Saturday, 10 September 2011

The Russian gunboat Bobr 1906-1918, the German workship Bieber or Biber 1918 and the Estonian gunboat Lembit 1918-1925

RvM

She was laid down as the Russian gunboat Bobr at the Nevskiy Wks at St. Petersburg, Russian in July 1906, launched on 12 June 1907, completed in August 1907, captured by Germany at Abo and brought towards Reval in April 1918 and taken into service as the work ship Bieber. On 20 November 1918 she fell into Estonian hands and finally broken up in 1925.

With a displacement of 980 tons normal and 1,200 tons full load were her dimensions 66,4 x 11,0 x 2,20 (mean)-2,41 (maximum) metres. The engines and four Belleville boilers supplied 800 ho allowing a maximum speed of 12 knots while she had a coal bunker capacity of 130 tons. Her crew in Russian service numbered 148 men. She was in Russian service armed with 2z1-120mm guns, 4x1-75mm guns, 3x1-7,6mm guns and carried with her 40 mines.