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Azov-class River Monitor Azov: Under New Management
History:
Going into the Second World War, the Soviet Union understood that controlling the Danube river would be key to military success in the region. They already possessed a number of armored river gunboats and monitors, and would only increase that number as the war went on, with new classes being developed throughout the conflict. They were, of course, not the only nation to fight for control of the Danube, nor the only nation with powerful armored monitors patrolling it. Romania had some of the most powerful river monitors of the time in the Brătianu-class, a class of four river monitors originally laid down in 1907. A more detailed history of the class can be found on my suggestion for them. Suffice to say, by the 1940s, the Brătianu-class had proven itself to be highly capable, seeing combat in the Second Balkan War, World War I, and now being pressed back into service with new weapons for World War II. The four ships of this class would serve alongside a number of other river monitors in the Romanian Danube Fleet, shelling enemy coastal positions, ferrying troops and supplies, and fighting enemy Soviet vessels. However, by 1944, things were not looking good for Romania. The Soviets had moved in and taken over the government, resulting in large amounts of Romanian equipment being transferred into Soviet hands. This included, among other things, all the remaining Romanian river monitors (several had been damaged or sunk). Five assorted monitors of different classes were then collected and rearmed, being turned into the new ad-hoc Azov-class. Each one was renamed to have a Soviet name: Azov, Mariupol, Berdyansk, Ismail, and Kerch. These monitors served in Soviet naval hands for several years before being returned to Romania in the early 1950s. Of the five Azov-class monitors, only two were of the Brătianu-class: Azov and Mariupol.
Description:
Azov herself, like all her sister ships, remained relatively unchanged when put into Soviet service. The main armament, armor, propulsion, dimensions, and layout all remained the same. What did change, however, was the anti-aircraft armament. The Brătianu-class had gone through significant modernization with Romania over her four decades of service prior to this, and by 1944 her main armament consisted of three 120mm Škoda-Bofors L/50 Mk.4 naval guns in three single turrets. Two were positioned on either side of the bow, while the third was centered at the stern. With a range of over 19km, these guns were extremely powerful and capable of destroying anything they were likely to encounter. In terms of protection, she carried 75-70mm of steel in most areas, with the thinnest parts of the deck armor going down to 20mm. This protected her from all but the most potent armor-piercing shells. For propulsion, she had a pair of Yarrow boilers feeding two triple-expansion steam engines driving two propeller shafts. This gave a combined output of 1800HP and a leisurely top speed of 13.5 kn (15 mph). While initially somewhat tall and bulky, by 1944, much of her superstructure had been cut down.
The previous AA weapons consisted of a variety of German and French cannons and machine guns, but these were all removed and replaced when converted to the Azov. The largest-caliber guns were five 37mm 70-K autocannons. Laid out on elevated platforms around the ship, these were naval versions of the famous 37mm 61-K anti-aircraft gun, and could deliver an extremely powerful punch against aircraft or even other boats. These were supplemented by a pair of 20mm Oerlikon guns near the rear of the ship. Finally, the new weapons were rounded out with four 12.7mm DShK heavy machine guns, with three on the main superstructure and the fourth at the very tip of the rear. This created a layered defense which ensured no aircraft or torpedo boat could come close.
A diagram of the weapon layout:
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Specifications:
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Displacement: 680 tons
Length: 63.5m
Beam: 10.5m
Draft: 1.6m
Armor: 70mm belt, 75-40mm turrets, 70-20mm deck, 75-70mm pilot house
Engines: 2 Yarrow boilers, 2 triple-expansion steam engines, 2 shafts; 1800HP
Speed: 13 kts (15 mph)
Complement: 119
Main Armament: 3x 120mm Škoda-Bofors L/50 Mk.4 Naval guns
Anti-Aircraft Armament: 5x 37mm 70-K autocannons, 2x 20mm Oerlikon autocannons, 4x 12.7mm DShK Heavy machine guns
Gallery:
Unfortunately, much like the original Brătianu-class, finding images of the Azov-class monitors is quite difficult. I have so far only found two, neither of which are of the Azov herself. If more are found, they will be added.
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