Vifor class destroyer (1913)

4 Destroyers: Mărăști, Mărășești, Vifor, Viscol.

The Vifor class were four destroyers ordered by Romania in 1913 from Italy. The latter requisitioned all four in 1915. They were rearmed as scout cruisers (esploratori) and saw service in World War I. Two were re-purchased by Romania in 1920, still active in World War II but the remainder stayed in service with the Regia Marina before being transferred to the Spanish Nationalists Navy as Ceuta and Melilla, seeing combat in the Spanish Civil War.

Development

Part of a 12 ships class

For this unique entry for Romanian destroyers in WW2, here is the complicated story of the Vifor class. The four warships were ordered in 1913 by Romania. The idea at the time was to radically reinforce the Romanian Navy was a regional, green water one in 1912. There was the 1880s protected cruoser NMS Elisabeta, the Sborul class TBs, a minelayer, eight gunboat, 14 coastal TBs, an the mpst recent were four Riverine armoured Gunboats. However its maritime traffic from Constanta notably was easy prey for the Russian Black sea fleet, its main potential rival. The latter notably counted brand new and powerful destroyers derived from the 1911 Novik class. However, as seen above, the four destroyers were built in Italy and thus, requisitioned, wiht only two resold to Romania postwar, hence their presence in the WW2 section. The four vessels were initially part of a planned class of 12 ships, envisioned by the 1912 Romanian naval program, but the parliament onluy authorized four.

The new destroyers ordered in 1913 were from Pattison Shipyard in Naples. Provisional names were Vifor, Viscol, Vârtej and Vijelie. They were designed by engineer Luigi Scaglia, based on Romanian specifications, and had to be large destroyers armed with three enormous 152/40 mm guns as well as four 75 mm guns and five torpedo tubes, plus a 10-hour endurance in a full speed, but range limited only to operate in the Black Sea. They were expected to be a match for Russian destroyers, with the heavy guns to outrange them. This was the most ambitious naval program voted by Romania so far.
They would have been also a veritable substitute for scout cruisers, albeit their lacked the range of proposer cruisers, but they would be able to perform shore bombadment missions of the nothern black sea and Crimean coast in impunity, wiht the speed to escape larger pursuers.

The situation in Romania in 1910-14 was the following: Under Carol I of Romania (1866–1914) from the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family the constitutional monarchy had a parliamentary system dominated by the National Liberal Party and Conservative Party put in arbitrations and debate for the vote of naval programmes. Politics were stable but controlled by elite landowning classes. Romania secretly joined the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1883, but from 1910 became more cautious. It had territorial ambitions in Transylvania under Austro-Hungarian rule (large ethnic Romanian population) and started to lean increasingly toward the Triple Entente powers. The country would also play a role in the Second Balkan War in 1913 against Bulgaria and would gained Southern Dobruja to boost regional influence but also increased tensions in the Balkans. As for naval construction it was limited to Constanta, and the country lacked the industrial network needed to build complex ships like the destroyers, having a predominantly agrarian economy and large rural population partly living in poverty, limited industrialization in Bucharest and other major cities.

Requisition by Italy

Sparviero in 1918, note the large gun shields on the forecastle.
Once the budget had been voted by the parliament by late 1913, the ships were indeed ordered but laid down at Pattison only when slipways, already busy, were available. They were laid down on 29 January 1914 (Vifor), 11 March 1914 (Viscol), and 15 July 1914 (Vârtej). No space was available for Vijelie, which was delayed until laid down in turn on 19.8.1916. However in between, the four destoyers were interned on 5 June 1915 after Italy joined the war. The first was completed to 60%, the second to 50%, the third to 20%. The Regia Marina decided to complete them as scout cruisers (“esploratori”) keeping their heavy guns at first. They were thus launched from 27 July 1916, 25 March 1917, 30 January 1918 and 16 August 1918, then completed between February 1917 and January 1920 as Aquila Falco, Nibbio and Sparviero. Aquila was the first completed, on 8 February 1917, followed by Sparviero on 15 July, and Nibbio on 15 May 1918 so they were also the only ones seeing service in WWI.

