Finnish minelayer Ruotsinsalmi
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Ruotsinsalmi
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History | |
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Finland | |
Name | Ruotsinsalmi |
Namesake | Battle of Ruotsinsalmi (1790) |
Builder | Wärtsilä Crichton-Vulcan, Turku |
Launched | October 1940 |
Commissioned | 1941 |
Decommissioned | 1975 |
Fate | Decommissioned in 1975, scrapped in the 1990s |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Ruotsinsalmi-class minelayer |
Displacement | 310 t |
Length | 50.0 m (164 ft 1 in) |
Beam | 7.9 m (25 ft 11 in) |
Draught | 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
Armament |
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Ruotsinsalmi was a
in 1790.Funding for two new minelayers had been secured as early as in 1937, but instead the money was used to refurbish the garrison at Mäkiluoto.
Ruotsinsalmi and her sister vessel,
During the Continuation War
Ruotsinsalmi and Riilahti began mining the Gulf of Finland on 26 June 1941, immediately after the outbreak of the Continuation War. The first minefield, Kipinola, Ruotsinsalmi laid together with Riilahti south-east of Hanko which was intended to block Soviet seaways to Hanko. Same group laid already on 27 June the next minefield, Kuolemajärvi, north-west of Paldiski again to block route to Hanko. Another one, Valkjärvi, was laid on 29–30 June.[1]
Date | Mines | Location | Laid by |
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26 June | 200 contact mines | SE of Hanko |
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27.6. | 200 contact mines | NE of Osmussaar |
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30.6. | 200 contact mines | NE of Juminda |
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21.7. |
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N of Mohni | Ruotsinsalmi |
10.8. | 201 contact mines | NE of Juminda |
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11.8. | 195 contact mines | NE of Juminda |
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13.8. | 200 contact mines | NE of Juminda |
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12.11. | 139 contact mines | SSE of Helsinki |
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Ruotsinsalmi together with Riilahti participated in ferrying the Finnish gunboats past Hanko in August 1941. After two failed attempts by gunboats to rendezvous with minelayers on the nights of 25-26 and 27–28 August the minelayers penetrated the Soviet minefield and met with the gunboats west of Hanko and then escorted them through to Helsinki on 29 August 1941.[3]
Ruotsinsalmi again with Riilahti were sent on 21 November to as minesweeping escorts for convoy of German ships consisting of two tugs and a depot ship headed to west through the Soviet minebarrier south of Hanko. However, in the dark the convoy deviated from the swept route and as the sweeping gear became entangled with mines it had stop. Before the convoy managed to resume its journey, tug Föhn slipped outside the swept area and sank after hitting a mine but the rest of the convoy reached its destination. The voyage back through the minebarrier with a convoy of freighters started at midnight of 3 December after the escort group had been strengthened with German minesweepers M 4 and M 7 and it took place without any incidents.[4]
Ruotsinsalmi was Finland's most active minelayer during the
She participated in the sinking of one Soviet submarine
After the war
Ruotsinsalmi had proven to be a sound design and well suited for its task. However, it continued to serve a number of different missions after the war. The ship ended its career as a diving support vessel (1973–1975). She was mothballed in Upinniemi, and there were plans to make her into a museum, but she was scrapped at the beginning of the 1990s, after the owners had failed to gather enough funds.
References
Citations
- ^ Kijanen 1968, p. 18-19.
- ^ Kijanen 1968, p. 23.
- ^ Kijanen 1968, p. 41-43.
- ^ Kijanen 1968, p. 65-66.
- ^ Kijanen 1968, p. 232-233.
Bibliography
- Kijanen, Kalervo (1968). Suomen Laivasto 1918–1968, II [Finnish Navy 1918–1968, part II]. Helsinki, Finland: Meriupseeriyhdistys/Otavan Kirjapaino.