Yugoslav gunboat Beli Orao

Beli Orao (White Eagle) was a royal yacht built for the Royal Yugoslav Navy in 1939–1940, with the intention she would serve as an escort in wartime. She was captured by the Italians during the World War II Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, and was re-armed and saw service as a gunboat in the Royal Italian Navy, briefly as Alba then Zagabria, undertaking harbour protection and coastal escort duties. After the Italian armistice with the Allies in September 1943, she was handed back to the Royal Yugoslav Navy-in-exile in December of that year. After the war she remained in Yugoslav hands under the names Biokovo then Jadranka, serving as a naval yacht and as a presidential yacht for the President of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito, and also as a dispatch boat. In 1978, she was still in service as a private yacht.

Beli Orao
History
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Name: Beli Orao
Namesake: White Eagle
Laid down: 23 December 1938
Launched: 3 June 1939
Commissioned: 29 October 1939
Out of service: 1941
Fate: Captured by Italy
Italy
Name:
  • Alba then
  • Zagabria
Acquired: April 1941
Out of service: September 1943
Fate: Handed back to Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Name: Beli Orao
Acquired: December 1943
Fate: Transferred to Yugoslav Navy post-war
Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia
Name:
  • Biokovo then
  • Jadranka
Acquired: post-World War II
Notes: was still in service as a private yacht in 1978
General characteristics
Displacement:
Length:
  • 60.08 m (197 ft 1 in) (pp)
  • 65 m (213 ft 3 in) (oa)
Beam: 8.08 m (26 ft 6 in)
Draught: 2.84 m (9 ft 4 in)
Installed power: 1,900 brake horsepower (1,400 kW)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × diesel engines
  • 2 × shafts
Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Armament: 2 × 40 mm (1.6 in) guns

Description and construction

Beli Orao had a length overall of 65 metres (213 ft 3 in), a length between perpendiculars of 60.08 m (197 ft 1 in), a beam of 8.08 m (26 ft 6 in), and a draught of 2.84 m (9 ft 4 in). She had a standard displacement of 567 tonnes (558 long tons), and displaced 660 t (650 long tons) at full load. She was powered by two Sulzer diesel engines driving two propellers. Her engines were rated at 1,900 brake horsepower (1,400 kW) and were designed to drive her at a top speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). She was armed with two 40-millimetre (1.6 in) anti-aircraft guns and two machine guns. She was ordered for service as a royal yacht for use by the regent Prince Paul during peacetime, and as an escort during wartime.[1] Built by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico at Trieste in Italy, she was laid down on 23 December 1938, launched on 3 June 1939, and completed on 29 October of that year.[2][3]

Career
The ship was used as a presidential yacht by Josip Broz Tito after World War II

When Beli Orao was completed, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia had not yet been drawn into World War II. This changed with the April 1941 German-led Axis invasion of the country. At the time of the invasion, Beli Orao was located at the main Royal Yugoslav Navy fleet base at the Bay of Kotor. She was captured there by the Italians during the invasion, and was put into service with the Royal Italian Navy as Alba. She was quickly renamed Zagabria, and during her service with the Italians her two 40 mm guns were replaced by two Oerlikon 20 mm (0.79 in) L/70 guns. At the time, she was one of the largest gunboats operated by the Italians. Like other Italian gunboats, she was employed only on harbour protection and coastal escort duties. In September 1943, the Italians negotiated an armistice with the Allies, and on 7 December of that year, Beli Orao was returned by them to the Royal Yugoslav Navy-in-exile. She continued in service until the end of the war.[1][3][4][5][6]

After the war, she was renamed Biokovo and later Jadranka,[7] serving as a Yugoslav Navy yacht and also as a presidential yacht for the President of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito. In 1969–1970 she was serving as a dispatch boat.[8] In 1978, she was in private hands, still serving as a yacht.[7]

Footnotes
  1. Chesneau 1980, p. 358.
  2. Haworth 2016.
  3. Jane's Information Group 1989, p. 314.
  4. Willmott 2010, p. 311.
  5. Brescia 2012, p. 175.
  6. Niehorster 2017.
  7. Marina Militare 2017.
  8. Blackman 1969, p. 576.
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References
  • Blackman, Raymond V. B. (1969). Jane's Fighting Ships 1969/70. London, England: Sampson Low, Marston and Company. ISBN 978-0-354-00050-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Brescia, Maurizio (2012). Mussolini's Navy. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-59114-544-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922–1946. London, England: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 978-0-85177-146-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • "Zagabria". Marina Militare. Italy: Italian Ministry of Defence. 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  • Haworth, R.B. (2016). "Bjeli Orao". Miramar Ship Index. New Zealand: R.B. Haworth. 6110710. Retrieved 5 December 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Jane's Information Group (1989) [1946/47]. Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II. London, England: Studio Editions. ISBN 978-1-85170-194-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Niehorster, Dr. Leo (2017). "Balkan Operations Order of Battle Royal Yugoslavian Navy 6th April 1941". Dr. Leo Niehorster. Retrieved 15 March 2017.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Willmott, H.P. (2010). The Last Century of Sea Power: From Washington to Tokyo, 1922–1945. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-35214-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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