Skory-class destroyer

The Skory class were the first destroyers built for the Soviet Navy after World War II. Seventy (70) ships were built between 1949 and 1953. The Soviet designation was Project 30bis.

Project 30bis Skory-class destroyer
Class overview
Operators	Soviet Navy Egyptian Navy Indonesian Navy Polish Navy
Preceded by	Ognevoy class
Succeeded by	Neustrashimy class
Built	1949–1953
In service	1949–1984
Completed	70
General characteristics
Displacement	2,316 long tons (2,353 t) standard, 3,066 long tons (3,115 t) full load
Length	120.5 m (395 ft 4 in)
Beam	12 m (39 ft 4 in)
Draught	3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)
Propulsion	2 shaft geared turbines, 3 boilers 60,000 shp (44,742 kW)
Speed	36.5 knots (67.6 km/h; 42.0 mph)
Range	4,080 nautical miles (7,556 km; 4,695 mi) at 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement	286
Sensors and processing systems	Radars: Gyus-1, Ryf-1, Redan-2, Vympel-2 Sonar: Tamir-5h
Armament	2 × 2 – 130 mm (5.1 in) guns 1 × 2 – 85 mm (3.3 in) AA guns 7 × 1 – 37 mm (1.5 in) AA guns 2 × 5 – 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes 60 mines or 52 depth charges Modernisation included removing one set of torpedo tubes, replacing the 37  mm guns with 57 mm guns and adding RBU 2500 anti-submarine rockets

Design

The ships were derived from the Project 30 Ognevoy-class destroyer, but were slightly larger with better sea-keeping and significantly increased endurance. These ships were longitudinally framed and completely welded. The ships were built in 101 modular pre-fabricated sections which led to rapid building times. The machinery and main armament was essentially identical to those of the Ognevoy-class destroyers but the boilers employed forced draught for increased power.

Modernisation

The ships were modernised in the 1950s with new anti-aircraft guns and anti-submarine mortars and updated sensors (new radar and sonar). One bank of torpedo tubes were removed and extra accommodation (deckhouses) added.

Ships

70 ships were built for both the Soviet navy and for export, this is the largest production run for any large Soviet surface warship.

Soviet ships:

• Baltic Fleet – 16 ships, built by Zhdanov yard Leningrad, all names began with letter S
  • Smely (Courageous)
  • Stoyky (Persistent)
  • Skory (Speedy) →transferred to Poland as ORP Wicher
  • Surovy (Harsh)
  • Serdity (Severe)
  • Sposobny (Capable)
  • Stremitelny (Impetuous)
  • Sokrushitelny (Wrecking)
  • Svobodny (Free)
  • Statny (Handsome or Well-Proportioned)
  • Smetlivy (Resourceful) → transferred to Poland as ORP Grom
  • Smotryashchy (Looking)
  • Sovershenny (Perfect)
  • Seriozny (Serious)
  • Solidny (Solid)
  • Stepenny (Sedate)
  • Pylky (Ardent) →transferred to Indonesia as KRI Diponegoro
• Black Sea Fleet – 18 ships, built by Nikolaev yards, Names began with letter B
  • Bditelny (Watchful)
  • Bezuderzhny (Irrestrainable)
  • Buyny (Rambunctious)
  • Bezuprechny (Irreproachable)
  • Besstrashny (Fearless)
  • Boyevoy (Militant) →transferred to Indonesia as KRI Sarwadjala
  • Bystry (Rapid)
  • Burny (Turbulent) →transferred to Egypt as Suez
  • Besposhchadny (Merciless)
  • Bezzhalostny (Ruthless) →transferred to Indonesia as KRI Brawidjaja
  • Bezzavetny (Whole-hearted) →transferred to Indonesia as KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda
  • Besshumny (Noiseless)
  • Bespokoyny (Restless) →transferred to Indonesia as KRI Sandjaja
  • Bezboyaznenny (Dauntless)
  • Bezotkazny (Troubleproof)
  • Bessmenny (Unchanging) →transferred to Egypt as Damiet
  • Bezukoriznenny (Immaculate)
• Northern Fleet – 18 ships built by Severodvinsk yard, Names began with letter O
  • Ognenny (Fiery)
  • Otchetlivy (Clear)
  • Ostry (Sharp)
  • Otvetstvenny (Responsible)
  • Otmenny (Alpha Plus)
  • Otryvisty (Jerky)
  • Otrazhayushchy (Reflecting)
  • Otradny (Cuddly)
  • Ozarenny (Afflative)
  • Oberegayushchy (Which Protects)
  • Ostorozhny (Careful)
  • Okrylenny (Winged)
  • Otchayanny (Foolhardy) →transferred to Egypt as El Nasser
  • Opasny (Dangerous)
  • Otzyvchivy (Responsive)
  • Ozhivlenny (Lively)
  • Ozhestochenny (Embittered)
  • Okhranyayushchy (Safeguarding)
• Pacific Fleet – 17 ships, built by Komsomolsk-on-Amur yard, names began with V
  • Vstrechny (Counter)
  • Vedushchy (Leading)
  • Vazhny (Сonsiderable)
  • Vspylchivy (Spitfire)
  • Velichavy (Stately, Majestic)
  • Vertky (Nimble)
  • Vechny (Permamnent)
  • Vikhrevoy (Vortex)
  • Vidny (Prominent)
  • Verny (Faithful)
  • Vnimatelny (Intent)
  • Vnezapny (Unexpected) →transferred to Indonesia as KRI Sawunggaling
  • Vyrazitelny (Expressive) →transferred to Indonesia as KRI Singamangaradja
  • Volevoy (Volitional) →transferred to Indonesia as KRI Siliwangi
  • Volny (Free)
  • Vkradchivy (Insinuating)
  • Vdumchivy (Thoughtful)
  • Vrazumitelny (Intelligible)

Exported ships were:

ORP Wicher of the Polish Navy

KRI Siliwangi of the Indonesian Navy

• Egyptian Navy – 3 ships acquired between 1954 and 1958, one sunk in 1967, rest retired in 1985–86.
• Indonesian Navy – 8 ships transferred from Baltic, Black Sea and Pacific Fleets
• Polish Navy – 2 ships transferred from Baltic Fleet

The Soviet ships were decommissioned and scrapped between 1965 and 1984.

See also

• List of ships of the Soviet Navy
• List of ships of Russia by project number

References

• Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. London: Conway Maritime. ISBN 0-85177-605-1. OCLC 34284130. Also published as Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysław (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7. OCLC 34267261.

External links

• Page in Russian Language
• (in English) All Russian Skoryy Class Destroyers – Complete Ship List