She also carried out numerous convoy escort missions and took part in the Axis evacuation of the Crimea in May 1944.

[8] Amiral Murgescu had a crew of up to 135 and was powered by two Krupp diesel engines generating 780 kilowatts (1,050 hp) each, giving her a top speed of 30 km/h (16 kn)[9] and a range of 6,300 kilometres (3,400 nmi).

[11][12][13] She had four captains across the war: Alexandru Dumbravă (1941–1942), Ovidiu Mărgineanu (1942–1943), Gheorghe Harting (1943) and Anton Foca (1943–1944).

When the Soviet Black Sea Fleet attacked the port on 26 June, she helped repel the attack, together with the flotilla leader Mărăști and the destroyer Regina Maria and the German coastal battery Tirpitz.

The Soviet destroyer leader Moskva was sunk by Romanian mines and the cruiser Voroshilov was damaged.

On a subsequent raid which took place the following day, she shot down two Soviet aircraft, her first aerial kills.

[34] On 1 December 1942, while the Soviet cruiser Voroshilov together with the destroyer Soobrazitelny were bombarding the island with forty-six 180 mm and fifty-seven 100 mm shells, the cruiser was damaged by Romanian mines, but she managed to return to Poti for repairs under her own power.

During the brief bombardment, she struck the radio station, barracks and lighthouse on the island, but failed to inflict significant losses.

[35][36][37][38][39] On the night of 13–14 September 1943, Amiral Murgescu, escorted by two Romanian destroyers, laid mines off Sevastopol.

[42][43] She participated in a total of 16 escort missions, mainly between Constanța and Sevastopol, between November 1942 and September 1943.

[44] On 15 April 1944, a convoy she was escorting during the evacuation of the Crimea was attacked five times by Soviet bombers.

[47] On 25–26 May, she and Dacia, escorted by the destroyer Regina Maria, the leader Mărășești, the torpedo boats Sborul and Smeul and the motor torpedo boats Vedenia and Viscolul, laid another barrage of mines off Sulina to reinforce the existing one.

With a top speed of 20 knots, she was faster than Amiral Murgescu, but far less suitable for escort missions: her small size allowed for only two twin 13 mm machine guns to be carried, in addition to her load of 40 mines.