List of Imperial Russian Navy destroyers

Российский Императорский флот
Rossiiskiy Imperatorskiy flot


Naval jack (top) and ensign of the Russian Navy
Active 1696 - February 1917
Country Russian Empire

1877–1917

The format is: Name, launch year, place of construction (if foreign), commissioning fleet (BF = Baltic Fleet, BSF = Black Sea Fleet, CF = Caspian Flotilla, SF = Siberian Flotilla, POF = Pacific Ocean Fleet), fate = BU.

Note on official classification. First small ships with a mine or torpedo — (pole mines or Whitehead torpedoes) — appeared in the Russian Navy in 1877 during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). They were classified "minnyi kater", "минный катер" ("mine/torpedo launch"). One large seagoing ship, the Vzryv ("Взрыв", 1877, 160 tons) with torpedo armament was originally called "minnoye sudno", "минное судно" ("mine/torpedo vessel"). A large series of 133 20-30-ton ships followed in 1878; they were classified "minonoska", "minonosnaya lodka", "миноноска" (literally, "mine/torpedo boat"). It usually translates as "torpedo boat, 2nd class". Then came torpedo ships, which Russia had built or bought since 1880 and classified as "minonosets", "миноносец" (literally, "mine/torpedo carrier"). This designation includes relatively large ships. It therefore translates into English as either "torpedo boat 1st class" or "destroyer" depending on a displacement of more or less than 200 tons. Starting in 1907 and still used today, all sufficiently large torpedo armed ships are classified as EM (ЭМ), "eskadrennyi minonosets", "эскадренный миноносец" (literally, "squadron torpedo carrier"), which usually translates as "destroyer".

First Russian torpedo vessel Vzryv (1877). She was armed with a bow underwater torpedo tube
The torpedo launch Chesma (1877), which accomplished the first combat torpedo attack
Torpedo boat № 61 with projecting mine launchers, Saint Petersburg, c. 1895
Russian Pernov-type torpedo boat No.142 (1897) at the naval parade on the occasion of the summit of Emperors Nicholas II and Wilhelm II. Reval, 1902

Main list

Sokol class (240-300 tons), 27 ships

Russia was the second nation, after Great Britain, to build Torpedo Boat Destroyers (TBDs),[1] basing their first ones upon the Yarrow design.[2] The Sokol which was built for Russia by Britain's Yarrow Shipbuilders was laid down in 1894 and completed in January 1895; she was 190 feet long, displaced 220 tons, and attained a speed of over 30 knots during her trials.[3] The Sokol was followed by 26 similar TBDs built in Russian yards between 1896 and 1903.[4] This first series of 'classic' Havock (1893) class ships were originally organized as torpedo boats ("minonosets"), then were later reclassified as destroyers ("eskadrennyi minonosets") in 1907. Pacific destroyers were built in Saint Petersburg, transported in sections by railway to Port Arthur and assembled. They subsequently participated in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905; those that had escaped from Port Arthur later served in the Siberian Flotilla. Baltic destroyers participated in World War I, the Russian Civil War (1917–1923) and the Finnish Civil War (1918) as minesweepers and avisos. Black Sea destroyers also participated in World War I and the Russian Civil War.

During the Russo-Japanese War (19041905), Imperial Russian Navy destroyers were armed with 15" torpedoes and one 75mm gun, as well as several 3 pounder QF guns. Combat experience during that war resulted in the IRN switching to 18" torpedoes and two 75mm guns for their destroyers after the war.[5]

Hǎi Lóng (海龙) class (ex-Chinese) (312 tons), 1 ship

Kit class (350 tons), 4 ships

Torpedo boats participated in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. Three of them later served in the Siberian Flotilla; they were reclassified as destroyers in 1907

Forel class (312/346 tons), 5 ships

Officially classified as torpedo boats, they participated in the Russo-Japanese War. Two later served in the Siberian and Arctic Flotillas.

