HSwMS Manligheten

Last updated

HMS Manligheten original appearance.jpg
Manligheten
History
Naval Ensign of Sweden (1844-1905).svgNaval Ensign of Sweden.svgSweden
NameManligheten
Ordered22 November 1901
Builder Kockums, Malmö
Cost SEK 5,026,000
Laid down3 December 1902
Launched21 December 1903
Commissioned3 December 1904
Decommissioned24 February 1950
Fate Broken up
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type Äran-class coastal defence ship
Displacement3,840 long tons (3,900  t) normal
Length87.5 m (287 ft 1 in) w.l.
Beam15.02 m (49 ft 3 in)
Draught5.3 m (17 ft 5 in) (max)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed17 knots (20 mph; 31 km/h)
Range2,000  nmi (3,700 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h)
Complement285
Armament
Armour

HSwMS Manligheten was a Äran-class coastal defence ship that served with the Swedish Navy. A development of Dristigheten, the Äran class mounted the same 21 cm (8 in) main guns, but differed in the layout of the secondary armament. The vessel was launched in 1903 and served on neutrality patrols in the First World War. During the two decades following the conflict, the ship undertook a number of international tours that called at ports in Britain, the Netherlands and Spain. Manligheten ran aground in 1930 and was freed by an ingenious manoeuvre by the destroyer Wachtmeister, which created waves by speeding past the stranded vessel. While serving in the Second World War, the vessel was damaged by a paravane in 1939 and modernised between 1940 and 1941. Decommissioned in 1950, Manligheten was broken up, although the ship's hull remaining in use as a pontoon until 1984.

Contents

Design and development

Between 1880 and 1905 the Swedish Navy launched 12 coastal defence battleships, to counter the Imperial Russian Navy. [1] The Äran-class coastal defence ship was a development of Dristigheten retaining the same main armament but with the secondary armament mounted to improve protection and angles of fire. Originally three Äran-class ships were ordered but, in 1901, additional funding for a fourth was agreed. Manligheten was the last of the class to be laid down, and the second from Kockums of Malmö. [2] Originally designated armoured boats (pansarbaater) in Swedish, the vessels were reclassified as armoured ships (pansarskepper) in the 1920s. [3]

Manligheten had an overall length of 89.7 m (294 ft 3 in) and 87.5 m (287 ft 1 in) at the waterline, a beam of 15.02 m (49 ft 3 in) and a maximum draught 5.3 m (17 ft 5 in). [4] Normal displacement was 3,840 long tons (3,900 t) although, in 1912, displacement was reported as 3,612 long tons (3,670 t). [5] Eight Yarrow boilers fed steam to two sets of triple expansion steam engines rated at 5,500 indicated horsepower (4,100 kW) driving two screws, giving a design speed of 17 knots (31  km/h ; 20  mph ). Two funnels were fitted. A full load of 300 long tons (300  t ) of coal was carried, which gave a design range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). [6] The ship had a complement of 285 officers and ratings. [7] [6]

Armament consisted of two single Bofors 21 cm (8.3 in) guns mounted in turrets on the ship's centreline, one fore and the other aft. Each of the guns weighed 10.9 tonnes (10.73 long tons) and could fire a 125 kg (276 lb) shell at a muzzle velocity of 750 m/s (2,500 ft/s). The mounting, designated M1894, used electric training and manual elevation. [8] Secondary armament consisted of six Bofors 15 cm (5.9 in) guns mounted singularly in turrets amidships. [7] These guns, which had an actual calibre of 15.24 cm (6 in) and weighed 7,630 kg (16,820 lb), could fire a 43.4 kg (96 lb) shell at a muzzle velocity of 750 m/s (2,500 ft/s). The M1899 mounting was manually trained and elevated. [9] The guns were upgraded to M1899B mounts with additional elevation for anti-aircraft warfare in 1916. [10] The ship was also armed with eight single Bofors 5.7 cm (2.2 in) guns distributed around the superstructure and two submerged Elswick torpedo tubes for 45.7 cm (18 in) torpedoes. [6]

Armour included an armoured belt that was 50.43 m (165 ft 5 in) long and 175 mm (6.9 in) thick amidships. It consisted of surface-hardened Krupp armour backed by 100 mm (3.9 in) of teak. The main armament was protected by barbettes 190 mm (7.5 in) thick and turrets that had an armoured face 190 mm (7.5 in) thick and were otherwise armoured 140 mm (5.5 in) thick. The secondary armament sat on barbettes protected by 100 mm (3.9 in) nickel-steel armour, the turrets having a face 125 mm (4.9 in) thick, sides 60 mm (2.4 in) thick and a roof 48 mm (1.9 in) thick. The conning towers were protected by 175 mm (6.9 in) armour. [4] Flat to the belt was deck armour that was 51 mm (2 in) thick. [6] Two 90 cm (35 in) searchlights and a 2 m (6 ft 7 in) rangefinder were later fitted. [4]

