Soviet destroyer Nezamozhnik

Order

As part of the Russian Empire's last shipbuilding program prior to World War I, the order to produce a ship named Zante (the Italian name for Zakynthos, in honour of Fyodor Ushakov's campaign in the Ionian Islands in 1798–99) for the Imperial Russian Navy was set into motion in 1914. This ship would be part of a larger set intended to strengthen Russia's Black Sea Fleet in response to significant strides by the Ottoman Navy.

Initially four Fidonisi class ships were ordered. However, after assessing the Ushakovskoyi class as among the most successful ships of this type, the Naval General Staff in 1916 ordered another 12 ships of this type.

Project

The Ushakovskoyi series of ships were named in memory of the victory of the Russian fleet under the command of Fyodor Ushakov, and therefore were known as Ushakovska series. The series was designed at the request of naval officers and the management of the Company Nikolaev factories and shipyards (the latter for the sake of simplification and cost reduction of vehicles) who wanted a new ship that repeated the main technical solutions of the Fidonisy-class destroyer. The designs of the ships of the Fidonisy class repeated the main features of the Derzky class, but with the completion of the construction and armament. New ships differed from the old ships of the Derzky class in the presence of a steam turbine and auxiliary drive mechanisms and enhanced artillery. Engineers also upgraded the power equipment.

On the ship was set limiting speed of the ship. To balance the weight of the vessel were reduced with the stock fuel tanks removed and longitudinal steel in the boiler compartment forward bulkhead. Contrast was reinforced deck flooring and increased height of boiler guard. Based on combat experience, in the process of building the ship, the stern (fifth) torpedo was replaced with a 102 mm (4 in) artillery mount. In May 1916, two 40 mm Vickers guns were replaced by two 57 mm cannons.

Architecture of the ship

Nezamozhnik as other ships' Ushakovskoyi series stood out among the destroyers of the Novik class. All ships of the Derzky and Fidonisi classes came from destroyers like Novik, which in turn were developed based on German technology. From the destroyers of the Novik class Fidonisi distinguished by the presence of three tubes dymovidvidnyh unlike four in the "novice". The silhouette of the ship looked like in the rest of this class warships - long elongated body and low superstructure, strongly stood against the background only dymovidvidni pipes and poles slightly tilted back, everything else seemed the entire and sole object. The stern of the destroyer's hull housed a 102 mm gun Obukhov factory, which was also the basis for the aft mast. Another mast was located behind the command bridge of the destroyer.

Hull

The hull of the destroyer, like all ships in those days, was riveted. The greatest length is 92.75 m and width 9.07 m. Index extension was (L:B) = 10,23 (higher index ratio of length to width of the shell shows its degree of longitudinal flexibility). This allowed destroyers to withstand severe wave activity (five-meter wavelength of 100 meters). It also provided vysokohnuchkoyu steel (with a time fracture resistance of 55 kg / mm 2 ). Strength and flexibility provided hull of a set of longitudinal and transverse ribs. Calculation of the frames was carried out from the stern to the bow of the ship. The main feature of the design of the shell was the use of a set of longitudinal ribs (41 - 139 units) in the boiler and engine room. The body is composed of 8-mm vertical stakes height 1050 mm, with double steel angles at the upper and lower edges, two dnyschevyh and other airborne stringer on each side, and one carling (350 × 1-1,5 mm ) on each side. The whole design with 4 mm steel deck of the second floor and upper deck with longitudinal septa, 6-9 millimeter siding and 11.5 mm deck Stringer, were sufficiently strong and rigid structure, which was opposed longitudinal bending moment at different operating conditions. Since the construction of the ship included a double bottom mizhdonnyy space divided flora (peredilkamy) into compartments where fuel is stored. For machine and boiler compartment vertical keel gradually declined and proceeded to a vertical stem shaped and molded sternpost. Cross set consisting of frames (double angles 6 mm interconnected cakes - 4.5 mm sheets) and Bims upper and residential decks (5 mm angles). Nine metal main transverse bulkheads provided unsinkability ship.

Superstructure

Nasal superstructure of the vessel consisted of nasal bridge, combat and navigational logging. The conning tower was built of chrome steel sheets with a thickness of 12.7 mm for the walls and 6 mm for the roof. In the area of the compass nonmagnetic steel was used. Mate tower located behind the military and was protected by 3-3.5 mm sheet steel. Nasal bridge stretched the entire width of the ship. On the superstructure (middle bridge) between the second (from the nose of the ship) and three smokestacks there were two searchlights and a 40 mm Vickers machine gun. On the left side was placed chotyrohveslovyy lifeboat (yawl) and the galley. Located on the right side shestytyveslovyy yawl and a motor boat. Also, on both sides, military vessels located two spare torpedoes. Aft bridge was third behind the smokestack, which was located 102 mm artillery unit.

