×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024) Special Forces
HOME
NAVAL WARFARE INDEX
MODERN FLEETS
WARSHIPS BY COUNTRY
SHIPBUILDERS
COMPARE WARSHIPS
SHIPS BY CONFLICT
SHIPS BY TYPE
SHIPS BY DECADE
SHIPS BY CLASS
WWII NAVAL WARFARE
Naval Warfare

NMS Delfinul


Diesel-Electric Attack Submarine [ 1936 ]



NMS Delfinul conducted nine war patrols for her part in World War 2 - but she played a major role in restricting Soviet Black Sea operations for a time.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/09/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
The first, and most prolific, attack submarine to serve with the Romanian Navy was NMS Delfinul ("Dolphin"). Lacking the local knowhow and required facilities to construct her, the Romanians relied on an Italian shipyard for the work. The submarine was completed in 1931 but not formally commissioned into Romanian Navy service until 1936, owing to the many changes required by the Romanians. It played a small role for the country during World War 2 (1939-1945) where it operated, at one point, as the only Axis-aligned submarine in the Black Sea.

Delfinul was already regarded as obsolete at the start of the war and claimed just one ship for her career - this a lone merchantman. The boat completed nine total war patrols for its part and lived out its fighting days in Romanian service under the motto "Fortune Favors the Bold".

As built, Delfinul displaced 650 tons surfaced and 900 tons submerged. She held a length of 223 feet, a beam of 19 feet, and a draught of 12 feet. Onboard were 40 crewmen. Power was from a Krupp diesel driving the vessel to speeds of 14 knots surfaced and 9 knots submerged. Electric generators provided power during submerged travel but the boat had to surface to recharge the supply (a common failing of submarines of the period). Operational ranges reached 2,000 nautical miles. Armament was 4 x 533mm torpedo tubes (all bow-mounted) and a single 102mm Bofors deck gun (this was installed just ahead of the conning tower).©MilitaryFactory.com
During World War 2, Delfinul was based out of Constanta and this provided the Romanian Navy with a powerful psychological deterrent against the Soviets freely moving about the Black Sea. Its first war patrol came on June 22nd, 1941 and its last was recorded in late-June, early-July 1942.

The last voyage was in support of the Yalta operation where it was forced to do most of its work undersea due to a large enemy air presence. The submarine was then hunted at length and took on damage that forced her to withdraw for repairs at Galati (November 1942). In 1944 occurred "King Michael's Coup" which removed the pro-Nazi Antonescu leadership from power in the country. Delfinul was taken over by the advancing Soviet forces and recommissioned as TS-3 on October 20th of that year. She served under the Soviet Navy flag until October 12th, 1945 at which point she was decommissioned for good. In 1951, the submarine was returned to Romanian ownership but her fighting days were all but over. Her name was removed from the Naval Register in 1957 and the vessel was scrapped.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



Romania; Soviet Union (as "TS-3")
Operators National flag of Romania National flag of the Soviet Union
1936
Commissioned
Romania
National Origin
40
Complement
Delfinul
Hull Class
1
Number-in-Class
NMS Delfinul
Ships-in-Class


Submerged Attack
Traveling under the surface to search, track, and / or engage or reconnoiter areas.
Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.
Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.


223.0 feet
(67.97 meters)
Length
19.0 feet
(5.79 meters)
Beam
12.0 feet
(3.66 meters)
Draught
650
tons
Displacement
900
tons
Displacement (Submerged)


1 x Krupp diesel engine for surfaced travel with electric motors for submerged travel driving 2 x Shafts.
Propulsion
14.0 knots
(16.1 mph)
Surface Speed
9.0 knots
(10.4 mph)
Submerged Speed
1,999 nm
(2,300 miles | 3,701 km)
Range
1 knot = 1.15 mph; 1 nm = 1.15 mile; 1 nm = 1.85 km


4 x 533mm torpedo tubes (bow-mounted).
1 x 102mm Bofors deck gun


None.


Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War period
Military lapel ribbon for early warship designs
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Military lapel ribbon for the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Images



1 / 1
Image of the NMS Delfinul
Image from the Public Domain.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)