Construction and career

Manligheten during the Second World War Manligheten during WW2.jpg
Manligheten during the Second World War

Manligheten was ordered from Kokums on 22 November 1901 at a cost of SEK 5,026,000. The vessel was the second to be named Manligheten, meaning masculinity, the first being a ship of the line constructed by the same shipyard and retired in 1864. Laid down on 21 December, the ship was launched on 1 December 1903 and commissioned on 3 December the following year. [10] The vessel joined the coastal defence fleet based at Gothenburg. [11]

During the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905, the ship served as part of the First Armoured Division under Admiral Wilhelm Dyrssen. [12] On 24 September 1912, the crew hosted the British Second Cruiser Squadron led by the battlecruiser Indomitable. [13] The vessel had facilities for 24 cadets added the following year. During the First World War, the warship served on patrols to protect the country's neutrality. [11] After the war, the ship was retained in service and, in 1920, went on a visit to Amsterdam, returning with sister ship Tapperheten in May 1926 and, from there continuing to Portsmouth, Guernsey and Vlaardingen, returning to Sweden the following month. During the next year, the vessel revisited Plymouth, sailed on to Bilbao and San Sebastian, before returning to the Netherlands for a stop at Rotterdam. [14] On 24 August 1930, Manligheten ran aground while sailing between Stockholm and Horsfjärden in poor weather. Despite efforts by the minelayer Clas Fleming and coastal battleship Drottning Victoria, the vessel could not be removed. However, the destroyer Wachtmeister, by sailing past at full speed over and over again, succeeded in freeing the battleship using successive bow waves. [15]

In May 1937, Manligheten left on another tour, first calling at Amsterdam. [14] The vessel then visited Newcastle upon Tyne, England, on 3 June, staying four days and then proceeded to Cardiff, Wales, for three days from 18 June and then Oban, Scotland, two days later, staying for five days. [16] During the following October, the ship became the flagship of the reformed Gothenburg Squadron and remained in the role at the start of the Second World War. [10] Manligheten underwent a refit on 26 August 1939, at which it was discovered that the main armament, boilers, engines and electrical equipment had all deteriorated. [17] On 13 December, six crew were killed while trying to disarm a loose German paravane. [18] On 9 April 1940, the ship was deployed in response to the German invasion of Norway but saw no action. This experience reinforced the need for an upgrade, so the vessel was taken out of service in December to be modernised. [10]

The update at Götaverken was extensive. The bow was lengthened and an extension to the stern added to improve seakeeping. The boilers were replaced, the main armament was given a higher elevation and the barrels rebored, the secondary armament was replaced with four 57 mm (2.2 in) anti-aircraft guns and the torpedo tubes were removed. [19] Additional lighter-calibre anti-aircraft weapons, a pair each of Bofors 40 mm (1.6 in) and 25 mm (1 in) guns, and a centralised fire control system were added. After the alterations, the hull was 90.2 m (296 ft) long at the waterline and displacement was increased by 35 tonnes (34 long tons). [20] The modernised warship was recommissioned on 21 July 1941. The vessel coordinated the rescue operation for the survivors of the Swedish submarine Ulven, sunk on 14 April 1943. [21]

After the war, Sweden decided to retire the whole fleet of coastal defence ships. Manligheten was decommissioned on 24 February 1950 and sold to be broken up to Marinverkstadema in Karlskrona for SEK 350,000. The hull was towed to Gullmarsbasen, where it acted as a pontoon until being scrapped in 1984. [21]

Related Research Articles

HSwMS <i>Äran</i> Swedish coastal defence ship

HSwMS Äran was a Swedish first class coastal defence ship (Pansarskepp). A development of Dristigheten, the Äran class mounted the same 21 cm (8.3 in) main guns, but differed in the layout of the secondary armament. The vessel was launched in 1901 by Gustaf V breaking a bottle of champagne on her bow, the last time that ceremony took place following complaints that breaking wine on a ship was sacrilegious. The warship served on neutrality patrols in the First World War and was damaged after running aground in 1932. In the period immediately before the Second World War, the ship's armament was deemed out of date, and in 1939 and 1940 significant improvement to the vessel's anti-aircraft capability were made with the addition of 25 mm (1 in), 40 mm (1.6 in) and 57 mm (2.2 in) guns. After the war, the Swedish Navy decided to retire all its coastal defence ships. Äran was retired in 1947 and sold to be broken up in 1951, the last sections of the ship finally sinking in 1968.

