Kraljevica-class Patrol Boat

The Kraljevica class was a class of large anti-submarine patrol boats built for the Yugoslav Navy ( sh, Jugoslavenska ratna mornarica – JRM) during the 1950s. Built by the Tito's Shipyard in Kraljevica, the 24 boats of the class were built in two series, the first from 1951 until 1954 (''PBR-501'' – ''PBR-512'') and the second from 1954 until 1957 (''PBR-513'' – ''PBR-524''). Although similar in layout, boats of the second series featured a slightly larger displacement and more powerful machinery.

Boats of the first series were stricken from the JRM inventory in 1983–86 while the last of second series were stricken in 1986–90. A number of these boats were exported to countries of the Non-Aligned Movement: per two boats to Bangladesh and Sudan, six to Indonesia and a single boat to Ethiopia. These were retired during the 1980s with the last operational boats appearing to be two in Indonesian service which were placed in reserve in 1989.

Description and construction

The 24 boats of the Kraljevica class were built by the Tito's Shipyard in two series. The first series, designated Č01 by the shipyard, consisted of twelve boats and was built from 1951 until 1954 (''PBR-501'' – ''PBR-512''). The boats of this series measured in length with a beam and a draught of . Standard displacement measured while fully loaded they displaced . Propulsion consisted of two diesel engines powering two shafts for a total of power output of , enabling a speed of and range of at .

Gun armament consisted of a single 3"/50 caliber gun, a single gun and four single-barrelled guns. Anti-submarine weapons consisted of two Mark 6 depth charge (DC) throwers, DC racks and either two Mousetraps or a single Hedgehog. During the 1970s the first series underwent modernization which included the removal of the 3"/50 caliber gun in favor two five-barrelled Soviet-made RBU-1200 rocket launchers with the addition of a Tamir-11 sonar.

The second series, designated Č01/B, also consisted of twelve boats and was built from 1954 until 1957 (''PBR-513'' – ''PBR-524''). The boats of this series featured a slightly longer hull () and a deeper draught of . The propulsion was uprated to for an increased speed of .

Boats

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Service history

Boats of the first series in JRM service were stricken between 1983 and 1986. The last boat of the series, ''PBR-512'', was decommissioned in 1972 and sunk as a target ship in 1983 in the vicinity of the Bay of Kotor. The boat was targeted with a P-20 anti-ship missile which had its warhead removed. After sustaining a direct hit, a tugboat attempted to tow it to the "Sava Kovačević" Naval Repair Yard in Tivat to be repaired and reused in a future naval exercise. However, while in tow the boat began taking on water through the hole punctured by the missile. The boat was finally cut loose and sunk in the Žanjic cove to a depth of . Due to its favorable location and diving conditions, the wreck of ''PBR-512'' became the most popular wreck diving site in Montenegro.

The Kraljevica boats proved to be the most widely exported ship class built by SFR Yugoslavia. A total of eleven boats were transferred to countries of the Non-Aligned Movement of which Yugoslavia was one of the founding members. The first country to receive the boats was Indonesia which took possession of ''PBR-513'' to ''PBR-518'' during 1958/59, followed by ''PBR-522'' and ''PBR-523'' to Sudan in 1969, ''PBR-502'' and ''PBR-505'' to Bangladesh and ''PBR-509'' to Ethiopia, the latter two receiving their boats in 1975. In Indonesian service, the boats first received numerical designations ranging from ''310''-''312'' and ''314''-''316''. In 1976 they were renamed ''Dorang'' (ex-''PBR-513''), ''Todak'' (ex-''PBR-514''), ''Lajang'' (ex-''PBR-515''), ''Bubara'' (ex-''PBR-516''), ''Lemadang'' (ex-''PBR-517'') and ''Krapu'' (ex-''PBR-518''). ''Bubara'' and ''Lajang'' were stricken in 1970, followed by ''Krapu'' in 1976 and ''Lemadang'' in 1984. The remaining two boats, the ''Dorang'' and ''Todak'', were placed in reserve in 1989. Two boats in Bangladeshi service received designations ''Karnaphuli'' (ex-''PBR-502'') and ''Tista'' (ex-''PBR-505'') and were discarded by 1988. The two Sudanese boats, ''El Fasher'' (ex-''PBR-522'') and ''El Khartoum'' (ex-''PBR-523'') were hulked in 1981. The single boat in Ethiopian service received the designation ''51'' (ex-''PBR-509'') and was out of service by 1984.

Footnotes

References

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{{Yugoslav Ships

Ships of the Yugoslav Navy
Patrol boat classes