Finnish submarine Vesihiisi
History | |
---|---|
Finland | |
Name | Vesihiisi |
Ordered | 4 March 1927 |
Builder | Crichton-Vulcan |
Laid down | 1927 |
Launched | 1 August 1930 |
Commissioned | 2 December 1931 |
Decommissioned | 1946 |
Fate | Scrapped 1950s |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Vetehinen-class submarine |
Displacement | 493 tonnes surfaced, 716 tonnes submerged |
Length | 63.5 m (208.3 ft) |
Beam | 6.2 m (20.3 ft) |
Draft | 3.6 m (11.8 ft) |
Propulsion | Diesel-electric , 1,016 hp (758 kW) |
Speed |
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Range |
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Complement | 30 men |
Armament |
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Vesihiisi was a Finnish 500-tonne
German design Iku-Turso, Vesihiisi, Vetehinen
While preparing the design of the
Combat operations
Winter War
Vesihiisi was alerted with Vesikko to the Hanko region on 30 November 1939 as several Soviet surface combatants were headed towards the area. The submarines however failed to reach the area in time to intercept the Kirov and its escorts.[1]
Vesihiisi ran aground in early December 1941 and had to be docked for a few days for repairs. On 27 December Vesihiisi laid 16 mines off the Soviet naval station of Paldiski but soon after the ice forced the submarine to stay in port.[2]
Continuation War
Vesihiisi commenced operations during the Continuation War on 22 June by laying 20 mines in Estonian waters (controlled at the time by the Soviet Union). She laid 18 more mines on 24 June at Ruuskeri south-southwest of Suursaari Island (Gogland) and further 18 mines on 26 June southeast of Tytärsaari (Bolshoy Tyuters). After this the mining operation was postponed and Vesihiisi laid the 18 already loaded mines finally on 2 August east of Osmussaar.[3]
On 2 July 1941 Vesihiisi, while patrolling east of Suursaari (Gogland) encountered an escorted freighter heading east. A torpedo attack failed and the submarine suffered light damage from the escort's depth charges.[3]
On 5 August 1941 Vesihiisi attacked a convoy transporting supplies to the
In December 1941 after the Soviets had evacuated Hanko the Finnish submarines were docked for the winter. During the sailing season of 1941 the Italian torpedoes Vesihiisi used (Finnish designation T/40) proved to be unreliable. During 1942 Vesihiisi was upgraded with new 12-hydrophone listening arrays and equipped with a depth charge rack capable of carrying 4 depth charges. The submarine was further modified by streamlining the tower and moving the 20 mm gun up to the tower.[4]
On 9 August 1942, Vesihiisi was deployed along with her two sister ships to Mariehamn. Their mission was to conduct anti-submarine and escort operations in the Sea of Åland.[7][8] In the evening of 21 October 1942 she torpedoed and sank the Soviet S-class submarine S-7, near Lågskär in the Sea of Åland.[7][8] The captain (Sergei Lisin) and three of the crew of S-7; all of whom had been in the submarine's tower, were then captured (a fourth crewman drowned before he could be rescued).[7]
On 4 July 1944 Vesihiisi laid 20 mines between Moshchny Island (Lavansaari) and Seskar (Seiskari). The boat was attacked with depth charges by two Soviet minesweepers but was able to escape without any damage. The submarine laid a further 18 mines north of Moshchny Island on 6 July 1944.[9]
Notes and references
- ^ Kijanen, Kalervo (1968). Suomen Laivasto 1918–1968 I [Finnish Navy 1918–1968, part I]. Helsinki: Meriupseeriyhdistys/Otava. p. 250.
- ^ Kijanen, Kalervo (1968). Suomen Laivasto 1918–1968 I [Finnish Navy 1918–1968, part I]. Helsinki: Meriupseeriyhdistys/Otava. p. 270.
- ^ a b Kijanen, Kalervo (1968). Suomen Laivasto 1918–1968 II [Finnish Navy 1918–1968, part II]. Helsinki: Meriupseeriyhdistys/Otava. pp. 16–17.
- ^ a b c d Kijanen, Kalervo (1968). Suomen Laivasto 1918–1968 II [Finnish Navy 1918–1968, part II]. Helsinki: Meriupseeriyhdistys/Otava. pp. 48–51.
- ^ "Хильде (1894)" (in Russian). Later in 1941 Hilde was sunk at Hanko. The Finns raised and repaired it, and the ancient ship served, under different names, until 1970.
- ^ a b Митрофанов, Александр (2021-06-21). "Охота на "Щук": как финские подводники воевали с советскими субмаринами" [The Schuka hunt: how Finnish submariners countered Soviet submarines]. Профиль (in Russian).
- ^ ISBN 978-0-87021-570-4
- ^ a b Kijanen, Kalervo (1968). Suomen Laivasto 1918–1968 II [Finnish Navy 1918–1968, part II]. Helsinki: Meriupseeriyhdistys/Otava. pp. 94–105.
- ^ Kijanen, Kalervo (1968). Suomen Laivasto 1918–1968 II [Finnish Navy 1918–1968, part II]. Helsinki: Meriupseeriyhdistys/Otava. pp. 164–165.