Long story short, they saw a very active career until the end of the war. The Regia Marina deployed them in the late Adriatic campaign, escoritng coastal torpedo boat and motor torpedo boat raids or combined air attacks and cover for shore bombardment operations. Aquila took part in 15 May 1917 Battle of the Strait of Otranto, but was hit by Csepel (boilers, immobilized), be towed back to port. She also took part in a raid off Albania by Italian coastal TBs on 5 September 1918. Aquila, Nibbio, and Sparviero also attacked three Austro-Hungarian torpedo boats by then. Falco was in service in the interwar and by 1928, helped recovering submarine F 14 in the Adriatic after a collision but on 11 October 1937, Aquila and Falco were transferred to Spanish Nationalist as Ceuta and Melilla, made official on 6 January 1939.

Resell to Romania

Mărăști and Mărășești when entering Romanian service became overnight the most heavily-armed Axis warships in the Black Sea.
Postwar, Italy needed finances and the Regia Marina considered Sparviero and Nibbio as surplus, proposed to Romania and they were sold back to Romania on 1 July 1920, renamed Mărăști and Mărășești. They would be modernized in 1925-27, which is the object of the present article. Upon commissioning on 1 July 1920 they were re-classified as destroyers with some sources referring them as flotilla leader due to their 152 mm guns. Mărăști and Mărășești were refitted at Galați shipyard in 1925 completed in Naples for rearming in 1926 with the same twin 120 mm guns, more one extra single, and more modern AA.

Design of the class

Hull and general design

Yard model of Maraseti, as modernized with twin guns fore and aft

Originally, these destroyers were among the largest, but still light compared to heir cruiser guns: Displacement standard, was 1,410 tons, and full, 1,723 tons. They measured 94.3 meters ar the waterline and 94.7 meters overall. In breadth they measured 9.47 meters and in draught, from 3.50 to 3.60 (mean). The main distinctive point was their artillery placed forward in the forecastle, on two side by side, sponsoned position. The third was located on deck aft. Otherwise, the were aesthetically plasing destroyers with three heavenly placed and equal raked funnels, a small enclosed and open bridge above, a large raked formast and a smaller aft mast.

The torpedo tubes were located, unusually, on each broadside abaft the number two funnel. There were two range finders located on platforms above the bridge and close to the quartedeck house aft. The ship carried five boats for its 141 crew, two dinghies close to the first funnel, one small cutter under davits and two whalers. The hull was typical of Italian WW1 destroyers, with a straight stem, rounded chin and sloped keel. The compensated rudder was relatively small. As completed the rounded poop had two mine chutes aft, with rails extending to the aft quartedeck structure. On trials, the heavy artillery on the forecastle placed close to both sides and the two side torpedo tubes affected stability.

Post 1927 refit, the Marasesti class rose to a 1,594 long tons normal displacement, 1,760 long tons fully loaded, but dimensions romained the same, 94.3 meters overall by 9.5 meters in beam and 3.6 meters in draft (309 ft 5 in x 31 ft 2 in x 11 ft 10 in). Crew was now 146 officers, NCOs and ratings.

Powerplant

Propulsion comprised two shafts with three bladed fixed-pitch bronze propellers, struts-supported shaft, driven by two Tosi geared steam turbines, in turn bed by the steam coming from five Thornycroft boilers originally for a total output of 40,000 shp (30,000 kW) which provided a top speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph) and a range of 3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) based on 260 tonnes of fuel oil. Other sources states 1,700 nm. In Italian service they had been quite fast. On trials, Nibbio was the best, reaching 37.4kts (from 48,020 hp) but was beaten by Sparviero at 38.04 kts. Italian propaganda of the time stated they exceeded 40 kts.

Armament (Original)

The class in its 1917 configuration (Aquila), which was kept until 1925.
Originally they had been designed to carry three 152 mm (6 in), four 76 mm (3 in) DP guns, and had two twin 457 mm (18 in) torpedo tibes plus 24–44 mines but no ASW armament.

