Russian destroyer Novik 1910-1923 (1941)

Designed by the German yard AG Vulcan Stettin but laid down at the yard Putilovsky Plant at St. Petersburg, Soviet Union on 1 July 1910, on 4 July a year later launched, commissioned on 9 September 1913, renamed in 1923 Yakov Sverdlov, decommissioned on 9 September 1918, commissioned 1925, refitted between 28 November 1937 and 8 December 1940 and since 23 April 1940 a training ship, commissioned on 23 June 1941 and was lost due to a mine on 28 August 1941 underway from Tallinn, Estonia towards Kronstadt.

With a displacement of 1,260 tonnes/1,240 long tons/1,390 short tonnes (normal)-1,590 tonnes/1,560 long tons/1,750 short tons (full load) were her dimensions 335’11” x 31’2”x 23’7” or 102,4 x 9,5 x 7,2 metres. Her oil powered 3-shafts AEG-Vulcan turbines and 6 Vulcan water tube boilers supplied 39,000 shp allowing a speed of 37,3 knots during her trials. With a speed of 21 knots she had a range of 2,000 nautical miles. Her crew numbered 142 men (as the Yakov Sverdlov 168 men) while she was armed with 4x1-10,2 cm (4”) guns, 4x1 machine guns, 4x2-45cm (18”) torpedo tubes and she could carry with her 60 mines. Armament as the Yakov Sverdlov 4x1-10,2 cm (4”) guns, 1-7,62cm anti aircraft gun, 3x3-45cm torpedo tubes and she could carry with her 50 mines.

When she was commissioned for the first time she was the fastest destroyer of the world. The Dutch newspaper De Tijd dated 15 September 1913 reported that during her trial her speed was 37,3 knots and so she was the fastest ship of the world. During a second trial during 6 hours was the average speed 36,2 knots and even during the last 3 hours a average speed of 36,8 knots. The Russian naval commission was very satisfied with these results and accept her. After the last trial of 6 hours she was still in a wonderful condition.