Royal Albanian Navy

Royal Albanian Navy Forcat Mbretërore e Mbrojtjës Detare Shqipetare
Saranda and Vlorë patrol boats anchored in Durrës, 1936
Active	1914-1917 1920-1925 1928–1939
Country	Principality of Albania Kingdom of Albania
Allegiance	Royal Albanian Army
Branch	Navy
Type	Defence force
Role	Coastal protection
Size	17 officers and 140 sailors
Headquarter	Port of Durrës, Durrës
Anniversaries	December 25 – Navy's Foundation Day
Ships	1 royal yacht, 4 patrol boats in 1939
Engagements	Italian Invasion of Albania
Disbanded	1939
Commanders
Commander on April 7, 1939	Captain E. Taddei
Insignia
Naval Ensign between 1928–1934
Naval Ensign between 1934–1939

The Royal Albanian Navy (Albanian: Forcat Mbreterore e Mbrojtjes Detare Shqipetare) was from 1928 till 1939 and was part of the Royal Albanian Army.

Background

The Navy in 1939 was comprised by headquarters Durrës and four port captaincies (Shëngjinit, Durrës, Vlorë and Sarandë). Until 1938, the commander of the naval force was the Italian naval officer Capt. E. Taddei, but is unknown if he was still in command on April 7, 1939. At the time of the Italian invasion, the declared strength of the navy was 17 officers and about 140 petty officers and sailors.^[1] The Navy comprised a Hqs with a staff of five "bureaus", four captains of the port (Shëngjinit, Durrës, Vlorë and Sarandë), and the "Flotilla":

• YP Durrës
• YP Tiranë
• YP Vlorë
• YP Sarandë

Part of the crews of the laid-up patrol boats were serving in an under strength naval infantry platoon ("togë i marinës") at Durrës on April 7

Ships

The following list includes all the vessels under Albanian flag since 1914 until 1939:^[2]

Vessel	Origin	Type	Class	Characteristics	Notes
Yachts
Taurus	United Kingdom/ Austria-Hungary	Austro-Hungarian naval yacht	Taurus class	1220/1375 tons, 79.6×9.1×4 m, 1723 hp (5.5 kts), 4 x 47mm guns prior 1915, 3 officers and 45 sailors	built in 1903 as paddle-steamer Nirvana, was acquired by the Austro-Hungarian Navy in 1909. Between March 5–11, 1914 was put under Albanian flag (with prince Wilhelm zu Wied on board); from November 1918 until 1920 as served as the Italian gunboat Marechiaro, in 1928 was renamed Aurora and served as prime minister yacht, in 1938 was armed as auxiliary gunboat, lost on September 23, 1943 off Ancona
Ilirja	France	Royal Yacht	Gardon class	654 tons (410 grt), 45×7.6×2.9 m, 500 hp (10 kts), 2 x twin MGs (or unarmed). Trawler design.	built in 1918 as French minesweeper. Ex-private owned White Diamond was acquired in 1938, captured in 1939 by the Regia Marina, served since 1940 as an auxiliary gunboat Illiria, reported in February 1944 as a hulk in Taranto, scrapped in June 1958.
Gunboats
Herzegovina	Austria-Hungary/ Albania	Austrian merchant steamer	unknown	1 x mountain gun on the bow	Chartered from an Austrian shipping company initially as a transport ship, this small steamer was hastily armed and manned to fight the raging uprising against the Prince Wilhelm, was used to bombard the town of Kavaja several times with little effect, until ran aground into a sandbank and heavily gunned by the rebels, once freed was taken over by its owners arguing than the ship was not intended for military use.[3]
Skënderbeg	German Empire/ Romania	Flachgehende Minensucher class	FM1 class	170/193 t, 43×6×1.7 m, 600 hp (14 kts), 1 x 88mm gun, at least 30 crew.	built in 1918 by Dresdner Maschinen-Fabrik & Schiffswerft – Übigau for the Kaiserliche Marine as the minesweeper FM-23. Acquired in 1919 by the Bank of Bucharest. Sold to Albania in 1925, was reported damaged beyond repair after the 1935–36 riots.
Shqipnja	German Empire/ Romania	Flachgehende Minensucher class	FM1 class	170/193 t, 43×6×1.7 m, 600 hp (14 kts), 1 x 88mm gun, at least 30 crew.	built in 1918 by J. Frerichs & Co. Werft – Einswarden for the Kaiserliche Marine as the minesweeper FM-16. Acquired in 1919 by the Bank of Bucharest. Sold to Albania in December 1925, was reported damaged beyond repair after the 1935–36 riots.
Patrol boats
Tirana	United States/ Italy	ELCO 80 type motorboat	Tirana class	44/46 tons, 24.4×3.8×1.3 m, 460 hp (17 kts), 1 x 76mm gun, 1 x twin 6.5mm MG, 10–15 crewman	built by Electric Launch Co. (ELCO) – Bayonne for the Regia Marina Italiana as MAS torpedoboat between 1917–1918. Acquired by Albania in 1926. Captured by Italy in 1939 and put in service as patrolboat the same year. All returned to Albania in 1945, two cannibalized, other two withdrawn before 1971
Saranda	United States// Italy	ELCO 80 type motorboat	Tirana class	44/46 tons, 24.4×3.8×1.3 m, 460 hp (17 kts), 1 x 76mm gun, 1 x twin 6.5mm MG, 10–15 crewman	built by Electric Launch Co. (ELCO) – Bayonne for the Regia Marina Italiana as MAS torpedoboat between 1917–1918. Acquired by Albania in 1926. Captured by Italy in 1939 and put in service as patrolboat the same year. All returned to Albania in 1945, two cannibalized, other two withdrawn before 1971
Durrës	United States/ Italy	ELCO 80 type motorboat	Tirana class	44/46 tons, 24.4×3.8×1.3 m, 460 hp (17 kts), 1 x 76mm gun, 1 x twin 6.5mm MG, 10–15 crewman	built by Electric Launch Co. (ELCO) – Bayonne for the Regia Marina Italiana as MAS torpedoboat between 1917–1918. Acquired by Albania in 1926. Captured by Italy in 1939 and put in service as patrolboat the same year. All returned to Albania in 1945, two cannibalized, other two withdrawn before 1971
Vlorë	United States/ Italy	ELCO 80 type motorboat	Tirana class	44/46 tons, 24.4×3.8×1.3 m, 460 hp (17 kts), 1 x 76mm gun, 1 x twin 6.5mm MG, 10–15 crewman	built by Electric Launch Co. (ELCO) – Bayonne for the Regia Marina Italiana as MAS torpedoboat between 1917–1918. Acquired by Albania in 1926. Captured by Italy in 1939 and put in service as patrolboat the same year. All returned to Albania in 1945, two cannibalized, other two withdrawn before 1971

The gunboats "Shqipnja" ex German FM 16 and "Shkenderbeg" ex FM 23 were damaged during civil unrest in 1935 and not returned to service and the gunboat "Hercegovina" was taken by her owners arguing than the ship was not intended for military use. These vessels were all inactive in 1939; only the port captaincy offices were still operating. The Italians recorded only 10 naval officers at the time of the invasion, and an unknown number of enlisted men. Part of the crews of the laid-up patrol boats were serving in an under strength naval infantry platoon ("togë i marinës") at Durrës on April 7, 1939 during the Italian invasion of Albania.

References