Yugoslav destroyer Zagreb

Career (Kingdom of Yugoslavia)
Name: Zagreb
Namesake: Zagreb
Commissioned: 30 March 1938
Out of service: 17 April 1941
Fate: Scuttled by crew on 17 April 1941
General characteristics
Class and type:Beograd-class destroyer
Displacement:1,210 long tons (1,230 t) (standard)
1,655–1,800 long tons (1,682–1,829 t) (fully loaded)
Length:98 m (322 ft)
Beam:9.45 m (31.0 ft)
Draught:3.18 m (10.4 ft)
Installed power:40,000 shp (30,000 kW)
3 × Yarrow water-tube boilers
Propulsion:2-shaft Parsons (Beograd Curtis) steam turbines
Speed:38 knots (70 km/h)
Complement:145 officers and enlisted
Armament:(as designed)
4 × 120 mm (4.7 in) guns (4 × 1)
4 × 40 mm (1.6 in) (2 × 2) anti-aircraft guns
2 × machine guns
6 × 550 mm (22 in) torpedo tubes (2 × 3)
30 naval mines

The Yugoslav destroyer Zagreb was a destroyer built for the Royal Yugoslav Navy in 1938. During the invasion of Yugoslavia, two of her officers blew up and sunk her at Boka Kotorska on 17 April 1941 to prevent her capture.

Description and construction

The Beograd-class were developed from the French Simoun-class destroyers, and the second of class Zagreb was built by Jadranska brodogradilišta at Split, Yugoslavia, under French supervision.[1] The ship had an overall length of 98 m (322 ft), a beam of 9.45 m (31.0 ft), and a normal draught of 3.18 m (10.4 ft). According to Roger Chesneau, her standard displacement was 1,210 long tons (1,230 t) and she displaced 1,655 long tons (1,682 t) fully loaded,[1] but Maurizio Brescia lists her full load displacement at 1,800 long tons (1,800 t).[2] The crew consisted of 145 officers and enlisted men. The ship was powered by Parsons (Beograd Curtis) steam turbines driving two propellors, using steam generated by three Yarrow water-tube boilers. The turbines were rated at 40,000 shp (30,000 kW) and she was designed to reach a top speed of 38 knots (70 km/h).[1]

Zagreb was armed with four single mount 120 mm (4.7 in) guns, four twin mount 40 mm (1.6 in) anti-aircraft guns, two machine guns and two triple mount 550 mm (22 in) torpedo tubes. As built, she could also carry 30 naval mines. Zagreb was launched on 30 March 1938.[1]

Career

In April 1941, Yugoslavia was invaded by the Axis powers, and Italian forces closed on Boka Kotorska. Faced with capture by the Italians, two junior officers, Milan Spasić and Sergej Mašera, blew up Zagreb and she sank. Spasić and Mašera were killed in the explosion.[3]

Notes

References

Books

  • Brescia, Maurizio (2012). Mussolini's Navy. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-59114-544-8.
  • Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922–1946. London, England: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 978-0-85177-146-5.

Websites

"World War I and II". Maritime Museum of Montenegro. 2007. Retrieved 25 September 2013.