NMS Rândunica
Rândunica after her 1900 refit
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Romania
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| Name: | Rândunica |
| Builder: | Yarrow and Company, Poplar, United Kingdom |
| Laid down: | 1875 |
| Launched: | 1875 |
| Commissioned: | 1875 |
| Out of service: | 1916? |
| Refit: | 1900, Galați shipyard |
| Fate: | Unknown |
| Service record | |
| Commanders: |
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| Victories: | 1 monitor and 1 barge sunk |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Spar torpedo boat |
| Displacement: | 10 tons |
| Length: | 14 m (45 ft 11 in) |
| Beam: | 2.40 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Draft: | 1 m (3 ft 3 in) |
| Propulsion: | 1 steam engine, 1 shaft |
| Speed: | 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) |
| Complement: | 5 |
| Armament: |
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NMS Rândunica was the first torpedo boat of the Romanian Navy. A small British-built spar torpedo boat, she was commissioned in 1875 and fought during the Romanian War of Independence and during World War I.
Rândunica was built by Yarrow and Company in the United Kingdom, and was commissioned two years before the start of the Romanian War of Independence. During the war, she was armed with a single spar torpedo. In 1900, she was rebuilt at the Galați shipyard in Romania, having the following specifications: displacement of 10 tons, length of 14 meters, beam of 2.40 meters, draught of 1 meter, top speed of 8 knots and crew of 5.
In 1877, during the Romanian War of Independence, according to a Russian-Romanian treaty signed in April that year, Rândunica served under joint Romanian-Russian command. She was also known as Tsarevich by the Russians. Her crew consisted of two Russian Lieutenants, Dubasov and Shestakov, and three Romanians: Major Murgescu (the official liaison officer with the Russian headquarters), an engine mechanic and a navigator. The attack of Rândunica took place during the night of 25-26 May 1877, near Măcin. As she was approaching the Ottoman monitor Seyfi, the latter fired three rounds at her without any effect. Before she could fire the fourth round, Rândunica's spar struck her between the midships and the stern. A powerful explosion followed, with debris from the Ottoman warship raising up to 40 meters in the air. The half-sunk monitor then re-opened fire, but was struck once again, with the same devastating effects. The crew of Seyfi subsequently fired their rifles at Rândunica, as the latter was retreating and their monitor was sinking. Following this action, Ottoman warships throughout the remainder of the war would always retreat upon sighting spar torpedo boats. The Russian Lieutenants Dubasov and Shestakov were decorated with the Order of St. George, while Major Murgescu was decorated with the Order of Saint Vladimir as well as the Order of the Star of Romania. Rândunica was returned to full Romanian control in 1878, after the Russian ground forces had finished crossing the Danube.
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Wikipedia