HSwMS <i>Clas Fleming</i> Swedish cruiser-minelayer (1914–1959)

HSwMS Clas Fleming was a cruiser-minelayer built before World War I for the Royal Swedish Navy. Completed in 1914, the ship performed limited neutrality patrols in the Sea of Åland and the northern reaches of the Stockholm Archipelago during the war. She was placed in reserve in 1917 to be modified to make laying mines safer and remained in that status until the beginning of World War II in 1939 to save money. Clas Fleming was activated for a short time that year to lay defensive minefields before she began a reconstruction that installed an early version of gas turbines, the first warship in the world to be so equipped. After her sea trials were completed in 1940, she was on active service for the rest of the war. Clas Fleming was again reduced to reserve at that time and did not leave the dockyard before she was stricken from the navy list in 1959. The ship briefly served as a target ship before being sold for scrap the following year.

HSwMS <i>Wachtmeister</i> (10)

HSwMS Wachtmeisterwas the second and last of the Wrangel-class destroyers built for the Royal Swedish Navy during World War I. Completed in 1918, the ship was rammed by another Swedish destroyer four years later. At the beginning of World War II in 1939 she was assigned to the Gothenburg Squadron. Wachtmeister was decommissioned in 1947 and was subsequently sold for scrap in 1950.

<i>Sverige</i>-class coastal defence ship Class of Swedish Navy warships, 1917–1957

The Sverige-class coastal defence ships were a class of coastal defence ships that, at the time of introduction, were the largest ships to serve in the Swedish Navy. Their design was completely new and was influenced by the ships of the time. Their armament consisted of four 283 mm (11 in)/45 cal. Bofors guns in two turrets and eight 152 mm (6 in) Bofors guns in one double and six single turrets. During the Second World War they were the backbone of the Swedish Navy.

HSwMS <i>Sverige</i>

HSwMS Sverige was a Sverige-class coastal defence ship (Pansarskepp) commissioned by Sweden during the last year of the First World War. The ship cost approximately 12 million kronor, a sum raised entirely by public donations. The fundraising was done because of the Karl Staaff government's reluctance to spend money on a new battleship. In addition to its impressive cost, the ship also had a significant impact on the Swedish Navy and its capabilities.

HSwMS <i>Gustaf V</i> Swedish Sverige-class coastal defence ship

HSwMS Gustaf V, in Swedish HM Pansarskepp Gustaf V was a Sverige-class coastal defence ship of the Swedish Navy. The vessel was the third and last ship in the Sverige class along with HSwMS Sverige and HSwMS Drottning Victoria. Gustaf V was launched on 15 September 1917 at Kockums in Malmö and delivered to the Navy on 9 January 1922. The design consisted of four 28 cm cannon and a secondary armament of eight 15.2 cm cannon. During the interwar period, the ship underwent several modernizations and was one of the most powerful vessels in the fleet during the Second World War. The ship was put in reserve in 1948, was decommissioned in 1957 and was later sold for scrapping in Karlskrona. However, the ship remained at Berga Academy of War as of 1968. Two of the ship's 15.2 cm guns are preserved in the battery at Häggmansberget in the defensive Kalix Line, around Kalix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastal defence ship</span> Warships built for the purpose of coastal defense.

Coastal defence ships were warships built for the purpose of coastal defence, mostly during the period from 1860 to 1920. They were small, often cruiser-sized warships that sacrificed speed and range for armour and armament. They were usually attractive to nations that either could not afford full-sized battleships or could be satisfied by specially designed shallow-draft vessels capable of littoral operations close to their own shores. The Nordic countries and Thailand found them particularly appropriate for their island-dotted coastal waters. Some vessels had limited blue-water capabilities; others operated in rivers.

<i>Tordenskjold</i>-class coastal defence ship

The Tordenskjold class of coastal defence ships was ordered by Norway as part as the general rearmament in the time leading up to the events in 1905 - when Norway broke out of the union with Sweden - the two ships in the class remained the backbone of the Royal Norwegian Navy until they were considered 'unfit for war' in the mid-1930s.

