NMS Amiral Murgescu
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Amiral Murgescu class minelayer |
| Builders: | Galați shipyard, Romania |
| Operators: | |
| Planned: | 2 |
| Completed: | 1 |
| Cancelled: | 1 |
| Retired: | 1 |
| History | |
| Name: | Amiral Murgescu |
| Namesake: | Romanian Admiral Ioan Murgescu |
| Laid down: | 1938 |
| Launched: | 14 June 1939 |
| Fate: | Scrapped, 1989 |
| Service record | |
| Operations: | Black Sea campaigns (1941–44) |
| Victories: |
|
| Awards: | Order of the Star of Romania |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Minelayer |
| Displacement: | 838 long tons (851 t) standard |
| Length: | 76.9 m (252 ft 4 in) |
| Beam: | 9.1 m (29 ft 10 in) |
| Draught: | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2 Krupp diesel engines 1,600 kW (2,200 hp) |
| Speed: | 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Range: | 3,400 nautical miles (6,300 km; 3,900 mi) |
| Armament: |
|
The NMS Amiral Murgescu was a minelayer of the Romanian Navy. She was the first warship ever built in Romania and the only Romanian-built surface ship of the Second World War. Construction started at the Galați shipyard in 1938 and she was launched on 14 June 1939.[1]
Description
She had a crew of 80, a displacement of 838 tons, a length of 77 meters, a beam of 9 meters and a draught of 2.5 meters. She was powered by two Krupp diesel engines generating 1,100 horse power each; had a top speed of 18 knots; and a range of 3,400 nautical miles. Her armament consisted of two 102 mm naval guns, one in the front and one in the rear; two 37 mm Rheinmetall anti-aircraft guns (possibly Romanian-built); four 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns; and two 13.2 mm machine guns. She was able to carry up to 135 mines.
She was to have a sister ship, NMS Cetatea Albă, however this was cancelled during development.[2]
Service
Between 1941 and 1944, she destroyed 12 enemy aircraft; deployed 31 mine barrages which destroyed up to 15 Soviet submarines and 1 destroyer; and participated in numerous escort missions, including the evacuation of Crimea. After the war, she was confiscated by the Soviet Union and served as Don until being scrapped in late 1989.[3]
1941
Between 15 and 19 June she participated in the mining mission of Romanian waters near the port of Constanța. On 23 June the Soviet Air Force bombed Constanța, wounding 2 of her crewmen. On 26 June, her 102 mm guns shot down 2 enemy aircraft. Between 7 and 16 October she took part in Operation Varna, the mining of the Bulgarian coast. On 11 November she participated in a mining mission near the Ukrainian port of Oceacov, then under Romanian control.
1942
Between 28 March and 2 April she took part in yet another mining mission near Constanța. Between 14 and 15 May she took part in the mining of the South and East of the Bugaz area, where the Dniester River flows in the Black Sea. Between 24 and 27 June she took part in the mining of Odessa's waters, then also under Romanian control. Between 7 and 8 October she escorted the commercial ships Suceava and Le Progres between Constanța and Bugaz. On 29 October she deployed, along with Dacia, the S-44 mine barrage, south of Snake Island. Between 1 and 2 November she escorted the Danubius and Dusrostor commercial ships between Cape Tendra and Sfântu Gheorghe. On 5 November she participated in the deployment of the S-42 mine barrage, North of Snake Island.
