combat sorties and took part in the the same missions as her sisters. By mid-1915 operational activity decreased with the arrival of the modern and more capable 2nd Division.

On May 30, 1915, while shelling the coast near Zunguldak with Derzkiy she was hit twice by the cruiser Midilli (ex-Breslau), damaging the steam lines of her boiler plant. Under the supervision of Mikhail Goffman, acting senior engineer damage was partially repaired, so she could escape. Underway additional repairs, were made completed at Sevastopol until the end of August. By September-December, she made four more sorties. She made 15 sorties in 1916 along the Turkish and Romanian coasts, laying mines, carrying troops, escorting battleships. On March 13-31 1916 while in the 3rd Division, she escorted the entire black sea fleet in transporting a landing force to the Caucasus Front, from Odessa to Novorossiysk, herself taking on troops and protecting the convoy of twenty-nine transports, in four detachments, from March 15.

She sailed with Schastlivy (flagship 3rd Division), Pylky, Gnevny and five destroyers from the 4th and 5th Divisions. They escorted the troopships with the 3rd Detachment (7 transports) and arrived in Novorossiysk on March 18. For 1916 she sank three steamships and several sailing vessels and barges. By September she was in overhaul, until May 1917. Until June 1917 she made three sorties, for minelaying and escorting the battleship Svobodnaya Rossiya. On December 16, 1917, she was captired by the Bosheviks, joined the Red Banner fleet. She was forced to avoid german capture, sailing out on April 29, for Novorossiysk. While passing through the boom gates, she was fired upon by German artillery. One shell exploded close top her waterline and she started to leak, turned sharply and ran aground at full speed, on the shore of Ushakova Balka. While abandoning the ship, the crew opened seacocks, set a charge detonating the turbines.

In the summer of 1918, she was raised by the germans, and on July 5, manned by the German fleet as “R-03”, but she needed more repairs. In December, as German troops withdrew, the destroyer came under British command. In early 1919 she was handed over the White Russians but not commissioned. At the end of March 1919, Gnevny left Crimea together with the Russian squadron, disembarked evacuees to Constantinople, and headed to Bizerte where she was interned by the French from December 29. After France recognized USSR her crew was disbanded but no soviet crew was sent to fetch her and by the late 1920s, she was sold for BU to Rusmetalltorg, starting in 1933.

Pronzitelny (Shrill) was registered into the Black Sea Fleet on October 11, 1911. She was laid down on October 18, 1913, launched on March 2, 1914. After mooring trials she was fitted-out and her her acceptance trials and on October 11, 1914, she was commissioned into the 1st Division of Minelayer Brigade, Imperial Black Sea Fleet. Her first sortie like her sisters was on October 16-18, 1914, she made seven more and in 1915, 23 sorties. She tok part notably in the sinking of the old small gunboats Taskepryu and Yezgar, 200 tons, used as auxiliaries on November 28, 1915, in the Battle of Kefken Island). She also finished off the submarine UC-13, and had brief clashes with Middilli (ex-Breslau). Unlike other destroyers of the Derzkiy class, Pronizitelnyy saw far more actions and sorties. In the 1916 campaign, she made 20 combat missions. In May 1917, she laid mines, but made no more sorties for the rest of the year, stuck in overhaul.

On December 6, 1917 she joined the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet. From January 1918 she supported operations in Feodosia: With Fidonisi, Zvonkiy, and Pronizitelny, Red Guards and sailors she helped suppressin a Tatar uprising in Feodosia by late April but after the German ultimatum of April 25 she left for Novorossiysk. By June 18, she was scuttled in Tsemes Bay under 31 meters. In 1926 it was ettemted to refloat her, but this did not worked and the hull broke for good. Between 1939 and 1941 her boilers and machinery were salvaged and her remains raised piecemeal in 1965 and dismanted.

Bystry was built by the St. Petersburg Metal Works and was assembled at the leased Vaddon shipyard in Kherson. She had been laid down on 16 October 1913, launched on 25 May 1914 and completed on 18 April 1915, assigned to the Black Sea Fleet at commission. She saw actions like her sisters in the black sea, rampaging the Ottoman coast. Her crew joined the Bolsheviks in December 1917. She was captured by the German Empire in May 1918 and later turned over to the British in November, then scuttled to prevent capture by the Bolsheviks on the winning side of the Russian Civil War. Refloated in 1922, she was renamed Frunze on 5 February 1925, while being refitted. At the time, destroyers were renamed after party personalities.

