Swedish Submersibles 1916-1946: HSwMS Hajen, Sälen, Valrossen New Cycle: Swedish WW2 and Cold War submarines. We start with the oldest still in service when WW2 broke out, the Hajen class. They were essentially based on the German Type UB-III U-boat but modified for Swedish service by Kockums, with the stern tube removed, and the prow … Read more
Svenska Marinen Two destroyers: Ehrensköld, Nordenskjöld 1927-63. Today we start a new cycle of Swedish Destroyers from the interwar to the end of WW2. By building its own designs and bringing many classes, the Swedish Navy copied no one and none copied them. They completed enough destroyers to fulfill a variety of roles aside their … Read more
Swedish Navy 1912-70 HSwMS Sverige, Drottning Victoria, Gustav V Sweden’s last Pansarkepp Sweden’s very last coastal battleships is a saga out of itself. Largest ships ever built in Sweden before even the Great War broke out, completed after many delays in 1917, 21 and 22, they became the flagships of the coastal defence until faster, … Read more
HSwMS Clas Fleming (1912) Swedish Navy – Minelayer cruiser 1911-1960 Commissioned in 1914, Clas Fleming was among the first Swedish warships using Parsons steam turbines. Faitly small for cruiser standards in WWI with just 1550 tons of displacement, she was still armed with four 120 mm (4.7 in) guns, had some armor in vital spaces and could … Read more
Seaplane carrier hybrid light cruiser The singular HSwMS Gotland was designed during the interwar as a jack of all trades, built on a shoestring budget, typical of the post-1929 crisis state of military budgets across europe. A bit like the Dutch Tromp class built afterwards, she was supposed to fill many roles at once. Sweden … Read more
Panzerkepp HSwMS Oscar II (1906) Swedish Navy – coastal battleship 1907-1974 HSwMS Oscar II was a coastal battleship (Panzerkepp) of the Swedish Navy built before WWI. She was larger, more powerful, and better protected than any other that came before, setting a new standard for Scandinavia. She had an important role during WWI by covering … Read more
HSwMS Fylgia (1905) Swedish Navy – Armoured cruiser 1904-1960 HSwMS Fylgia was the smallest armored cruiser in the world, a three-funnelled 4,800 tons ship with eight 6-in guns (152 mm) in four twin turrets fore, aft and admiships, which was rather innovative at the time. She was commissioned on 21 June 1907, served as cadet … Read more
Swedish Navy 1944-64 HSwMS Tre Kronor, Göta Lejon The “Three Crowns” class was the most ambitious naval program of Sweden during WW2. It was created out of necessity in case Sweden’s neutrality would end one way or another. Launched in 1943, however the first one was only completed in 1947. Undoubtedly the best Swedish cruisers … Read more
