NMS Viscolul
Viscolul arriving in the port of Constanța, 1940
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
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| Name: | MTB-23 |
| Builder: | Vospers, Portsmouth |
| Laid down: | 1939 |
| Launched: | 1939 |
| Completed: | 1939 |
| Commissioned: | 1939 |
| Out of service: | 1940 |
| Fate: | Sold to Romania |
 Romania
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| Name: | Viscolul |
| Commissioned: | 1940 |
| Out of service: | 1944 |
| Fate: | Captured by the Soviet Union |
 Soviet Union
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| Name: | TK-955 |
| Commissioned: | 1944 |
| Out of service: | 1945 |
| Fate: | Returned to Romania, later scrapped |
| Service record | |
| Commanders: | Ion Zaharia |
| Operations: | |
| Victories: |
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| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Vospers type motor torpedo boat |
| Type: | Motor torpedo boat |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 21.9 m (71 ft 10 in) |
| Beam: | 5 m (16 ft 5 in) |
| Draft: | 1 m (3 ft 3 in) |
| Propulsion: | 3 Isotta-Fraschini petrol engines, 3 shafts, 3,450 horse power |
| Speed: | 42 knots (78 km/h; 48 mph) |
| Complement: | 14 |
| Armament: |
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NMS Viscolul was the most successful and the longest-serving motor torpedo boat of the Romanian Navy during the Second World War. She supported the Siege of Odessa and took part in the Action of 9 July 1941.
Viscolul was a Vospers type MTB, purchased by Romania from the United Kingdom, along with two sisters. The three boats were launched and completed in 1939 as MTB-20 (Viforul), MTB-21 (Vijelia) and MTB-23 (Viscolul). They were acquired by Romania in 1940. Along with her sisters, Viscolul had a displacement of 32 to 37 tons, measuring 21.9 meters in length, with a beam of 5 meters and a draught of 1 meter. She was armed with two quadruple 7.7 mm machine guns, two torpedo tubes and could carry up to 8 depth charges or 4 mines. Power plant consisted of three Isotta Fraschini petrol engines powering 3 shafts, generating 3,450 hp which gave her a top speed of 42 knots. She had a crew of up to 14.
During World War II, she was commanded by Lieutenant-Commander Ion Zaharia, who would later command the motor torpedo boat Vedenia and the entire Romanian MTB squadron, consisting of 7 boats.
On 9 July 1941, one week after Romania launched Operation München as part of Operation Barbarossa, Viscolul and Vijelia, together with the 250t-class torpedo boat Năluca, engaged an enemy submarine near Mangalia. Năluca was the first to arrive at the scene and subsequently located and engaged the Soviet Shchuka-class submarine Shch-206. In the first part of the battle, Năluca attacked the submarine with 20 mm rounds, but the latter submerged in order to escape. The Romanian torpedo boat subsequently used depth charges, being soon joined by the two motor torpedo boats. At 2:56 pm, the Soviet submarine was confirmed sunk by Viscolul, none of her crew of 38 survived.
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Wikipedia