Until 1923, she remained mothballed at the Sevastopol but from 1923 to 1927, she underwent restoration and repairs at the Sevastopol yard or Andre Marti Shipyard in Nikolaev. Notably she was modified, with a fourth 102-mm gun, and received a 76-mm (3-in) Lender anti-aircraft gun, 37-mm Maxim machine gun, four 7.62-mm M-1 machine guns in place of her two original 47-mm Hotchkiss guns. The torpedo armamentwas now simplified to three triple torpedo tubes. Displacement increased to 1,540 tons, crew to 133. On December 16, 1927, she was recommission, assigned to the 1st Destroyer Division, Black sea fleet. In May–June 1928, she made a friendly visit to Istanbul. In September 1929 she existed the black sea and sailed up to Naples. On June 8, 1931, near Sevastopol, she collided with submarine No. 16 “Metallist” (former AG-21 and as a result, the submarine sank with 24 crew members. From 1936 to 1940, Frunze underwent major upgrades at Sevmorzavod. Her anti-aircraft suite was upgraded to a single 76mm(3-in) dual purpose gun, two 45mm 21-K semiautomatic guns, two 12.7mm DShK machine guns.She now carried 40 Model 1908 or 1912 mines, or 20 Model 1926 or KB mines. Displacement rose to 1,700 tons, crew to 172.

By June 22, 1941, she was part of the 1st Destroyer Division, Black Sea Fleet and this summer during Operatiopn Barbarossa she escorted transports and laid mines. Late August, she joined the defense of Odessa. On the 22th the cruiser Krasny Krym and destroyer Dzerzhinsky arrived in Odessa from Sevastopol for artillery support to the defenders. She was under command by then of Lieutenant Cdr P.A. Bobrovnikov. She was ordered to shell the villages of Sverdlovka and Chabanka near Odessa, while dealing with German shore batteries. She spent 140 rounds and was framed, but not damaged. On August 28 she accompanies the cruiser Chervona Ukraina, large destroyer Tashkent, destroyers Smyshlenny and Shaumyan, gunboat Krasnaya Gruziya for an artillery support of Odessa’s eastern defense sector close to Ilyinka, Chabanka, Novaya Dofinovka, and Gildendorf. The formation was under command of Rear Admiral D. D. Vdovichenko. They neuutralized notably German batteries shelling Odessa. Frunze, maneuvered all the time, covering her and the formation with smoke screens, and used counter-battery fire. She was hit once on her deck near the engine room, but this was patched up and repaired. Shell fragments killed a sailor, wounded four others including commander P. A. Bobrovnikov, remaining on duty until hospitalized. Captain 3rd Rank V. N. Eroshenko from Tashkent assumed temporary command.

On September 21, 1941, she left Sevastopol for Odessa with Rear Admiral L. A. Vladimirsky on board. Near Tendrovskaya Spit she assisted the sinking gunboat Krasnaya Armeniya, when attacked by nine Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers. She was hit by five bombs and started to sink by her port side, but grounded under six meters, 9 miles from the shore, and then the crew was able to evacuate via the superstructure and funnels. Between the explosion and those who drawn, 40 perished. She was stricken on October 6, 1941. Wrecked by storms only the lower hull and machinery remained on the long run, and was explored by divers only in 2006. From September 3, 2012, Ukraine planned to clear her as she still carried unexploded ordnance. She was blown up on June 15, 2019.

Gromki (Loud) was listed in the Black Sea Fleet register on October 11, 1911. She was laid down at the Nevsky Shipyard in November 1912, relaid down at the A. Vaddon Shipyard in Kherson on July 12 (or September 30), 1913, and launched on December 5, 1913. By late December 1914 after mooring trials, she was sent to Sevastopol for final fitting-out plus acceptance trials. On April 21, 1915, she was commissioned into the 2nd Division, Minelayer Brigade, Black Sea Fleet. Her first combat sortie was in April 25-28, 1915 to the Bosphorus. By late 1915 with her division she made three more missions to the coast of Turkey. In 1916 this was 16 sorties of bombardment of the Turkish and Romanian coasts, lay mines, carry troops, and escort the fleet. For 1917 that went down to just four sorties. By December 16, she joined the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet. After the German ultimatum she left for Novorossiysk on April 29. On June 17 the Soviet government order the crew to scuttled her to avoid capture, done on Tsemes Bay. She sank under 42 meters three miles from Shiroka Balka. In 1947 in a mine clearance work her wreck was located, examined by divers but not raised. She was just left to rot.

Pospeshny (Hasty) was laid down at Nevsky Shipyard, Saint Petersburg 5 October 1913 and later assembled at Vaddon, Kherson, launched on 22 March 1914 and completed on 16 September 1915.
Like her sisters she was transferred from Nikolaev to Sevastopol for final fitting-out and acceptance trials. She was commissioned into the 2nd Division and he firdst sortie was to Zunguldak on December 22-23. In 1916, she was part of 17 sorties but in 1917, five sorties for the dame same missions as her division (see above). On December 16, 1917 she joined the Banner Red Black Sea Fleet and the german ultimatum force her on April 29, 1918 to Novorossiysk. On June 17–19 she returned to Sevastopol only to be captured by German troops but after their withdrawal by December 1918, she fell under British control, with a British crew. On January 24 or February 6, 1919, she was handed over to White Russian forces, along with the cruiser Kagul and she participated in the Odessa landing and other operations with Ukraine in the Black and Azov Seas in 1919–1920. On November 14, 1920, she left Crimea via Constantinople with the Wrangel Feet for internment in Bizerte. No claimed in 1924 by the Soviets, she was decommissioned, sold for BU to a local form, dismantled from 1933.