HSwMS <i>Puke</i> (19)

HSwMS Puke (19) was a Psilander-class destroyer of the Swedish Navy from 1940 to 1947. The ship was purchased from Italy by Sweden in 1940, along with her sister ship HSwMS Psilander. Before that, she served in the Regia Marina as Bettino Ricasoli, one of four members of the Italian Sella class. Puke was scrapped in 1949.

<i>Devastation</i>-class ironclad

The two British Devastation-class battleships of the 1870s, HMS Devastation and HMS Thunderer, were the first class of ocean-going capital ship that did not carry sails, and the first which mounted the entire main armament on top of the hull rather than inside it.

<i>Mode</i>-class destroyer

The Mode class or Mjölner class was a class of four coastal destroyers commissioned by the Royal Swedish Navy during World War II. The design was based on the preceding Psilander class purchased from Italy but with Swedish equipment and armament. The destroyers served as coastal escorts. The class was moderately upgraded and reclassified as frigates during the early part of the Cold War. After nearly thirty years of service, the last vessel was retired in 1970.

HSwMS <i>Munin</i> (31)

HSwMS Munin was a coastal destroyer of the Royal Swedish Navy, built by Öresundsvarvet and launched on 27 May 1942 as the third of the four-ship Mode class. The ship was the only member of the class to be built by Öresundsvarvet in Landskrona. Joining the Coastal Fleet in January 1943, Munin served during World War II and then, after the conflict, visited Belgium, France, Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom in 1946 and 1947. In 1953, the vessel was upgraded with enhanced anti-submarine armament, being re-rated a frigate. After twenty-five years service, the ship was decommissioned on 6 December 1968 and sold for scrap the following year.

HSwMS <i>Wrangel</i> (25)

HSwMS Wrangel was the lead ship of her class of two destroyers built for the Royal Swedish Navy during World War I. At the beginning of World War II in 1939 she was assigned to the Gothenburg Squadron. The ship was stricken in 1947 and was subsequently used as a pilot and target ship. Wrangel sunk as a target in 1960.

HSwMS <i>Oscar II</i> Swedish coastal defense ship, launched 1905

HSwMS Oscar II was a coastal defence ship or Pansarskepp of the Swedish Navy. The vessel had a long career lasting over sixty years. A development of the preceding Äran-class coastal defence ship, the ship mounted a powerful armament on a small hull, which necessitated sacrificing speed and endurance. This design decision allowed Oscar II to match the firepower of contemporary armoured cruisers while still carrying the armour of a battleship. Protected by an armoured belt that had a maximum thickness of 150 mm (5.9 in), the ship was armed with a main battery of two 210 mm (8.3 in) Bofors guns mounted separately fore and aft. Maximum speed was 18 knots.

HSwMS <i>Öland</i> (J16) Swedish destroyer

HSwMS Öland was the lead ship of the two ship Öland-class of destroyers which served with the Royal Swedish Navy. Larger and more stable than previous Swedish destroyers, the vessel was launched on 15 December 1945. Armament was based around two twin mounting for semi-automatic 120 mm (4.7 in) guns, an extensive anti-aircraft defence of seven 40 mm (1.6 in) and eight 25 mm (1.0 in) guns and a quadruple 375 mm (15 in) anti-submarine rocket launcher, as well as torpedoes and mines. The ship was upgraded in 1960, which involved the addition of a Squid anti-submarine mortar amongst other alterations, and reclassified as a frigate in 1974, until ultimately being retired on 1 July 1978 as part of a strategy to remove larger combat vessels from the fleet.

HSwMS <i>Uppland</i> (J17) Swedish destroyer

HSwMS Uppland was a Öland-class destroyer which served with the Royal Swedish Navy. Larger and more stable than previous Swedish destroyers, the vessel was launched on 15 December 1948. Armament was based around two twin mounting for semi-automatic 120 mm (4.7 in) guns, an extensive anti-aircraft defence of seven 40 mm (1.6 in) and eight 20 mm (1 in) guns and a quadruple 375 mm (15 in) anti-submarine rocket launcher, as well as torpedoes and mines. The ship was upgraded in 1963, which involved the addition of a helicopter platform amongst other alterations, and reclassified as a frigate in 1974, until ultimately being retired on 1 July 1978 as part of a strategy to remove larger combat vessels from the fleet.

