Royal Yugoslav Navy

[Brian James]

Royal Yugoslav Navy Lead Ship,Torpedo Boat JKRM Uskok.
The Uskok Class or Četnik Class was a class of Motor Torpedo Boats built for the Royal Yugoslav Navy (Serbo-Croatian: Jugoslavenska kraljevska ratna mornarica; JKRM) during the 1920s. Two boats were built by the Thornycroft Company based on their existing class of 55-foot-long Coastal Motor Boats, with British-designed 18.0 inch torpedoes as their main armament.
When Yugoslavia entered World War II due to the German-led Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, both boats were captured by Italian forces. They were commissioned in the Royal Italian Navy, although their age and condition meant they were only used for patrolling and second-line duties. The first boat sank near Mljet in 1942 when its hull failed, and the second one was discarded in September 1943 and broken up after the war. The Class was based John I. Thornycroft & Company's existing Class of 55-foot-long Coastal Motor Boats.
They measured 55 ft in length, with a beam of 11 ft 0 and a normal draught of 4 ft 3 in. Their standard displacement was 15 tonnes, and they had a crew of five. They used two Thornycroft petrol engines driving two propeller shafts. The engines were rated at 750 horsepower, and were designed to reach a top speed of 37 knots, although a speed of 40 knots was achieved during sea trials in 1927. They carried 1.6 tonnes of fuel. They were equipped with two 18.0 inch torpedo tubes, two Lewis machine guns and up to four depth charges. An auxiliary engine of unknown rating was installed for cruising.Both boats were laid down on September 15th 1926 and launched in May 1927.They were commissioned with the Royal Yugoslav Navy (Serbo-Croatian: Jugoslavenska kraljevska ratna mornarica; JKRM) as TČ 1 and TČ 2, later being renamed Uskok and Četnik. Initial exercises with the boats were delayed to await the return of their commanding officers from training in the United Kingdom. There were also some concerns that the Mediterranean sun would warp their hulls, and precautions were put in place to cope with this should it occur.