 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Russian Empire | |
| Name | Letun |
| Builder | Metal Works,Petrograd |
| Laid down | November 1914 |
| Launched | 5 October 1915 |
| Commissioned | 11 July 1916 |
 Soviet Union | |
| Acquired | October 1917 |
| Recommissioned | 21 April 1921 |
| Stricken | 31 May 1922 |
| Fate | Scrapped after 25 September 1927 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class & type | Orfey-classdestroyer |
| Displacement | 1,260 t (1,240long tons) |
| Length | 98 m (321 ft 6 in) |
| Beam | 9.3 m (30 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 2.98 m (9 ft 9 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 2 shafts, 2steam turbines |
| Speed | 32knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) |
| Range | 1,680 nmi (3,110 km; 1,930 mi) at 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) |
| Complement | 150 |
| Armament |
|
Letun (Летун) was one of eightOrfey-classdestroyers[1][2] built for theImperial Russian Navy duringWorld War I. Completed in 1916, she served with theBaltic Fleet and made six raids into the Baltic Sea to attack German shipping or layminefields. The ship struck anaval mine in October that crippled her.Letun's crew joined theBolsheviks while she was being repaired in 1917. The ship was towed fromHelsinki,Grand Duchy of Finland, in April 1918 in what became known as the"Ice Cruise" as the harbor was still iced over. She was placed inreserve later that month and was briefly reactivated in 1921.Letun was stricken from thenavy list in 1922 and sold forscrap five years later.
TheOrfey-class ships were designed as an improved version of theDerzky class.[3]Letunnormally displaced 1,260tonnes (1,240long tons) and 1,563 t (1,538 long tons) atfull load. She measured 98 meters (321 ft 6 in)long overall with abeam of 9.3 meters (30 ft 6 in), and adraft of 2.98 meters (9 ft 9 in). TheOrfeys were propelled by two Curtiss-AEG-Vulcansteam turbines, each driving one propeller using steam from fourNormand boilers. The turbines were designed to produce a total of 30,000shaft horsepower (22,000 kW) for an intended maximum speed of 35knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) usingforced draft.[2] OnLetun'ssea trials, she only reached 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph). The ships carried enoughfuel oil to give them a range of 1,680nautical miles (3,110 km; 1,930 mi) at 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph). Their crew numbered 150.[1]
TheOrfey-class ships were originally intended to have an armament of two single102-millimeter (four-inch) Pattern 1911 Obukhov guns and a dozen 450-millimeter (17.7 in)torpedo tubes in six double mounts. The Naval General Staff changed this to four triple mounts once they became available and then decided to exchange a torpedo mount for two more four-inch guns in August 1915 while the ships were still under construction. One of these guns was mounted on theforecastle and three on thestern, aft of the torpedo tubes.[3] TheOrfeys were completed with one triple torpedo mount between the forwardfunnels and two mounts aft of the rear funnel and could carry 80 M1912naval mines or 50 larger ones. They were also equipped with a pair of7.62-millimeter (0.3 in) Maximmachine guns on single mounts. They were fitted with a 2.7-meter (9 ft)Barr and Stroudrangefinder and two 60-centimeter (24 in) searchlights.[2]
Letun waslaid down at theMetal Works inPetrograd in November 1914 andlaunched on 5 October 1915.[1] The ship was towed toHelsinki,Grand Duchy of Finland, forfitting out. Her sea trials began on 16 May 1916[4] and she was completed on 11 July.[1] That year,Letun made sixsorties into theBaltic Sea that year in unsuccessful attempts to interdict the German supply of high-quality Swedish iron ore either by combat or the laying ofminefields. These operations were carried out before the Gulf of Finland was iced over late in the year. During the last of these sorties on 25 October, the ship'sstern struck a mine near the island ofAegna in theBay of Tallinn. Its detonation severely damaged the stern, tore off therudder, broke bothpropeller shafts and flooded everycompartment from theengine room all the way aft. She was towed toTallinn,Estonia, for emergency repairs and then to Helsinki for complete repairs.[4]
Her crew joined the Bolsheviks during theOctober Revolution. She was stationed in Helsinki in late 1917 and early 1918 and was icebound in Helsinki harbor when the Germans decided to intervene in theFinnish Civil War in April 1918. Their troops soon threatened Helsinki and the Baltic Fleet was ordered to evacuate the port.Letun was part of the last echelon to depart before the Germans gained control of the city and had to be towed to Kronstadt from 10 to 16 April 1918 in the "Ice Cruise". She was placed in reserve upon her arrival. The ship was briefly recommissioned on 21 April 1921 before she was disarmed and stricken on 31 May 1922.Letun was sold for scrap on 25 September 1927.[4]