HSwMS <i>Tapperheten</i> (1901) Swedish coastal defence ship

HSwMS Tapperheten was a Äran-class coastal defence ship that served with the Swedish Navy. A development of Dristigheten, the Äran class mounted the same 21 cm (8.3 in) main guns, but differed in the layout of the secondary armament. The vessel was launched in 1901 and served with the coastal defence squadron at Karlskrona. In 1907, the warship attended a naval review by Edward VII. Tapperheten ran aground off the island of Sandön in 1914, earning the nickname, Fastigheten (Permanence) due to the lack of damage received until the vessel was refloated six months later. Subsequently, the vessel served in the First World War protecting Sweden's neutrality. The warship gained a second nickname, Tappaankarheten, for losing an anchor in 1927. After an upgrade to the anti-aircraft armament, the ship also served in the Second World War before retiring in 1947 and being sold to be broken up in 1952.

HSwMS <i>Wasa</i> (1901) Swedish coastal defence ship

HSwMS Wasa was a Äran-class coastal defence ship that served with the Swedish Navy. The vessel served in the front line for substantially less time than the rest of the class. A development of Dristigheten, the Äran class mounted the same 21 cm (8.3 in) main guns, but differed in the layout of the secondary armament. Wasa was launched in 1901 and served as part of the coastal defence fleet, including taking part in neutrality patrols during the First World War. The ship was retired from front-line service in 1924 and withdrawn from active service in 1940, thereafter acting as a decoy and, from 1951, a damage control training ship. Wasa was sold to be broken up in 1960.

HSwMS <i>Oden</i> Swedish coastal defence ship

HSwMS Oden was the lead ship of the Oden class of first class coastal defence ships (Pansarskeppen) constructed for the Swedish Navy. The battleship was armed with two 25 cm (9.8 in) guns provided by the French manufacturer Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée. The vessel was launched in 1896 and was first upgraded in 1901 after running aground with additional 12 cm (4.7 in) guns. In 1913, the warship accidentally sank the gunboat Urd and was taken out of service the following year to be updated with new boilers and an upgraded armament. Most noticeably, during this rebuild, one funnel was fitted to replace the two that had been a feature of the ship from the start. Oden was retired from front-line service in 1937 and broken up in 1943.

HSwMS <i>Niord</i> Swedish coastal defence ship

HSwMS Niord was a Swedish first class coastal defence ship (Pansarskepp) of the Oden class. A follow-on to the name-ship of the class Oden, Niord differed in having improved Harvey steel armour and two additional casemate-mounted 12 cm (4.7 in) guns. The vessel was launched in 1899 in Gothenburg. After an update completed in 1917 that radically altered the ship's appearance by replacing the two funnels with one, Niord was retired from front-line service in 1922. After serving as a barracks ship and tender supporting, in 1925, the seaplanes of what would become the Roslagen Air Corps, unemployed sailors in Stockholm in 1931 and the Cabin Boy Corps (Skeppsgossekåren) of Marstrand in 1935, the vessel was rearmed as an anti-aircraft battery during the Second World War. However, this service did not last long. Decommissioned in 1944, Niord was broken up in Karlskrona in 1945.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Campbell 1979, p. 360.
  2. ↑ Fleks 1997, p. 14.
  3. ↑ Roberts 1985, p. 369.
  4. 1 2 3 Fleks 1997, p. 15.
  5. ↑ Brassey 1912, p. 236.
  6. 1 2 3 4 , Parkes & Prendergast 1969, p. 379.
  7. 1 2 Campbell 1979, p. 361.
  8. ↑ Friedman 2011, p. 304.
  9. ↑ Friedman 2011, p. 305.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Fleks 1997, p. 17.
  11. 1 2 Westerlund 1992, p. 96.
  12. ↑ Militärt kring 1905[Military Around 1905]. Försvarsstabens Krigshistoriska Avdelning. 1958. p. 198.
  13. ↑ "British Squadrons In Northern Waters". The Times . No. 40013. 25 September 1912. p. 5.
  14. 1 2 "Långresor och utlandsbesök med svenska örlogsfartyg mellan 1784 - 2005" [Long Journeys and International Visits with Swedish Warships between 1837 - 2005]. www.alvsnabben.se (in Swedish). Älvsnabben. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  15. ↑ Insulander & Ohlsson 2001, p. 77.
  16. ↑ "Royal Navy: Swedish Visit". The Times. No. 47687. 18 May 1937. p. 18.
  17. ↑ Holmquist 1972, p. 212.
  18. ↑ "Six Killed in Swedish Warship: Explosion Caused by Submarine Trap". The Times. No. 48489. 15 December 1939. p. 7.
  19. ↑ Insulander & Ohlsson 2001, p. 69.
  20. ↑ Fleks 1997, p. 20.
  21. 1 2 Fleks 1997, p. 21.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.