Regele Ferdinand-class destroyer

The Regele Ferdinand Class was two destroyers built in Italy for the Romanian Navy, which fought in World War II.

History
Following the end of World War I and the re-purchase of two Mărăşti class destroyers from Italy, the Romanian Government decided to order two more modern destroyers from the Pattison Yard in Naples. The design was based on the British Shakespeare class destroyer leaders. The guns were supplied by Bofors and the fire control equipment by Siemens. The Romanians wished to order two more vessels but could not afford to do so due to economic problems. The ships were the most powerful surface units available to the Axis powers during the Naval war in the Black Sea but were mostly used for convoy escort and in 1944 were used in the evacuation of the Crimea by the Axis. On the capitulation of Romania in August 1944, the two ships were incorporated into the Soviet Black Sea Fleet as the Likhoy (Лихой, ex Ferdinand) and the Letuchiy (Летучий, ex Maria). They were returned in 1951 and served under the numbers D21 and D22 in Naval Forces of Romanian People's Republic until the end of 1950's.