Pylki (Ardent) was built Metal Works and assembled at Vaddon, Kherson, laid down on 16 October 1913, launched on 15 July 1914 and completed on 31 May 1916. By mid-May 1915 after mooring trials, she was transferred from Nikolaev to Sevastopol for fitting-out and acceptance trials, and after commission in May 1915, she joined the 2nd Division, Black Sea Fleet. She had the same missions and fate as her sisters in the division (see above) 17 sorties in 1916, and on March 13-31, 1916, she joined the 3rd Division and ezscorted the entire fleet, to transport a landing corps by sea to the Caucasus Front from Odessa. She was led by the flagship Schastlivy and sailed with Gnevny alongside the 4th and 5th divisions, arriving on March 18. On December 15, 1916, she was badly damaged in a storm, under repair until late January 1917. By mid-October 1917 she only saw four missions. By December 16 she joined the Red Black Sea Fleet but Captain 2nd Rank V. I. Orlov, was killed by a sailor mob in Sevastopol on December 29-31 and was replaced by a committee. The German ultimatum on April 25 forced her to Novorossiysk but she returned on June 17-19 and was captured, then wednt under control of British command in December 1918. Her engine room surffered an explosion and she was written off, artillery and torpedoes removed. She was handed over to Ukraine and the White Russians in 1919, never commissioned, mothballed in Sevastopol until early 1920. By late March 1920 shew as evacuated to to Sevastopol and on November 14, 1920, able to depart by herself, she joined the evacuating Wrangel’s fleet via Constantinople, Bizerte, by late December 1920 to be interned for four years. Never claimed her crew left in 1924, and she was later sold for scrap, dismantling commenced on 1933.

Schastlivy (Happy) was started at Putilov Shipyard, Saint Petersburg on 16 October 1913, then assembled at Vaddon, Kherson and launched on 25 May 1914, completed on 18 April 1915. She entered the 2nd Division of the Black Sea Fleet and had the same missions as her sisters. In 1915 she had six sorties. On December 18, 1915 with Pronzitelny, she spotted and destroyed the submarine UC-13 at the mouth of the Melen River. In 1916 she made 24 sorties. On February 15, 1917 she collided with the transport Svyatogor, the latter sank, she had her bow shattered and replaced until June 1917. In 1917 she made six sorties. By December 16 she was impressed into the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet, supporting the takeover of Yalta. In May 1918, while in Sevastopol, she was captured by German troops. On August 7 she had a reduced german crew as “R 01.” On December 12 she fell under British control, transferred to Istanbul on December 28. In April 1919, she was towed to Izmit Bay, ​​Marmara, where a fire broke out in her fuel tanks. In a storm on October 24, 1919 while being towed to Malta, she was driven ashore in Mudros Bay, wrecked. Her remains were left to rot.

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Books

Chernyshov, A. A. “Noviks.” The Best Destroyers of the Russian Imperial Fleet. Moscow: Collection, Yauza, EKSMO, 2007
Verstyuk, A. N., Gordeev, S. Yu. Ships of the Mine Divisions. From “Novik” to “Gogland”. Moscow: Voennaya kniga, 2006
Zablotsky, V. P., Levitsky, V. A. The First “Noviks” of the Black Sea Fleet. Derzkiy-class Destroyers // Maritime Campaign: Journal. Moscow, 2008.
Breyer, Siegfried (1992). Soviet Warship Development: Volume 1: 1917–1937. London: Conway Maritime Press.
Budzbon, Przemysław (1985). “Russia”. In Gray, Randal (ed.). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1906–1921. NIP
Budzbon, Przemysław (1980). “Soviet Union”. In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1922–1946.
Budzbon, Przemysław; Radziemski, Jan & Twardowski, Marek (2022). Warships of the Soviet Fleets 1939–1945. Vol. I NIP
Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One: Guns, Torpedoes, Mines and ASW Weapons of All Nations. Seaforth Publishing.
Halpern, Paul G. (1994). A Naval History of World War I. NIP
Hill, Alexander (2018). Soviet Destroyers of World War II. New Vanguard. Vol. 256. Osprey Publishing.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two NIP
Watts, Anthony J. (1990). The Imperial Russian Navy. London: Arms and Armour.

Links

navypedia.org
kchf.ru
militaryfactory.com
ru.wikipedia.org/
Derzky-class_destroyer
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