Yugoslav torpedo boat T3 The Yugoslav torpedo boat " T3 was a torpedo boat built for the Austro - Hungarian Navy as Tb 78 T in 1914 . She saw active service during World War I , and after the defeat of Austria - Hungary in 1918 , she was allocated to the Royal Yugoslav Navy ( ) and was renamed " T3 " . During the invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941 , it was captured by the Royal Italian Navy ( ) and saw active service under its Yugoslav designation . Following the Italian capitulation in September 1943 , she was captured by the German Navy ( ) and redesignated TA48 " . In German service her crew consisted entirely of Croatian officers and enlisted men . She was sunk by the Royal Air Force in February 1945 while in the port of Trieste . Background . In 1910 , the Austria - Hungary Naval Technical Committee initiated the design and development of a coastal torpedo boat , specifying that it should be capable of sustaining for 10 hours . This specification was based an expectation that the Strait of Otranto , where the Adriatic Sea meets the Ionian Sea , would be blockaded by hostile forces during a future conflict . In such circumstances , there would be a need for a torpedo boat that could sail from the Austro - Hungarian Navy base at Cattaro to the Strait during darkness , locate and attack blockading ships and return to port before morning . Turbine power was selected for propulsion . Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino of Trieste was selected for the contract to build eight vessels , ahead of one other tenderer . Description and construction . The boats had an overall length of , a beam of , and a normal draught of . While their designed displacement was , they displaced fully loaded . The crew consisted of 41 officers and enlisted men . The boats were powered by a Parsons steam turbine driving two propellors , using steam generated by a pair of Yarrow water - tube boilers , using a mixture of coal and fuel oil . The turbine was rated at and designed to reach a top speed of . They carried enough coal and fuel oil to give them a range of at . The boats were originally to be armed with three 30 - calibre guns , but this was reduced to two before the first boat was completed . They were also equipped with two torpedo tubes . " Tb 78 T " was the fifth of its class , and was launched on 4 March 1914 . In 1914 , one machine gun was added . Career . The " Tb 74 T " - class were the first small Austro - Hungarian Navy boats to use turbines , and this contributed to ongoing problems with the class . During World War I , " Tb 78 T " was used for convoy , escort and minesweeping tasks , and anti - submarine operations , and in 1917 , the 66 mm guns were placed on anti - aircraft mounts . She survived the war intact , and in 1920 she was allocated to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and renamed " T3 " . In April 1941 , Yugoslavia was invaded by the Axis powers , and " T3 " was captured by the Royal Italian Navy ( ) and was operated by them under her Yugoslav designation . When the Italians capitulated in September 1943 , the Germans seized " T3 " in the port of Rijeka and renamed her " TA48 " . During her time in German service she was crewed exclusively by Croatian officers and sailors , and her complement was increased to 52 . The German Navy fitted her with two single anti - aircraft guns . She was sunk in the port of Trieste by the Royal Air Force on 20 February 1945 .