Vickers 152 mm

The Vickers Arsmtrong 152 mm QF or 6 in/40 were placed in a triangle pattern, with two forward in tandem with deck sponsons and one aft on the deckhouse. This 1892 model weighted each 6.700 kg for a barrel lenght 6,096 m, firing 45 kg HE round at 5-7 rpm and 657 m/s up to 9.000 m range at 30° max. Both had larghe gun shields protected from small arms fire and light shrapnel. However in Italian service they appeared unsuccessful because of excessive weight (instability) and reduced firing rate compared to a more standard 120 or 4.7 mm destroyer gun. These guns were directed by standard Barr & Stroud type telemeters fore and aft.

Ansalso 76.2 mm/40 M1916/17

The 76.2 mm/40 (3″) Ansaldo modello 1916 and 1917 replaced the 3-in guns (likely Vickers) ordered in 1914. These were dependable dual purpose atillery that was unshielded but two were locarted behind cutouts and bulwarks at the foot of the forecastle break. The other two were located further aft. The destroyers pairs diverged, Aquila and Falco keeping only the two aft ones placed on sponsoned deck position aft, close to the quartdeck house. The Nibbio and Sparviero had theirs behind forecastle recesses forward, and aft on the weather deck.

18-in torpedoes

All four kept the originally planned pairs of twin torpedo tubes, 450 mm or 18 inches Thornycroft built in Italy. No data. This was arguably a weak torpedo armament for their size, adding to the fact only half was avalaible at one time. The ships also carried mines, 24 on Nibbio and 38 on Falco, possibly French Sautter-Harlé 70 M1916 or 100 M 1916 with 220 lbs. (100 kg) charge.

Armament (1927 and WW2)

120 mm/45 Canet-Schneider-Armstrong

In 1925, their modernization plan was discussed with Italy, with a part done locally at Galați shipyard in 1925 and the armament fitted at Naples. It was modernized, with twin mounted 120 mm/45 Canet-Schneider-Armstrong model 1918/19 under shields like contemporary Italian destroyers. There was a fifth single gun also a 120mm/45 Schneider-Canet-Armstrong M1918 located between the second and third funnel. They kept their Barr & Stoud rangefinders.

76mm/40 DP guns

They kept until 1939 their dual purpose Ansalso 76.2 mm/40 M1916 in 1927. See above for details. In additon for AA defence they also had two 6.5mm/80 Breda Machien Guns on high angle pintles.

1939 and 1943-44 refits

In 1939 both lost the “B” amidship 120mm/40 mount as well as the two 76mm/40 DP and two Breda light MGs. Instead two German 37mm/80 SK C/30 FLAK guns were installed as well as two twin 13.2mm/76 Breda HMG mounts, and at last ASW armament, one Depht Charge Thrower and two racks at the poop for 40 charges overall.

1943-1944 as Romanian was heavily involved in black sea operations in support of the German advance in Crimea, they were partially modernized, geining a twin 37mm/80 SK C/30 FLAK mount and four single Rheinmetall 20mm/65 FLAK C/38. But they kept their broadside torpedo tubes. The twin FLAK was located amidship on the platform between the second and third funnel, the two single ones were located on deck close to the quartedeck house on side sponsons, and the four 20 mm FLAK were located aft of the bridge forward and aft of the quarterdeck house on deck. No radar, sonar was installed and the fire control was not modernized.

Author’s profile of the Marasti in 1942. The livery called for two fake waves, bow and stern and the typical Mediterranean camouflage made of straight lines.

