Background and description
The Wrangel class ships were improved versions of the preceding Hugin class and were the first Swedish destroyers to use single-reduction geared turbines. The Wrangel class had a standard displacement of 415 tonnes (408 long tons ) and 498 t (490 long tons) at full load. The destroyers measured 69.6 metres (228 ft 4 in) long at the waterline and 72.0 m (236 ft 3 in) overall with a beam of 6.9 m (22 ft 8 in) and a mean draught of 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in). [lower-alpha 1]
The Wrangels were powered by a pair of de Laval geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four coal-fired Yarrow boilers. The turbines were designed to produce a total of 11,000 shaft horsepower (8,200 kW ), but actually produced 13,000 shp (9,700 kW) that gave them a maximum speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph). The ships carried 105 t (103 long tons; 116 short tons) of coal. The destroyers had a complement of 81 officers and ratings.
The destroyers were armed with four 75-millimetre (3 in) M1912 guns in single mounts. One gun was situated fore and aft of the superstructure and the other two were on the broadside amidships. They also mounted two 6.5 mm (0.26 in) M1914 machine guns. The torpedo armament of the Wrangel-class destroyers consisted of 457 mm (18 in) torpedoes fired from two twin-tube mounts located on the centreline aft of the funnels and one single tube on each broadside between the second and third funnels.
Modifications
The boilers of the Wrangels were converted to use fuel oil in 1927. They were rearmed in 1940, adding one Bofors 25 mm (1 in) M32 anti-aircraft gun and two 8 mm (0.31 in) M36 machine guns that replaced the 6.5 mm weapons while having their two single torpedo-tube mounts removed. In addition, two depth charge racks were added with 16 M/24 depth charges. This increased their standard displacement to 498 t (490 long tons).
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.
HSwMS Ehrensköld (11), was the lead ship of her class of destroyer in the Swedish Navy during World War II. Together with the sister ship HSwMS Nordenskjöld (12), she constituted the Ehrensköld class, which, with its size and speed, was a major step in the Swedish destroyer fleet. Initially, Ehrensköld had pennant number 11, which was later changed to 1. In 1951-1952, the ship was converted to frigate, and then received the pennant number 71. She was decommissioned in 1963 and was sold for scrapping in 1973.
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.
HSwMS Sundsvall (J12) was a Swedish destroyer, later rebuilt as a frigate, in the four-ship Visby class. The ship was named after the Swedish coastal city of Sundsvall. Sundsvall was laid down in 1942 during the Second World War, and was commissioned on 17 September 1943. She survived the war, and was modified and redesigned as a frigate in 1965. She was kept in service by the Swedish Navy until 1982, and was then used for testing of the Navy's RBS-15 anti-ship missile. The ship was later sold to Spain for scrapping.
The Öland class was a Swedish destroyer class. From 1943 to 1947, two destroyers were constructed, HSwMS Öland and HSwMS Uppland. Originally four ships were planned for the class, but after the end of World War II, two were canceled. When commissioned the ships were the largest destroyers that had ever served in the Swedish navy. The ships served in the navy until 1979 when the last ship was decommissioned.
HSwMS Wale (3) was a destroyer of the Swedish Navy. Wale was built by Kockums Shipyard and launched on September 21, 1907 and delivered to the fleet on 11 April 1908. The vessel was based on the two former British-built destroyers HSwMS Mode and HSwMS Magne. Wale was the first destroyer to be built in Sweden and was influential in the development of the destroyers in that nation. After Wale, in the years 1907–1911, another five destroyers followed with essentially the same design. These were two ships of the Hugin class and three ships of the Ragnar class. Wale was decommissioned on 18 November 1940. She was sunk as a target outside Fårösund by the Swedish Coastal Artillery and the HSwMS Sundsvall on 26 September 1946.
HSwMS Psilander (18) 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 Puke. Before that, she served in the Regia Marina as Giovanni Nicotera, one of four members of the Italian Sella class. Psilander was scrapped in 1949.
HSwMS Nordenskjöld (12) was a destroyer in the Swedish Navy. Together with the sister ship HSwMS Ehrensköld, she constituted the Ehrensköld class, which, with its size and speed, was a major step in the Swedish destroyer fleet. The ship was launched on 19 June 1926. During the World War II, she participated in the neutrality watch and escorted merchant ships along the Swedish east coast. Especially the ore traffic from Luleå to Germany had to be protected. In the context of the neutrality watch, she therefore participated in the pursuit of Soviet submarines who broke out of the Gulf of Finland in search of merchant ships. Initially, Nordenskjöld had pennant number 12, which was later switched to 2. In 1951–1952, the ship was converted to frigate and then received the pennant number 72. She was decommissioned in 1963 and was sold for scrap the following year.
