Royal Albanian Navy

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Royal Albanian Navy
Forcat Mbretërore e Mbrojtjës Detare Shqipetare
300px
Saranda and Vlorë patrol boats anchored in Durrës, 1936
Active 1925–1939
Country  Albania
Allegiance Royal Albanian Army
Branch Navy
Type Defence force
Role Coastal protection
Size 17 officers and 140 sailors
Headquarter Port of Durrës, Durrës
Anniversaries December 25 – Navy's Foundation Day
Ships 1 royal yacht, 4 patrol boats in 1939
Engagements Italian Invasion of Albania
Disbanded 1939
Commanders
Commander on April 7, 1939 Captain E. Taddei
Insignia
Naval Ensign between 1928–1934 Flag of Albania (1928-1934).svg
Naval Ensign between 1934–1939 Flag of Albania (1934-1939).svg

The Royal Albanian Navy (Albanian: Forcat Mbreterore e Mbrojtjes Detare Shqipetare) was from 1928 till 1939 and was part of the Royal Albanian Army.

Background

The Navy in 1939 was comprised by headquarters Durrës and four port captaincies (Shëngjinit, Durrës, Vlorë and Sarandë). Until 1938, the commander of the naval force was the Italian naval officer Capt. E. Taddei, but is unknown if he was still in command on April 7, 1939. At the time of the Italian invasion, the declared strength of the navy was 17 officers and about 140 petty officers and sailors.[1] The Navy comprised a Hqs with a staff of five "bureaus", four captains of the port (Shëngjinit, Durrës, Vlorë and Sarandë), and the "Flotilla":

  • YP Durrës
  • YP Tiranë
  • YP Vlorë
  • YP Sarandë

Part of the crews of the laid-up patrol boats were serving in an under strength naval infantry platoon ("togë i marinës") at Durrës on April 7

Ships

The following list includes all the vessels under Albanian flag since 1914 until 1939:[2]

Vessel Origin Type Class Characteristics Notes
Yachts
Taurus  United Kingdom Austro-Hungarian naval yacht Taurus class 1220/1375 tons, 79.6×9.1×4 m, 1723 hp (5.5 kts), 4 x 47mm guns prior 1915, 3 officers and 45 sailors built in 1903 as paddle-steamer Nirvana, was acquired by the Austro-Hungarian Navy in 1909. Between March 5–11, 1914 was put under Albanian flag (with prince Wilhelm zu Wied on board);
from November 1918 until 1920 as served as the Italian gunboat Marechiaro, in 1928 was renamed Aurora and served as prime minister yacht, in 1938 was armed as auxiliary gunboat, lost on September 23, 1943 off Ancona
Ilirja  France Royal Yacht Gardon class 654 tons (410 grt), 45×7.6×2.9 m, 500 hp (10 kts), 2 x twin MGs (or unarmed). Trawler design. built in 1918 as French minesweeper. Ex-private owned White Diamond was acquired in 1938, captured in 1939 by the Regia Marina, served since 1940 as an auxiliary gunboat Illiria, reported in February 1944 as a hulk in Taranto, scrapped in June 1958.
Gunboats
Herzegovina  Austria-Hungary Austrian merchant steamer unknown 1 x mountain gun on the bow Chartered from an Austrian shipping company initially as a transport ship, this small steamer was hastily armed and manned to fight the raging uprising against the Prince Wilhelm, was used to bombard the town of Kavaja several times with little effect, until ran aground into a sandbank and heavily gunned by the rebels, once freed was taken over by its owners arguing than the ship was not intended for military use.[3]
Skënderbeg German Empire German Empire Flachgehende Minensucher class FM1 class 170/193 t, 43×6×1.7 m, 600 hp (14 kts), 1 x 88mm gun, at least 30 crew. built in 1918 by Dresdner Maschinen-Fabrik & Schiffswerft – Übigau for the Kaiserliche Marine as the minesweeper FM-23. Acquired in 1919 by the Bank of Bucharest. Sold to Albania in 1925, was reported damaged beyond repair after the 1935–36 riots.
Shqipnja German Empire German Empire Flachgehende Minensucher class FM1 class 170/193 t, 43×6×1.7 m, 600 hp (14 kts), 1 x 88mm gun, at least 30 crew. built in 1918 by J. Frerichs & Co. Werft – Einswarden for the Kaiserliche Marine as the minesweeper FM-16. Acquired in 1919 by the Bank of Bucharest. Sold to Albania in December 1925, was reported damaged beyond repair after the 1935–36 riots.
Patrol boats
Tirana  United States ELCO 80 type motorboat Tirana class 44/46 tons, 24.4×3.8×1.3 m, 460 hp (17 kts), 1 x 76mm gun, 1 x twin 6.5mm MG, 10–15 crewman built by Electric Launch Co. (ELCO) – Bayonne for the Regia Marina Italiana as MAS torpedoboat between 1917–1918. Acquired by Albania in 1926. Captured by Italy in 1939 and put in service as patrolboat the same year. All returned to Albania in 1945, two cannibalized, other two withdrawn before 1971
Saranda  United States ELCO 80 type motorboat Tirana class 44/46 tons, 24.4×3.8×1.3 m, 460 hp (17 kts), 1 x 76mm gun, 1 x twin 6.5mm MG, 10–15 crewman built by Electric Launch Co. (ELCO) – Bayonne for the Regia Marina Italiana as MAS torpedoboat between 1917–1918. Acquired by Albania in 1926. Captured by Italy in 1939 and put in service as patrolboat the same year. All returned to Albania in 1945, two cannibalized, other two withdrawn before 1971
Durrës  United States ELCO 80 type motorboat Tirana class 44/46 tons, 24.4×3.8×1.3 m, 460 hp (17 kts), 1 x 76mm gun, 1 x twin 6.5mm MG, 10–15 crewman built by Electric Launch Co. (ELCO) – Bayonne for the Regia Marina Italiana as MAS torpedoboat between 1917–1918. Acquired by Albania in 1926. Captured by Italy in 1939 and put in service as patrolboat the same year. All returned to Albania in 1945, two cannibalized, other two withdrawn before 1971
Vlorë  United States ELCO 80 type motorboat Tirana class 44/46 tons, 24.4×3.8×1.3 m, 460 hp (17 kts), 1 x 76mm gun, 1 x twin 6.5mm MG, 10–15 crewman built by Electric Launch Co. (ELCO) – Bayonne for the Regia Marina Italiana as MAS torpedoboat between 1917–1918. Acquired by Albania in 1926. Captured by Italy in 1939 and put in service as patrolboat the same year. All returned to Albania in 1945, two cannibalized, other two withdrawn before 1971

The gunboats "Shqipnja" ex German FM 16 and "Shkenderbeg" ex FM 23 were damaged during civil unrest in 1935 and not returned to service and the gunboat "Hercegovina" was taken by her owners arguing than the ship was not intended for military use. These vessels were all inactive in 1939; only the port captaincy offices were still operating. The Italians recorded only 10 naval officers at the time of the invasion, and an unknown number of enlisted men. Part of the crews of the laid-up patrol boats were serving in an under strength naval infantry platoon ("togë i marinës") at Durrës on April 7, 1939 during the Italian invasion of Albania.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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