Ottoman torpedo boat Akhisar
| Company type | Torpedo boat |
|---|---|
| Industry | Naval shipbuilding |
| Founded | 25 April 1904 |
| Headquarters | Genoa , Italy |
| Products | Naval vessels |
Akhisar was a torpedo boat constructed in Italy at the beginning of the 20th century and was the first vessel of its class. Built at the Ansaldo shipyard in Genoa, it was launched on 25 April 1904 and officially joined the Ottoman Navy by June of that year. The vessel saw action during both the First Balkan War and World War I. Following a refurbishment in the 1920s, Akhisar operated under the Turkish Republic until being decommissioned in 1930 and dismantled in 1935.
Technical data
The Akhisar-class torpedo boats featured steel hulls segmented into nine watertight compartments. Their overall length measured approximately 51 m (167 ft 4 in), with a length between perpendiculars of 50.5 m (165 ft 8 in). The beam spanned 5.7 m (18 ft 8 in), and the draft reached 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in). These vessels displaced around 165 t (162 long tons), and were powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines manufactured by Ansaldo, collectively generating 2,400 hp (1,800 kW). Steam was produced by two locomotive boilers also supplied by Ansaldo. Propulsion came from a pair of screws, enabling a top speed of 24 knots. The ships carried up to 60 tons of coal as fuel reserve.
Armament consisted of two single-mounted 37 mm quick-firing Hotchkiss guns. Torpedo weaponry included two deck-mounted single rotating launchers for 450 mm torpedoes, positioned fore and aft of the bridge.
The crew complement comprised four officers along with twenty-six non-commissioned officers and sailors.
Construction
The Ottoman Empire placed an order for the Akhisar-class torpedo boats from Italy in December 1902, finalizing a contract that month for two vessels.[1][2]
The Akhisar was constructed at the Ansaldo shipyard located in Genoa, identified as shipyard number 131.[1][3] Its keel was laid down in 1904, and the ship was launched on April 25 of the same year.[3]
Operational history
Commissioned into the Ottoman Navy in Istanbul in June 1904, Akhisar participated with much of the Ottoman fleet in the Battle of Elli on December 16, 1912, during the First Balkan War.[4]
By the start of World War I, the vessel was considered outdated and had limited combat effectiveness.[5] On August 29, 1914, carrying German officer Oberleutnant zur See Frige, Akhisar departed from the Dardanelles for a reconnaissance mission near Imbros. British naval forces intercepted the ship and informed its crew that the Entente powers had imposed a blockade on the Turkish Straits.[6] In 1915, due to engine wear, its maximum speed was reduced to 14 knots; crew numbers increased to 43 personnel, comprising four Germans and thirty-nine Turks.[3] That year also saw the removal of one torpedo launcher, replaced by a single 47 mm SK L/45 C/99 gun.[3]
On May 18, 1915, while escorting three ferries loaded with troops and ammunition in the Sea of Marmara, Akhisar was involved in an incident when British submarine HMS E11 attacked. The submarine torpedoed and sank the ferry Badırma (built in 1879, 474 BRT), resulting in approximately 250 fatalities despite rescue efforts by Akhisar. This represented the greatest maritime loss for Ottoman forces during the conflict.[7] On October 24 near Gallipoli, Akhisar detected British submarine HMS E12 returning to port; this forced the submarine to perform an emergency dive to a perilous depth of 76 meters.[8] The vessel ran aground near Silivri on December 11 and was subsequently towed back to Istanbul.[3] On December 17, it narrowly avoided HMS E2, which had sunk two dhows and a schooner before the torpedo boat's arrival.[9]
By January 22, 1918, Akhisar, alongside destroyers Taşoz and Numûne-i Hamiyet, was stationed at Çanakkale, tasked with safeguarding the immobilized battlecruiser Yavuz Sultan Selim from enemy submarine threats.[10] As of July 14 that year, Akhisar, together with torpedo boats Draç, Musul, and Sultanhisar, plus torpedo cruisers Berk-i Satvet and Peyk-i Şevket, were among the few Ottoman vessels actively operating in the Black Sea.[11] The ship was placed in reserve status in October of that year.[3]
Following World War I, between February 1919 and 1920, Akhisar conducted patrol missions aimed at combating smuggling activities.[3] On October 19, 1923, it was formally integrated into the newly established Turkish Navy, although its technical condition limited operational capabilities.[12] The vessel underwent refurbishment at Deniz Fabrikaları in Istanbul between 1924 and 1925; following this overhaul it re-entered active duty.[3] Ultimately, Akhisar was retired from service in 1930 and dismantled by scrapping in 1935.[3]
Notes
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 392.
- ↑ Langensiepen & Güleryüz 1995, pp. 11, 156.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Langensiepen & Güleryüz 1995, p. 155.
- ↑ Langensiepen & Güleryüz 1995, pp. 155, 22.
- ↑ Noppen 2015, p. 5.
- ↑ Langensiepen & Güleryüz 1995, p. 30.
- ↑ Langensiepen & Güleryüz 1995, p. 37.
- ↑ Langensiepen & Güleryüz 1995, p. 41.
- ↑ Langensiepen & Güleryüz 1995, p. 44.
- ↑ Langensiepen & Güleryüz 1995, p. 32.
- ↑ Langensiepen & Güleryüz 1995, p. 54.
- ↑ Langensiepen & Güleryüz 1995, p. 59.
References
- Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 9780870219078.
- Gozdawa-Gołębiowski, Jan (1994). Pierwsza wojna światowa na morzu. Warsaw: Lampart. ISBN 83-902554-2-1.
- Langensiepen, Bernd; Güleryüz, Ahmet (1995). The Ottoman Steam Navy 1828–1923. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 978-0-85177-610-1.
- Noppen, Ryan K. (2015). Ottoman Navy Warships 1914–18. Oxford: Osprey Books. ISBN 978-1-4728-0620-8.