Som class torpedo boat (350 tons), 1 ship

Buinyi class (350/450 tons), 10 ships

The torpedo boat Burnyi not long before transferring to Port Arthur. Baltic Sea, October 1902

Two Pacific ships participated in the defence of Port Arthur in 1904; those destined for the Baltic (except for the uncompleted Vidnyi) were sent to the Far East and fought in the Battle of Tsushima (1905). The survivors were reclassified as destroyers in 1907

Groznyi class / Project of 1903 (420 tons), 3 ships

Originally classified as torpedo boats. The first two were sent to the Far East and took part in the Battle of Tsushima in 1905.

Leitenant Pushchin class / "Z" and "Zh" class (350/440 tons), 9 ships

Classified as destroyers in 1907. Participated in World War I and the Russian Civil War.

Leitenant Burakov class (237/320 tons), 11 ships

After completion all ships were reclassified as destroyers; they participated in World War I in the Baltic Sea for patrol, cruiser and minelaying purposes. Some units participated in the Russian Civil War.

Tverdyi class torpedo boats (300-310 tons), 5 ships

They were built in Saint Petersburg, transported in pieces by railway to Vladivostok, launched and commissioned

Kapitan Yurasovskiy class (450 tons), 10 ships

Classified as torpedo boats until 1907. A pair of Siberian destroyers were built in Germany, delivered to Vladivostok in parts and launched

Deyatelnyi class / Project of 1904 (382 tons), 8 ships

The last series of Havock-class torpedo boat destroyers. They participated in World War I in the Baltic Sea and in the Russian Civil War (1917–1923) on that country's rivers and lakes.

Finn class / Project Letter "Sh" (Schichau) (570/650 tons), 4 ships

The destroyer Moskvityanin among Finnish skerries, in 1910

They were until 1907, classified as 'torpedo cruisers' and built with public donations, then named after the most lavish donors. They participated in World War I in the Baltic Sea and in the Russian Civil War on that country's rivers and lakes.

Vsadnik class (570/750 tons), 4 ships

Classified as 'torpedo cruisers' until 1907. Participated in World War I in the Baltic Sea and in the Russian Civil War on that country's lakes.

Okhotnik class (615/750 tons), 4 ships

Classified as 'torpedo cruisers' until 1907. Actively participated in World War I in the Baltic Sea and the Russian Civil War on that country's lakes.

Ukrayna class / Project Letter "V" (Vulcan) (630-730 tons), 8 ships

Built with public donations and named after the most lavish donors, they were classified as 'torpedo cruisers' until 1907. They participated in World War I and in the Russian Civil War on the Baltic and Caspian Seas.

Leitenant Shestakov class (635 tons), 4 ships

Leitenant Shestakov. Note the sponson in the hull

During their construction they were classified as 'torpedo cruisers'. They actively participated in World War I and in the Russian Civil War in the Black Sea. Distinguishing features of this series were the 120-mm guns.

Novik-class destroyer (12601620 tons), 49 ships

A large series of slightly differing destroyers, which took an active part in World War I. Some were completed in postrevolutionary Russia by using parts from other ships. The Baltic destroyers mostly waited through the Revolution and the Russian Civil War in Kronstadt. Later reconditioned, they took part and were lost in World War II. Black Sea ships mostly shared the fate of the Russian Black Sea Fleet of 1918–1920.

Frunze (ex-Bystryi, 1914) Novik-type destroyer

Footnotes

  1. Lyon p. 120
  2. Lyon p. 120
  3. Lyon pp. 58 & 120
  4. Lyon p. 120
  5. Lyon p. 120
  6. Grant pp. 125, 126
  7. Grant p. 98
  8. Grant p. 117
  9. Virve Rissanen, Sadan vuoden mysteeri selvisi, Helsingin Sanomat 20 Nov 2014 p. A 8 Article on web
  10. Two ships also served as minelayers from 1914, but mainly for the new communist party later on. These vessels were built to the designs of Chantiers et Ateliers Augustin Normand, Le Havre.
    • Karl Marx - ex-Isyaslav
    • Kalinin - ex-Priamislav

References

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