1943
Between 19 and 20 January she escorted the cruiser Romania between Constanţa and Sevastopol. Between 23 and 24 January she escorted the transport ships Lola and Varna from Sevastopol to Constanţa. On 30 January she deployed the S-47 mine barrage near Cape Midia. On 13 February she deployed the S-58 mine barrage near the waters of Constanţa. On 17 February she deployed the S-59 mine barrage east of Tuzla. Between 1 and 2 March she escorted the ship Harkov between Constanţa and Sevastopol. Between 5 and 6 march she escorted the ships Ardeal and Varna between Sevastopol and Constanţa. On 27 March she took part in the deployment of the S-53 anti-submarine barrage, near the mouth of the Chilia branch. On 1 April she launched the S-54 anti-submarine barrage, South of Sulina. On 30 June, after undergoing maintenance at the Galați shipyard, she escorted the cargo ship Lola From Sulina to Constanţa. Between 18 and 19 July she took part in the escort of Prodromos and Shell 1 ships between Constanţa and Sevastopol, then between 19 and 20 July, on the way back to Constanţa, she escorted the Hungarian merchant ship Tisza. Between 22 and 23 July she took part in the escort of Burgas and Varna ship betweenen Constanţa and Sevastopol, then between 19 and 20 July, on the way back to Constanţa, she escorted the ships Prodromos and Ardeal. Between 31 July and 1 August she escorted the ships Kassa Prodromos and Seerose between Constanţa and Sevastopol, then on the way back between 2 and 4 July she escorted the ships Shell and Tisza. Between 9 and 10 August she escorted the Hungarian ships Tisza and Kassa between Constanţa and Sevastopol, then on the way back between 10 and 11 August she escorted the ships Harkov and Varna. Between 19 and 20 August, she was escorting Varna, the Bulgarian ship being sunk by a Soviet submarine during the escort. Between 21 and 22 August she escorted the ships Burgas, Kassa and Tisza between Sevastopol and Constanţa, then escorted Tisza and Kassa on the way back on 27 August. Between 13 and 15 September she took part in a mining mission near Kuban, in the Crimea, along with two German minelayers. Between 20 and 21 September, she escorted Ardeal between Constanţa and Sevastopol, then, on the way back, between 21 and 23 September she escorted Prodromos. Between 8 and 11 November she deployed mine barrages near Sevastopol, then returned to Constanţa along with the ships Prodromos and Peter. On 21 November, she escorted the Oituz convoy from Sulina to Sevastopol, then escorted Lola and Santa Fe, the latter being sunk by an enemy torpedo. On 11 December she escorted a convoy that needed to return to Constanţa due to powerful storm, returning with the cargo ship Peter.
1944
Between 30 March and 1 April, she escorted the ship România from Odessa to Constanţa, along with a 37 mm anti-aircraft battery. On 3 April she returned to Odessa with România, Lola and KT 25 to evacuate the wounded. On 4 April she left for Constanţa, escorting the ships România, Alba Iulia and Lola, carrying a total of 3,168 wounded. On 6 April she left for Odessa along with România to pick up more wounded and returned to Constanţa the following day. On 14 April during the evacuation of Crimea, she escorted the cargo ships Oituz and the river ships Lauden, Theben and Erzherzog Karl. The following day, near the Crimean coast, the convoy withstands 5 air attacks, and Amiral Murgescu shot down two planes. She then escorted, along with two German ships, the tanker Ossag and two transport ships, KT-25 and KT-26 towards Constanţa. On 11 May, while escorting the ships Stejarul, Orient, Transafirul and Basul, she reached the Kherson Gulf. There, she picked up 1,000 people, including German General Hartmann and his staff. She is the last Romanian ship to return to Constanţa in the evening of 12 May, where she was visited by Romanian Conducător Ion Antonescu. Between 25 and 26 May, she took part in the deployment of 3 mine barrages, which closed the entrance to the Sulina branch. On 29 May, she is decorated with the Order of the Star of Romania. On 24 June, she participates in the deployment of the S-103, S-104 and S-105 mine barrages, in the area between Cape Midia and Sfăntu Gheorghe. Between 20 and 23 August one of her crewmen was killed by Soviet bombing. On 30 August she left for Sulina, where she would surrender to the Soviets, but was ordered to go back to Constanţa and wait for Soviet ships. On 2 September she escorted several soviet ships between Mangalia and Constanţa. On 5 September, all Romanian ships in Constanţa were disarmed by the Soviets. Eventually, she was made part of the Soviet Navy and served as Don until being scrapped in late 1989, near Sevastopol.[4]
Notes
- ↑ NMS Amiral Murgescu (Romanian)
- ↑ NMS Amiral Murgescu (Romanian)
- ↑ NMS Amiral Murgescu (Romanian)
- ↑ Glorie şi dramă, Marina Regală Română 1940-1945 (Glory and drama, the Royal Romanian Navy 1940-1945)
