Drazki
Encyclopedia
Drazki (Bulgarian language
: Дръзки; also transliterated as Druzki, translated in English as "Intrepid") was a Bulgaria
n Navy torpedo boat
from the beginning of the 20th century still extant today as a museum ship
.
. The other five ships were: Smeli (Смели, translated in English as "Brave"), Hrabri (Храбри, translated in English as "Valiant"), Shumni (Шумни, translated in English as "Famous"), Letyashti (Летящи, translated in English as "Flying") and Strogi (Строги, translated in English as "Stern"). The ships were built in France
and transported in parts to Bulgaria, where they were launched and completed at Varna
. Drazki, Smeli and Hrabri were ordered in 1904 and sent to Bulgaria in April 1905. Drazki was launched on 23 August 1907, and commissioned on 5 January 1908. Her two sisters entered service around the same time. The three boats of the second series were ordered in January 1906, launched in August 1908 and commissioned in August 1909.
between 1912 and 1913, serving in the waters of the Black Sea
. On 20 November 1912 Letyashti, Smeli, Strogi and Drazki were sent from Varna
to intercept a group of Turkish
transports. The overall commander was Captain 2nd Rank Dimitar Dobrev, who was embarked on the Letyashti. The Drazki was commanded by Warrant-Officer Georgi Kupov. Shortly after midnight on 21 November they encountered the Ottoman
protected cruiser
Hamidiye
accompanied by two destroyer
s approximately 32 miles from Varna. Dobrev ordered the ships to close and attack, and at 0043 the Bulgarian ships fired their torpedoes. The first three ships missed, but Drazki was more fortunate. Since she was the last ship in the line, she fired her torpedo at a close range (about 100 m) and scored a hit in the front part of the Hamidiye, causing serious damage. (The latter managed to return to Constantinople/Istanbul for repairs.) Their torpedoes expended, the Bulgarian boats returned to Varna. This engagement was the greatest achievement up to that point in the history of the small Bulgarian Navy. Before the torpedo attack the Ottoman naval commander had declared an ultimatum to the garrison of Varna to surrender as condition for the town to avoid shelling by the Ottoman Navy.
, however they did see active service in World War I
, during which Shumni was sunk by mine on 11/12-9-1916. After World War I the remaining five were judged to be obsolescent and were subsequently reclassified as patrol boats.
on the Axis
side, Drazki and her four remaining sisters were antiquated but still capable of carrying out patrols. On 15 October 1942, Drazki sank in Varna harbour after a magazine explosion, but she was soon repaired. In 1944 however, she became a gunnery target ship and remained in service in that capacity until the 1950s.
In 2006 a Wielingen class frigate
Wandelaar bought in Belgium for the Bulgarian Navy was named F41 Drazki
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
: Дръзки; also transliterated as Druzki, translated in English as "Intrepid") was a Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n Navy torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
from the beginning of the 20th century still extant today as a museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
.
Construction
Drazki was one of a series of six torpedo boats built for Bulgaria by the French Schneider et Cie works in Chalon-sur-SaôneChalon-sur-Saône
Chalon-sur-Saône is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the largest city in the department; however, the department capital is the smaller city of Mâcon....
. The other five ships were: Smeli (Смели, translated in English as "Brave"), Hrabri (Храбри, translated in English as "Valiant"), Shumni (Шумни, translated in English as "Famous"), Letyashti (Летящи, translated in English as "Flying") and Strogi (Строги, translated in English as "Stern"). The ships were built in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and transported in parts to Bulgaria, where they were launched and completed at Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
. Drazki, Smeli and Hrabri were ordered in 1904 and sent to Bulgaria in April 1905. Drazki was launched on 23 August 1907, and commissioned on 5 January 1908. Her two sisters entered service around the same time. The three boats of the second series were ordered in January 1906, launched in August 1908 and commissioned in August 1909.
Balkan Wars
The Bulgarian Navy's torpedo boats took part in the First Balkan WarFirst Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
between 1912 and 1913, serving in the waters of the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. On 20 November 1912 Letyashti, Smeli, Strogi and Drazki were sent from Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
to intercept a group of Turkish
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
transports. The overall commander was Captain 2nd Rank Dimitar Dobrev, who was embarked on the Letyashti. The Drazki was commanded by Warrant-Officer Georgi Kupov. Shortly after midnight on 21 November they encountered the Ottoman
Ottoman Navy
The Ottoman Navy was established in the early 14th century. During its long existence it was involved in many conflicts; refer to list of Ottoman sieges and landings and list of Admirals in the Ottoman Empire for a brief chronology.- Pre-Ottoman:...
protected cruiser
Protected cruiser
The protected cruiser is a type of naval cruiser of the late 19th century, so known because its armoured deck offered protection for vital machine spaces from shrapnel caused by exploding shells above...
Hamidiye
Ottoman cruiser Hamidiye
HamidiyeThe name is also sometimes rendered as Hamidieh in English; see Gardiner and Gray, p. 389 and Halpern, p. 228. was an Ottoman cruiser that saw extensive action during the Balkan Wars and World War I...
accompanied by two destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s approximately 32 miles from Varna. Dobrev ordered the ships to close and attack, and at 0043 the Bulgarian ships fired their torpedoes. The first three ships missed, but Drazki was more fortunate. Since she was the last ship in the line, she fired her torpedo at a close range (about 100 m) and scored a hit in the front part of the Hamidiye, causing serious damage. (The latter managed to return to Constantinople/Istanbul for repairs.) Their torpedoes expended, the Bulgarian boats returned to Varna. This engagement was the greatest achievement up to that point in the history of the small Bulgarian Navy. Before the torpedo attack the Ottoman naval commander had declared an ultimatum to the garrison of Varna to surrender as condition for the town to avoid shelling by the Ottoman Navy.
World War I
They didn't take an active part in the Second Balkan WarSecond Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 29 June 1913. Bulgaria had a prewar agreement about the division of region of Macedonia...
, however they did see active service in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, during which Shumni was sunk by mine on 11/12-9-1916. After World War I the remaining five were judged to be obsolescent and were subsequently reclassified as patrol boats.
World War II
When Bulgaria entered World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
on the Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
side, Drazki and her four remaining sisters were antiquated but still capable of carrying out patrols. On 15 October 1942, Drazki sank in Varna harbour after a magazine explosion, but she was soon repaired. In 1944 however, she became a gunnery target ship and remained in service in that capacity until the 1950s.
Museum ship
In 1957 it was decided to commemorate the 50-year-old Drazki, as she was by far the most famous ship in the Bulgarian Navy. However, by that time she had been at least partially broken up for scrap. Her gun, funnel and some of the deck and hull fittings were installed on board her sister ship Strogi, which, after 21 November 1957, became the museum ship Drazki. She is currently preserved as a static land display at the Naval Museum in Varna. Her other sister Hrabri was scrapped in 1962.In 2006 a Wielingen class frigate
Wielingen class frigate
The Wielingen class is a class of four multi-functional frigates built for the Belgian Navy. The ships are named after sandbanks in the North Sea, not far from the Belgian coast, or sea routes. The lead ship is named after the Wielingen sandbank....
Wandelaar bought in Belgium for the Bulgarian Navy was named F41 Drazki