HSwMS Halland (J18) was the lead ship of the Halland-class destroyer. She and HSwMS Småland were the only ones built of their class. Two more ships were ordered but they were never completed.
HMS Östergötland(J20) was the lead ship of the Östergötland-class destroyer.
HSwMS Södermanland(J21) was the second ship of the Östergötland-class destroyer.
HSwMS Hälsingland(J23) was the fourth ship of the Östergötland-class destroyer.
HSwMS Visby(J11) was the lead ship of the Visby-class destroyer.
HSwMS Hälsingborg(J13) was the third ship of the Visby-class destroyer.
HSwMS Kalmar(J14) was the fourth ship of the Visby-class destroyer.
HSwMS Stockholm was a destroyer of the Royal Swedish Navy that served during the Second World War and in the Cold War. The second member of the Göteborg or city class, an improvement on the previous Ehrensköld class, Stockholm was launched on 24 March 1936. The ship proved to be of very high performance, exceeding 41 knots in trials, the fastest ship in the navy. After serving during the Second World War on neutrality patrols, the destroyer took part in two tours with other Swedish warships. The first, which involved sailing to the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom, was led by the cruiser Fylgia in 1948. Four years later, the destroyer accompanied the cruiser Gotland to Belgium. In 1961, the destroyer was redesignated a frigate. Three years later, on 1 January 1964, Stockholm was decommissioned and subsequently sold to be broken up.
HSwMS Norrköping was a destroyer of the Royal Swedish Navy that served during the Second World War and in the Cold War. The sixth member of the Göteborg or city class, an improvement on the previous Ehrensköld class, Norrköping was launched on 5 September 1940. After the Second World War, in 1948, the destroyer took part in a European tour with other Swedish warships, led by the cruiser Fylgia, which involved sailing to the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom. Between 1950 and 1951, the ship was upgraded, with new more effective anti-aircraft weapons, new electronics and a slight increase in beam and displacement, In 1952, the destroyer went on another tour, accompanied by the cruiser Gotland, to Belgium. Rerated a frigate in 1961, the vessel was decommissioned on 1 February 1965. Subsequently used as a target ship, Norrköping was finally sunk on 26 May 1977.
HSwMS Karlskrona was a destroyer of the Royal Swedish Navy that served during the Second World War and in the Cold War. The fourth member of the Göteborg or city class, which was designed as an improvement on the previous Ehrensköld class, Karlskrona was launched on 16 June 1939. The destroyer served in the Coastal Fleet during the war, protecting Swedish neutrality and escorting convoys. After the war, the ship was upgraded between 1950 and 1951 with enhanced fire control and an armament improved with the introduction of the Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun. Ten years later, in 1961, Karlskrona was designated a fast anti-submarine frigate and the torpedo tubes were replaced by Squid mortars. The vessel was decommissioned on 1 July 1974 and broken up in 1979.
HSwMS Gävle was a destroyer of the Royal Swedish Navy that served during the Second World War and in the Cold War. The fifth member of the Göteborg or city class, which was designed as an improvement on the previous Ehrensköld class, Gävle was launched on 25 September 1940. The destroyer served in the Coastal Fleet during the war, protecting Swedish neutrality and assisting in the 1944 evacuation of Estonia. After the conflict had ceased, the ship was upgraded with enhanced fire control and an armament improved with the introduction of the Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun between 1950 and 1951. Ten years later, in 1961, Gävle was rearmed as a fast anti-submarine frigate and the torpedo tubes were replaced by Squid mortars. After being decommissioned on 6 December 1968, the vessel helped in the testing of the equipment for the Oskarshamn Nuclear Power Plant, finally being broken up in 1972.
HSwMS Malmö was a destroyer of the Royal Swedish Navy that served during the Second World War and in the Cold War. The third member of the Göteborg or City class, an improvement on the previous Ehrensköld class, Malmö was launched on 22 September 1938. The destroyer served during the war on neutrality patrols and escorts, as well as the evacuation of Gotland in 1941. After the war, the ship was upgraded multiple times. Armament was improved with the introduction of the Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun in 1951 and the Squid mortar ten years later. The latter followed the redefinition of Malmö as an anti-submarine frigate. The ship served in that role for a short time, being decommissioned on 1 February 1965 and broken up as the part of a wider Swedish naval programme of retiring destroyers and frigates.
Sweden