Malinska-class mining tender

300px Marjan photographed in 1939
Class overview
Builders:	Jadranska Brodogradilišta, Kraljevica, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Operators:	Royal Yugoslav Navy Regia Marina Navy of the Independent State of Croatia Yugoslav Navy
Built:	1920–31
In commission:	1920–as late as 1978
Planned:	14
Completed:	3 + 5
Retired:	3
General characteristics (as completed in 1931)
Displacement:	130 tonnes (130 long tons)
Length:	31.10 m (102 ft 0 in) o/a
Beam:	6.70 m (22 ft 0 in)
Draught:	1.40 m (4 ft 7 in)
Propulsion:	1 × Yarrow boiler 2 × triple expansion steam engines; 280 ihp (210 kW)
Speed:	9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph)
Armament:	1 × 66 mm (2.6 in) gun

The Malinska class, also known as the MT.130 class or the Albona class in Italian service, was a class of mine warfare ships used by the Royal Yugoslav Navy (Serbo-Croatian: Jugoslavenska kraljevska ratna mornarica; JKRM) and the Regia Marina (Royal Navy). Fourteen ships were originally laid down between 1917 and 1918 for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. However, the end of World War I and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary left them uncomplete until 1920 when three ships for finished for the Regia Marina. An additional five ships were completed for the Royal Yugoslav Navy in 1931.

The five ships in Yugoslav service were captured by Italian forces during the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia and commissioned in the Regia Marina. Following the Italian Armistice in 1943, the three Albona-class ships were captured by German forces with all three being lost or scuttled later during the war. Of the five former JRKM ships, one was seized and operated by the Kriegsmarine until it was lost; a second one was handed over to the Navy of the Independent State of Croatia and lost in 1944. The remaining three were returned to Yugoslavia and were later commissioned in the new Yugoslav Navy.

Development

The Malinska class was laid down at the Danubius Shipyard between 1917 and 1918 as the MT.130 class for the Austro-Hungarian Navy (German: Kaiserliche und königliche Kriegsmarine; k.u.k. Kriegsmarine). The fourteen ships that were laid down were originally designed as minelayers. The k.u.k. Kriegsmarine, however, ordered six of them to be completed as minesweepers; in the end, all fourteen were fitted for minesweeping during construction. The end of World War I and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary left the ships in dock at various stages of completion, the shipyard itself now part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

The first three ships of the class, MT.130–132, were completed for the Regia Marina (Royal Navy) in 1920 and commissioned as Albona, Laurana and Rovigno. Five other ships, MT.133–137, were completed for the Royal Yugoslav Navy (Serbo-Croatian: Jugoslavenska kraljevska ratna mornarica; JKRM) in 1931 and commissioned as Malinska, Marjan, Meljine, Mljet and Mosor. The hulls of MT.138–MT-143 were 45% complete by October 1918 but remained unused.

Description

The ships measured 31.10 m (102 ft 0 in) in length overall, with a 6.7 m (22 ft 0 in) beam, a draught of 1.40 m (4 ft 7 in) and a displacement of 130 tonnes (130 long tons). Propulsion consisted of a single Yarrow boiler powering two triple expansion engines rated at 280 ihp (210 kW), which enabled them a speed of 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph). Original Austro-Hungarian armament planned for the class included a single 47 mm (1.9 in)/L44 gun, two 8 mm (0.31 in) machine guns and a complement of 24–39 naval mines. In Yugoslav service, however, the ship's armament consisted of a sole 66 mm (2.6 in) gun

Ships

Austrohungarian designation	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Completed for	Name upon completion
MT.130	Jadranska Brodogradilišta, Kraljevica, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes	27 October 1917	20 July 1918	3 January 1920	Regia Marina	Albona
MT.131		30 October 1917	24 August 1918	7 February 1920		Laurana
MT.132		3 November 1917	28 September 1918	16 July 1920		Rovigno
MT.133		6 November 1917	—	1931	Royal Yugoslav Navy	Malinska
MT.134		7 December 1917	—	1931		Marjan
MT.135		8 December 1917	—	1931		Meljine
MT.136		29 December 1917	—	1931		Mljet
MT.137		29 December 1917	—	1931		Mosor
MT.138		11 February 1918	—	45% complete by October 1918	Uncompleted	—
MT.139		23 February 1918	—
MT.140		August 1918	—
MT.141		September 1918	—
MT.142		September 1918	—
MT.143		September 1918	—

Source:

Service history

Mljet and Meljine (left) with the cruiser Dalmacija (right), photographed in Kotor after being captured by Axis forces.

Axis service

At the start of the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia, the five Malinska-class ships were assigned to the Coast Defense Command and spread over three sectors; Malinska in Selce (North Sector), Mosor and Marjan in Šibenik (Central Sector) and Mljet and Meljine in Kotor (South Sector). All five were soon captured by Italian forces, including Malinska which had been scuttled by its crew, but was raised by the Italians and commissioned along with the rest of the ships as Arbe (ex-Malinska), followed by Ugliano (ex-Marjan), Solta (ex-Meljine), Meleda (ex-Mljet) and Pasman (ex-Mosor).

Following the Italian Armistice in September 1943, Ugliano was taken over by German forces and probably lost in their hands. Pasman was also captured by the Germans, who handed it over to the Navy of the Independent State of Croatia. The ship stranded on an island on 31 December 1944, and was subsequently scrapped in 1954.

Yugoslav service

Solta and Meleda were returned to the Yugoslav Navy on 7 December 1943 and reverted to their previous names. Arbe was returned to the JKRM on 16 February 1944. After the end of the war, all three were commissioned in the Yugoslav Navy as M1 (ex-Solta), M2 (ex-Arbe) and M3 (ex-Meleda). They were once again renamed as M31 (ex-M1), M32 (ex-M2) and M33 (ex-M3). All three were rearmed with a single 47 mm (1.9 in) gun.

See also

• List of ships of the Royal Yugoslav Navy
• List of ships of the Yugoslav Navy