Soviet destroyer Skory (1939)

The Skory was a Project 7 (also known as Gnevny-class) destroyer built for the Soviet Navy in the late 1930s. She was laid down in 1936, launched in 1939, and commissioned into the Baltic Fleet. Like other ships of her class, she was intended as a fast and powerfully armed destroyer, influenced by Italian naval design.

The Skory displaced around 1,612 tons standard and was armed with four 130mm guns in single mounts, providing a substantial surface engagement capability. She also carried torpedo tubes and anti-aircraft guns for self-defense. Her high speed, designed to be around 37 knots, made her a formidable surface combatant.

During World War II, the Skory participated in various naval operations in the Baltic Sea, providing gunfire support to Soviet troops ashore, escorting convoys, and engaging enemy vessels. Details of her specific wartime service are somewhat scarce and sometimes conflicting, but she is known to have been involved in several engagements with German forces.

Following the war, the Skory remained in service with the Soviet Navy, undergoing modernization and refitting to extend her operational life. She was eventually decommissioned and scrapped, as were many of her sister ships, as newer and more advanced destroyers entered service. The Skory, like other Project 7 destroyers, represents a significant phase in the development of Soviet naval power in the pre- and post-World War II era.