⚙ specifications (1939)
Displacement	1,594 long tons (1,620 t) normal, 1,760 long tons (1,790 t) full load
Dimensions	94.3 x 9.5 x 3.6m (309 ft 5 in x 31 ft 2 in x 11 ft 10 in)
Propulsion	2 shafts geared steam turbines, 4 Thornycroft boilers: 40,000 shp (30,000 kW)
Speed	34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range	3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Armament	3× 152 mm, 4× 76 mm AA, 2×2 457 mm TTs, 24–44 mines
Crew	146

Career of the Vifor class

Mărăști (1917)

Mărăști was ordered originally as Vijelie by Romania from Pattison, Naples in 1913, she was laid down on 29 January 1914, requisitioned in 1915, and launched on 26 March 1917 as Sparviero, completed on 15 July 1917. Resold to Romania and arrived on 1 July 1920. She was formally re-classified as a destroyer, assigned to the Diviziunea Contratorpiloarelor and later Destroyer Squadron (“Escadrila de Distrugătoare”) on 1 April 1927 after refit. Indeed, she was completely modernized and rearmed in Italy in 1925–1926 in which her aft 76 mm guns were removed. It seems however she had modernized Fire-control systems fitted in 1927. The Squadron was visited by King Carol II of Romania and PM Nicolae Iorga on 27 May 1931. In 1940, as seen above she lost her midship 120 mm gun for a twin French Hotchkiss 13.2 mm (0.5 in) AA MG mount. The remaining 76 mm guns were replaced by two German 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA guns. Depth charge racks were fitted at the stern, Italian depth charge thrower added as well. They could carry 40 depth charges or 50 mines as well. But displacement rose to 1,410 long tons (1,430 t) standard and 1,723 long tons (1,751 t) deeply loaded.

Sparviero in 1916

Just after Operation Barbarossa commenced on 22 June 1941, the two Leningrad-class destroyer Moskva and Kharkov (fastest ships in the Soviet Navy), came to shell Constanța at dawn on 26 June. The Romanians expected this, and scrambled Mărăști, Regina Maria and informed the coastal artillery battery Tirpitz. After ten minutes from 03:58, Moskva and Kharkov spent 350 shells but were greeted by 120 mm (4.7 in) guns from 11-16,000 m (12-17,000 yd), on Soviet vessels silhouetted against the dawn. Moskva and Kharkov had to withdraw under a smoke screen but entered a minefield, Moskva sank. Being massively outnumbered by the Black Sea Fleet, the Romanians expertly placed minefields in front of Constanța. On 5 October, Mărăști was part of a mission to mine the route between the Bosphorus and Constanța. After the evacuation of Odessa (16 October), the destroyers protected minesweepers cleaning the fields defending the port, then to lay their own minefields.

The winter of 1941–1942, Romanian destroyers were busy escorting convoys between the Bosporus and Constanța and on 1 December, Mărăști, Regina Maria, Regele Ferdinand were surprised by a Soviet submarine which missed but was quickly spotted and depth charged. On 20 April 1942, Mărăști, Mărășești, Regina Maria escorted a convoy to Ochakov. After Sevastopol surrendered on 4 July a new route was opened in October, operated year-round. Mărăști and Mărășești plus two gunboats were in escort on 7 July 1943 when attacked by three Soviet submarines. Shch-201 fired six and missed, was attacked by Mărășești (claimed sunk). On 9/10 November, the two DDs escorted minelayers off Sevastopol. Back home they had in 1944 their anti-aircraft armament reinforced. Soviet attacks in early 1944 cut the overland connection to Ukraine so supply wa snow only by sea. By early April 1944 Sevastopol was besieged and the Romanians starting evacuating the city on 14 April. Mărăști ran aground later and was repaired later. After King Michael’s Coup on 23 August, Romania swapped sides, but Mărăști remained in port until seized by the Soviets on 5 September (see later).

