HTMS Thonburi

HTMS Thonburi, also known as Dhonburi, was a coastal defence ship of the Royal Thai Navy.

Thonburi in 1938
History
Siam
Name: HTMS Thonburi
Namesake: Kingdom of Thonburi
Awarded: Bravery Medal[1]
Builder: Kawasaki Co
Laid down: 12 January 1936
Launched: 31 July 1937
Commissioned: 31 January 1938
Decommissioned: 26 September 1941
Stricken: 19 June 1959
Fate: Wrecked in Battle of Koh Chang on 17 January 1941, refitted in Japan, decommissioned and used as a training vessel until being stricken.
Status: Become a memorial site (deck & front turret) at Royal Thai Naval Academy, Samut Prakan.
General characteristics
Class and type: Thonburi-class coastal defence ship
Displacement: 2,265 tons
Length: 252.66 ft (77.01 m)
Beam: 47.25 ft (14.40 m)
Draft: 13.75 ft (4.19 m)
Propulsion:
  • 2 MAN Diesels
  • 5,200 shp
Speed: 15.5 knots
Complement: 234 officers and men
Armament:
Armor:
  • Main Belt: 63.5 mm (2.5 in)
  • Deck: 38 + 25 mm (1.5 + 1.0 in)
  • Turrets: 102 mm (4 in)
  • Conning Tower: 102 mm (4 in)

Design
HTMS Thonburi 4 days before fight

Thonburi and her sister ship, HTMS Sri Ayudhya, were designed following the incorporation of the earlier Rattanakosindra-class gunboats into the Siamese Navy in the 1920s. The Ratanakosindra class were British-built ships which featured six-inch guns in two turrets and light armor. Under Plaek Pibulsonggram's command, the Siamese Navy began a series of modernization efforts. Priorities for the navy consisted of protecting the extensive Thai coastline, and coastal gunboats were viewed as the best resource. Several foreign firms from European countries offered a variety of designs, but in the end the Japanese company Kawasaki won the tender.

The new vessels were basically larger versions of the earlier Ratanakosindra ships. The ships were laid down at Kawasaki's facilities in 1936, and the first, Sri Ayuthia, was launched on 21 July 1937. The resulting "battleships," as they were referred to in Siam at the time, displaced 2,265 tons, featured increased armor protection (protecting machinery and gun turrets), and were powered by twin diesels produced by MAN of Germany.

Armament consisted of four 8-inch (203 mm)/50 calibre guns mounted in pairs in two turrets. The Japanese 8-inch rifles were of the same type as mounted in early Imperial Japanese Navy heavy cruisers and the aircraft carriers Akagi and Kaga. The main armament had a maximum range of 24,000 metres (26,000 yd) at 25 degrees of elevation. A tower above the bridge featured a gun director for aiming the main guns. Additional armament consisted of four 3-inch and four 40-mm guns.

The new ships were enthusiastically received by the Siamese Navy. Purchasing further vessels of the type was considered by the government, but ultimately it was decided to purchase two Italian-built light cruisers in 1938. Both ships were seized by Italy in 1941 before construction had finished (they were never completed), leaving Thonburi and her sister ship as the most powerful combatants in Siamese service.

Service
HTMS Thonburi Memorial, Royal Thai Naval Academy, Samut Prakan, Thailand.

Both ships of the class had entered service by the time hostilities had broken out in Europe during the Second World War. Thonburi engaged a Vichy French squadron in the Battle of Koh Chang on 17 January 1941. The resulting battle was nothing short of a massive defeat, as the Siamese ship was severely damaged by enemy fire and beached to prevent sinking. Thonburi was later raised and attempts were made to repair the extensive damage and continued to serve the navy as a training vessel until being stricken in 1959. Part of her bridge and forward gun turret are preserved as a memorial at the Royal Thai Naval Academy. Sri Ayuthia had a rather more unfortunate fate. She was sunk in 1951 during an attempted coup.

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References
  1. "แจ้งความสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง พระราชทานเหรียญกล้าหาญ. 26 สิงหาคม 2484" ราชกิจจานุเบกษา. 58 (2 กันยายน 2484) : 2810-2811.


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