Yugoslav submarine Hrabri

a black and white photograph of a submarine underway on the surface
Hrabri underway in 1934
Career (KSCS/Kingdom of Yugoslavia)
Name: Hrabri
Namesake: Brave
Builder: Vickers-Armstrong Naval Yard, River Tyne, United Kingdom
Launched: 1927
In service: 1927–1941
Out of service: 1941
Fate: Scrapped by the Royal Italian Navy
General characteristics
Class and type:Hrabri-class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement:975 long tons (991 t) (surfaced)
1,164 long tons (1,183 t) (submerged)
Length:72.05 m (236 ft 5 in)
Beam:7.32 m (24 ft)
Draught:3.96 m (13 ft)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × shafts
  • 2 × diesel engines 2,400 bhp (1,800 kW)
  • 2 × electric motors 1,600 shp (1,200 kW)
Speed:15.7 knots (29.1 km/h; 18.1 mph) (diesel)
10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) (electric)
Range:5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km) at 9 knots (17 km/h)
Test depth:60 metres (200 ft)
Complement:45
Armament:
  • 6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (bow)
  • 12 × torpedoes
  • 2 × 102 mm (4 in) guns
  • 1 × machine gun

The Yugoslav submarine Hrabri was the first of the Hrabri-class diesel-electric submarines built by the Vickers-Armstrong Naval Yard, River Tyne, United Kingdom, for the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia) and was launched in 1927. Her design was based on that of the British L-class submarine of World War I, and she was built using parts originally assembled for an L-class submarine that was never built. She was armed with six bow-mounted 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes, two 102 mm (4 in) guns and one machine gun, and could dive to 60 metres (200 ft).

Prior to World War II she participated in several cruises to Mediterranean ports. During the German-led Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, she was captured by Italian forces. She was given the number N3 but was not commissioned and was scrapped later in 1941 due to her poor condition.

History

Description

Hrabri was built for the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia) by the Vickers-Armstrong Naval Yard, River Tyne, United Kingdom.[1] Her design was based on that of the British L-class submarine of World War I, and she was built using parts originally assembled for HMS L-67, which was never built.[2] Along with her sister ship of the Hrabri-class Nebojsa, she had an overall length of 72.05 m (236 ft 5 in), a beam of 7.32 m (24 ft), and a surfaced draught of 3.96 m (13 ft). Her surfaced displacement was 1,164 tonnes (1,146 long tons) (1,164 tonnes (1,146 long tons) submerged), and her crew consisted of 45 officers and enlisted men.[1] She had an operational depth of 60 metres (200 ft).[3]

Construction

The ship had two shafts driven by two diesel engines or two electric motors. The diesel engines were rated at 2,400 bhp (1,800 kW) and the electric motors at 1,600 shp (1,200 kW), and she was designed to reach a top speed of 15.7 knots (29.1 km/h) under diesel power and 10 knots (19 km/h) on her electric motors. Hrabri was armed with six bow-mounted 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes, and carried twelve torpedoes.[4] They were also equipped with two 102 mm (4 in) guns (one forward and one aft of the conning tower), and one machine gun.[1]

Career and fate

Hrabri was launched in 1927 as the first submarine of the navy of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which later became the Royal Yugoslav Navy.[1] Along with her sister submarine Nebojša, she left the Tyne in late January 1928.[5] In company with the Yugoslav submarine tender Hvar, the two submarines arrived in the Bay of Kotor on the southern Adriatic coast on 8 April 1928.[6] In May and June 1929, Hrabri, Nebojša, Hvar and six torpedo boats accompanied the light cruiser Dalmacija on a cruise to Malta, the Greek island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea, and Bizerte in the French protectorate of Tunisia. The ships and crews made a very good impression while visiting Malta.[7]

In June and July 1930, Hrabri, Nebojša and the fleet auxiliary Sitnica again cruised the Mediterranean, visiting Alexandria and Beirut.[8] In 1932, the British naval attaché reported that Yugoslav ships engaged in few exercises, maneuvers or gunnery training due to reduced budgets.[9] In 1934, Hrabri visited Valletta in Malta and the Kelibia Roads off the coast of Tunisia,[10] and in August 1935, Hrabri again visited Malta, this time in company with the more modern French-designed submarine Osvetnik.[11] In August and September 1937, Hrabri, along with the other French-made submarine Smeli and the depot ship Zmaj visited Greece, including the port of Piraeus, and the islands of Crete and Corfu.[12]

When the German-led Axis invasion of Yugoslavia began on 6 April 1941, she was located in the Bay of Kotor along with the three other submarines of the flotilla.[13] On 10 April, Hrabri and Osvetnik received orders for an operation against the Italian enclave of Zara on the Dalmatian coastline, but the mission did not proceed.[14] She was later captured by the Italian XVII Corps at the Bay of Kotor.[3][15] She was given the number N3 but was not commissioned and was scrapped later that year due to her poor condition.[1][4]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Chesneau 1980, p. 358.
  2. ↑ Akermann 2002, p. 168.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bagnasco 1977, p. 251.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Fontenoy 2007, p. 148.
  5. ↑ Hood 1928, p. 154.
  6. ↑ Luković 2013.
  7. ↑ Jarman 1997, p. 183.
  8. ↑ Radio Tivat 2014.
  9. ↑ Jarman 1997, p. 451.
  10. ↑ Jarman 1997, p. 544.
  11. ↑ Jarman 1997, p. 641.
  12. ↑ Jarman 1997, p. 838.
  13. ↑ Terzić 1982, p. 267.
  14. ↑ Terzić 1982, p. 374.
  15. ↑ Terzić 1982, p. 457.

References

Books

  • Akermann, Paul (2002). Encyclopedia of British Submarines 1901–1955. Penzance, Cornwall: Periscope Publishing. ISBN 978-0-907771-42-5.
  • Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-962-7.
  • 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.
  • Fontenoy, Paul E. (2007). Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-85109-563-6.
  • Jarman, Robert L., ed. (1997). Yugoslavia political diaries 1918–1965 2. Slough, Berkshire: Archives Edition. ISBN 978-1-85207-950-5.
  • Terzić, Velimir (1982). Slom Kraljevine Jugoslavije 1941 : uzroci i posledice poraza [The Collapse of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1941: Causes and Consequences of Defeat] (in Serbo-Croatian) 2. Belgrade, Yugoslavia: Narodna knjiga. OCLC 10276738.

Periodicals

  • Hood, A.G. (1928). "The Jugo-Slavian Submarines Hrabri and Nebojsa". The Shipbuilder and Marine Engine-builder 35 (London, England: Shipbuilder Press).

Websites