Marasti class destroyer.html



NMS Mărăşti
Class overview
Operators:	Regia Marina  Romanian Naval Forces  Soviet Navy  Spanish Navy
Succeeded by:	Regele Ferdinand class destroyer
Completed:	4
Retired:	4
General characteristics
Type:	Destroyer
Displacement:	1,410 long tons (1,430 t) standard 1,723 long tons (1,751 t) full load
Length:	94.18 m (309 ft 0 in)
Beam:	9.47 m (31 ft 1 in)
Draught:	3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
Propulsion:	2 shaft Tosi type geared turbines, 5 Thornycroft type boilers, 45,000 hp
Speed:	34 knots (39 mph, 63 km/h)
Range:	1700 nm at 15 knots
Complement:	139
Armament:	(as modernised for Romania) 5 - 120mm guns (2x2, 1x1) •4 - 76mm guns (4x1) • 2 × 13mm machine guns •4 - 18 in torpedo tubes (2×2) • 30 mines

The Marasti class were a group of destroyers built in Italy for the Romanian Navy. The ships fought in both world Wars but for different owners and had a complex history.

History

In 1913 the Romanian Government ordered a class of 4 large destroyers from the Pattison yard in Naples, Italy. The four ships were named Vifor, Viscol, Vârtej and Vijelia. The Italian Government requisitioned the ships in 1915 upon entering World War I, renaming them Aquila, Falco, Nibbio and Sparviero. These ships were significantly larger than contemporary Italian destroyers and were rated as Esploratori or scouts. The armament comprised 3 single 6 inch and 4 x 3 inch guns.

After the end of the First World War two of the ships were re-sold to the Romanians arriving in Constanţa in 1920, The other two ships were retained by Italy until sold to the Nationalist faction of Spain in 1937. The six inch guns proved to heavy for the Romanian Navy and were replaced by two twin 120mm guns in powered turrets and a single 120mm gun.

Both ships were active during the Naval war in the Black Sea in World War 2. Chiefly convoying supplies between Romania, the Crimea and the Bosphorus. Măraşeşti sank the Soviet M class submarine M-31 in July 1943. Both ships were surrendered to the Soviets in August 1944 on the Capitulation of Romania and were incorporated into the Black Sea Fleet as the Lovky (ex Mărăşti) and Lyogki (ex Mărăşeşti) but were returned to Romania in 1946 and scrapped in the 1960's.

Ships

The former Aquila and Falco served in the Spanish Navy as Melilla and Ceuta until 1949

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Category:Marasti class destroyer

• Whitley, M.J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Cassell Publishing. ISBN 1-85409-521-8. 
• Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946