 One of the T-group boats of the 250t class, 81 T
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders |
|
| Operators | |
| Preceded by | 110t-class torpedo boat |
| Built | 1913–1916 |
| In commission | 1914–1963 |
| Completed | 27 |
| Lost | 15 |
| Scrapped | 12 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Sea-going torpedo boat |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 58.2–60.5 m (190 ft 11 in – 198 ft 6 in) |
| Beam | 5.6–5.8 m (18 ft 4 in – 19 ft 0 in) |
| Draught | 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) (all groups) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 28–28.5 knots (51.9–52.8 km/h; 32.2–32.8 mph) |
| Endurance |
|
| Complement | 38–39 |
| Armament |
|
The 250t class were high-seas torpedo boats built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy between 1913 and 1916. A total of 27 boats were built by three shipbuilding companies, with the letter after the boat number indicating the manufacturer. There were small variations between manufacturers, mainly in the steam turbines used, and whether they had one or two funnels. The eight boats of the T-group, designated 74 T – 81 T, were built by Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino, located at Triest. The sixteen boats of the F-group, 82 F – 97 F, were built by Ganz-Danubius at their shipyards at Fiume and Porto Re. The three M-group boats, 98 M – 100 M, were manufactured by Cantiere Navale Triestino at Monfalcone.
All 27 boats saw service in World War I, undertaking anti-submarine operations in the Adriatic Sea, shore bombardment missions along its Italian coastline, and convoy, escort and minesweeping tasks. Although widely used during the war, the class suffered no losses, despite taking hits during surface engagements and damage from accidents. In 1917, some of the 66 mm (2.6 in) guns on the boats were placed on anti-aircraft mounts. Under the terms of the post-war Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the boats were transferred to various countries, including seven to Romania, six to Portugal, six to Greece, and eight to the newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). By 1940, thirteen boats of the class had been lost or scrapped, including all six Portuguese boats.
During World War II, the five remaining Greek boats were sunk by Axis aircraft during the German-led invasion of Greece in April 1941. One Romanian boat was lost during the war, while the two remaining Romanian boats performed escort tasks in the Black Sea before being taken over by the Soviet Navy, and serving in the Black Sea Fleet until the end of the war; they were finally stricken in late 1945.
The six surviving Yugoslav boats were captured by the Italians during the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, and were operated by the Regia Marina in a coastal and second-line escort role. Immediately following the Italian capitulation in September 1943, one ex-Yugoslav boat was sunk by German aircraft while attempting to escape to Allied-held southern Italy, another was scuttled by its Italian crew when it had insufficient fuel to escape, and two more escaped and were transferred back into Yugoslav hands a few months later. The remaining two were seized by the Germans. Of these, both were operated by Croatian crews or by the Navy of the Independent State of Croatia for some time before being recovered by the Germans. One was destroyed by Royal Navy Motor Torpedo Boats in June 1944, and the other was sunk by Royal Air Force aircraft in 1945. The two surviving boats were commissioned by the Yugoslav Navy after the war, one continuing in service until the early 1960s.
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