Mărășești (1918)

Mărășești in convoy 1942, she was camouflaged like her sister.
Mărășești was initially named Vârtej when laid down on 15 July 1914. She was renamed Nibbio an dlaunched 30 January 1918, completed on 15 May 1918. She saw action with the Regia Marina and was sold to Romania in 1920. Facing the Black Sea Fleet, the Romanian destroyers at first escorted minelayers defending Constanța, when not training for convoy escort. From 5 October, she covered mining between the Bosphorus and Constanța. After the evacuation of Odessa in October, she protected minesweepers cleaning the port and minelayers for Romanian minefields between Constanța and Odessa. Mărășești was attacked off Mangalia (Romania) on 6 November 1941 by Soviet submarine S-33, four launched, missed. In 1941–1942 her turbines were damaged so she was limited to 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) before repairs. On 20 April 1942 she ecorted a convoy to Ochakov (see above), and escorted ships between the Bosporus and Constanța. On 22/23 and 24/25 June, Mărășești with Regina Maria and Regele Ferdinand covered defensive minefields off Odessa. After Sevastopol fall on 4 July to the Axis, they could take the direct route to and from Constanța.

Marasesti postcard

Later she escorted three cargo ships on 7 July 1943 when attacked by three submarines, notably Shch-201 later claimed depth charged and sunk. On 9/10 November, she escorted minelayers laying a minefield off Sevastopol, enlarged on 14-16 November, covered by her and Regele Ferdinand. She assisted the German 4,627-gross register ton (GRT) freighter Santa Fé off Yevpatoria after she was torpedoed by D-4 and ezscorted out three smaller ships on 23 November. By early 1944 the overland connection in Crimea was vut off and by April another Sevastopol was besieged so she was tasked to escort more co,voys than ever, of supplies and reinforcements, and then of avacuation. The evacuation started on 14 April, until suspended by Hitler on 27 April, relented on 8 May. Mărășești was part of the last convoy in the night of 11/12 May. With Regina Maria she covered the minelayers Amiral Murgescu and Dacia, sealed off the gap to Sevastpol on 25/26 May. Mărășești was damaged by an airstrike on Constanța later back on 20 August. After King Michael’s Coup on 23 August there was a swap our of the axis and Mărășești remained in harbour until seized by the Soviets on 5 September (see below).

Fate

Both Romanian ships were captured by Soviets troops entering Constanta in August 1944 after the capitulation of Romania. They entired service in the Black Sea Fleet for a short while as Lovkiy (ex-Mărăști) and Lyogkiy (ex-Mărășești) until returned by October 1945, resuming their career as TS in the Romanian Navy until the late 1950s. She was part of the Destroyer Division, redesignated as the 418th Destroyer Division in 1952, and they became D10 and D11. Mărășești was still active until April 1961, discarded and scrapped in 1964. A good record as she was built from 1914.

Vifor (1916)

Marasti in Constanta
Vifor was laid down under that name on 11 March 1914. She was launched on 26 July 1916 as Aquila and commissioned on 8 February 1917. She remained postwar in Italian service.
On 11 October 1937 she was unofficially to Nationalist Spain as Melilla then officially on 5 January 1939. She remained in service with the Armada in WW2 and until Scrapped in 1950.

Viscol (1916)

Appearance of Cenuta and Melilla in Spanish service, with a fake 4th funnel to make believe they were previously sunken destroyers. Unknown src, pinterest.

Viscol was laid down on 19 August 1916. Already requisitioned she was renamed Falco and was launched on 16 August 1919 and completed on 20 January 1920, missing WWI entirely. She remained in RM service until on 11 October 1937 she was unofficially to Nationalist Spain as Ceuta. Officially transferred on 5 January 1939. She was scrapped in 1948.
The Nationalist Navy, crippled, was down at the time to just the single destroyer Velasco. One attempt to conceal their transfer was renaming them Velasco-Ceuta and Velasco-Melilla and adding a fourth fake funnel to make them resemble the smaller Velasco. Postwar, they were used as training ships, stricken by late 1950. They were mainly used in surveillance and escort duties, and in August 1938 Ceuta and Melilla escorted the cruiser Canarias on a raid seeing the republican destroyer José Luis Diaz damaged, fleeing to Gibraltar after Ceuta hit Diaz, causing heavy damage. Another action was the capture of the French merchant ship Prado carrying arms to the republicans. Ceuta was stricken in 1948.