Power plant

To destroyer chosen power plant capacity of 29,000 hp (working capacity was 22,496 hp). The power plant of the destroyer Nezamozhnik consisted of two Parsons steam turbines and five Thornycroft water-tube boilers with a pressure of 17kh/sm 2. Boiler system of ship boiler consists of three divisions of the trust "Naval-Russud". Each compartment housed two boilers (in the after fire room housed a boiler.) Electricity on the ship was provided by two turbo-generators with capacity of 35 kW each. The maximum design speed was 33 knots and at an acceptable speed tests was 27.5 knots. Cruising range was 1,500 miles at a speed of 21 knots. Stock fuel (oil) amounted to 265 tons.

Life on board

Compared to previous destroyers, all ships in the class had more comfortable living conditions for the crew. The differences lies in the location of the cabin commander and officers mess at napivbakom.

Officers had their bar, bathtub and toilet room. Officers in each cabin had a bed, a wardrobe, a complex sink, a desk, a chair and a clothes hanger.

For the lower ranks were provided feed two and one bow cockpit, some beds were shaped hammocks. Konduktorske room was located in the stern of the ship. Galley located under forage bridge burning stoves on oil. Living room sheathed cortical plates of an air bed. The floor was covered with a 5-mm linoleum. Cabinets and tables on the ship were metal, and chairs were wooden.

Overall evaluation of the project

The Ushakovskoyi series belonged to the destroyers of the Novik, except for some differences in their technical and combat characteristics were almost identical. A "novice" in turn, is considered the best-in-class warship before the First World War. An important role in this was played by a 102 mm gun, which had good ballistics. The ships set almost exclusive to the time control systems of salvo of torpedo and gunnery. The ship was well layers (80 min sample in 1908 or 1912 years, or 60 minutes in 1926 year) and torpedo (trohtrubnyh four 457 mm torpedo tubes) weapons. The disadvantages of this type of ship includes: construction of ships in different plants, many of whom had little experience for such a high-tech building, which is why many ships could not reach design speed, and mechanisms that often suffered minor damage. The First World War also added haste to the problems, which could positively affect the quality of work and defects which were detected during factory tests, were shown during the military operation. At the beginning of the First World War, these ships were among the most advanced in their class, but at the end - much inferior "classmates", which are equipped with 533-mm torpedoes and artillery vluchnishymy. The modernization of all the ships in the first half of the 1920s have somewhat reduced in technical and combat characteristics compared to ships leading foreign fleets.

Construction

In May 1916, Zante was laid down in the Black Sea Shipyard in Mykolaiv.

In February 1920, the ship was affected by a violent storm. On 7 September 1920, the ship was raised from its semi-flooded state and brought back to Mykolaiv.

After being completed in the 1920s, the ship was still in service when World War II broke out.

Navy of the Ukrainian People's Republic

The Ukrainian People's Republic (UNR) claimed ownership of Nezamozhnik in 1917. On 17 March 1918, the incomplete ship was accepted by the Navy of the Ukrainian People's Republic and in May the ship was renamed to Kyiv, which it was known by until being captured by the Red Army in January 1919 during the Ukrainian–Soviet War. It was later taken by the White Army.

Soviet Navy

On 12 June 1923, the ship was renamed from Zante (Занте) to Nezamozhny (Незаможний). After some work, Nezamozhnik was put into service by the Soviet Navy as part of the Black Sea Fleet on 7 November 1923.

On 29 April 1926, the ship was again renamed from Nezamozhny (Незаможний) to Nezamozhnik (Незаможник).

World War II

With Ukraine facing a massive German invasion and frequent aerial assaults, the ship played an important role along the Southwestern Front's coastline, which encompassed most of modern-day Ukraine. Nezamozhnik had a very active time in the Black Sea from 1941 to 1943—bombarding German positions on the coast, running supplies into Odessa and Sevastopol, escorting ships during the evacuation of Odessa, and ferrying troops to an amphibious landing near Novorossiysk. She sunk a small tug (ex-soviet) while bombing Fedosia on 19 December 1942.

By the end of the war, the ship had completed 120 combat missions, sailed 45,856 nautical miles, and shot down three planes.