Yard Numbers (Pt I)

[Andreas von Mach]

I have not the new boook on Romanian TBs, but perheps could be interesting.

Yarrow built for Romania:
#588 Colonel Urseanu 1882 perheps Szimul
#591 ?????????????? 1882 perheps Vulturul

#585 Sentinella 1882
#586 ?????????????? 1882 perheps Poterasul
#587 ?????????????? 1882 perheps Pandurul
#629 ?????????????? 1883 perheps Granicerul
#630 ?????????????? 1883 perheps Veghetorul

2 boats were taken in 1882 by the steamer POLAM

Romanian Ships built Thames Iron Works
Data from yard list.

Group ordered on 6.11.1881:

#95g Mircea 1882 390.1t 118ppx25ftx11ft6inx14ft6in(depth) - training
brig
#96g Rahova 1882 53t 55ft6inppx12ftx5ft2in - chaloupe
#97g Smardan as above
#98g Opanez as above
#99g Alexandru cel 84t Bun 1882 75ppx15x5ft7in - mine layer

#68h Bistrica 1887 95t 100ppx13ft6inx2ft9in - customs vessel
#69h Oltul as above
#70h Siretul as above

8 vedette boats´1906 51t 100fgt x13ftzx
Capitan Nikolae Lascar Bogdan
(I have no yard numbers)

Schichau built :
#536 Arges
#537 Teleorman
#538 Trotusul
#539 Vedea

[Andreas von Mach]

From original Schichau documents. ARGES class
32t ; 1 engine 150ihp 1 oiler 10kg/m2 1screw 1400mm
The Schichau book included very nice photo of them.
I have heard from my Polish fiends that numerous planns of the Schichau built ships were recently found in Malbork.

[Andreas von Mach]

I have from Yarrow list some original data:

#588 Colonel Urseanu 1882 62ftx7ft9in 10t torpedo boat
#591 1882 data as above

#585 Sentinella 1882 50ftx9ft launch
#586 1882 data as above
#587 1882 data as above
#629 1883 data as above
#630 1883 data as above

[Cristian Craciunoiu]

Thankyou for all these data. Schikau drawings would be interesting. I have only pictures. For all the British boats I have very nice drawings except Alexandru cel Bun.

[Andreas von Mach]

If you have no pictures:



AvM

[Victorian]

Quite late reply, I just came across this forum. I am very interested with victorian ships in the Romanian Navy. Andreas, as it seems by your informations posted here, "Soimul" and "Vulturul", the two spar torpedoboats from 1881 were definitely built by Yarrow. This it very interesting, because most romanian sources give the builders as being Thornycroft. Unfortunately, there is not very much information left on these in our archives, not to mention any reliable plan. I have managed, however, to find a picture of one of the romanian boats, and she looks very similar, almost identical with the "Defenders" built for New Zealand, of which one is now preserved in a museum at Magazine Bay, Lyttelton. See the following for details:

http://www.ccc.govt.nz/community/Museums/#...istoricalMuseum

Are you SURE "Soimul" and "Vulturul" are built by Yarrow?

This post has been edited by Victorian on November 14, 2006 07:08 pm

[Andreas von Mach]

I have also Thornycroft lists, so there are no TBs built for the Romanian Navy.
I am very sure as I have partial list of Yarrow lists as mentioned above.

Yours,

Andreas von Mach

[Victorian]

Hello Andreas,

Thank you very much for your reply.

So finally, another "historical myth" about the Romanian Navy is thanks to you shattered to pieces. There was NO Thornycroft torpedoboat in the Romanian Navy!!!

The error probably comes from Comandor Ciuchi's book about the history of the Romanian Navy. He might erroneously taken into account the Thornycroft original offers for the 1882 torpedoboats. Ironically, these plans are some of the very few original plans still to be found in our archives in Bucharest up to the present date.

In fact, it seems quite logical for the Romanian Government to choose Yarrow for our new (in 1882) torpedoboats. One of the most interesting papers on that matter is written by none other than Ioan Murgescu, co-author of the Seyfi monitor sinking in 14/26 mai 1877 on the Macin channel on the Danube. In that paper he approximatively says:

"Why not have the new torpedoboats built by the same Yarrow which built for us the Randunica which gave so wonderful results during the 1887 war against the Ottomans?".

So finally, it seems the Romanian Government listened to his point of view.

Andreas, then there is another question arising:

If you have the Yarrow listings from the beginning, maybe you can also pinpoint there the "Randunica" spar-torpedoboat? She was built in 1874 and has approximate dimensions as follows:

9 Tons displ, 15 m lenght x 3m breadth x0.75 m draft, 7-8 knots max speed.

I believe the name Randunica was given only upon arriving in Romania, so perhaps she is to be found in the Yarrow list as "Spar-torpedoboat built for the Romanian Government" or maybe even " built for the wallachian states"?

Thank you very much and best wishes for 2007!
Dorin