Göteborg-class destroyer

The Göteborg class was a Swedish World War II destroyer class. Built from 1936–1941 the class was designed as escort and neutral guard destroyers. In total six ships were constructed, HSwMS Göteborg, HSwMS Stockholm, HSwMS Malmö, HSwMS Karlskrona, HSwMS Gävle and HSwMS Norrköping. After World War II the destroyers, later rebuilt as frigates, continued to serve in the Swedish navy. The last ship was decommissioned in 1968.

HSwMS Göteborg
Class overview
Operators Swedish Navy
Preceded byKlas class
Succeeded byVisby class
Built1933–1941
In commission1936–1968
Planned6
Completed6
Retired6
General characteristics
TypeDestroyer/frigate
Displacement1,060–1,240 tons
Length92.7 m (304 ft)
Beam9 m (30 ft)
Draught3.8 m (12 ft)
PropulsionTwin screws, turbines
Speed39 kn (72 km/h; 45 mph)
Range3,333 km (1,800 nmi; 2,071 mi)
Complement130
Armament
  • 3 × 120 mm guns
  • 4 × 25 mm Bofors anti-air cannons
  • 6 × 530 mm torpedo tubes
  • Depth charges and mines

History
HSwMS Stockholm after modernization

In 1933 the Swedish government granted the construction of two new destroyers.[1] The destroyers were given names of Swedish coast towns and so this class was called Stadsjagare ("Town-class destroyers"). The first ship was delivered in 1936 and the second in 1937. In 1936 two additional destroyers were ordered and after the war broke out a third pair was ordered as well.[2] After the war all destroyers except Göteborg which was in poor shape from the Hårsfjärden disaster received a refit where the center gun was moved to the X position on the aft deckhouse and the anti-aircraft armament (consisting of four modern Bofors 40 mm L/70 guns) was concentrated on a platform around the rear funnel. In 1958–1963 three of the destroyers were rebuilt as frigates that included a change of armament. The first ship to be decommissioned was Göteborg in 1958. In the decade that followed all ships were decommissioned, the last in 1968.

The famous Swedish marine engineer Curt Borgenstam called the Göteborg class the most beautiful and well working destroyer class to have served in the Swedish navy.[3]

Ships
HSwMS Göteborg sinking after being used as a target ship
Name Number Builder Laid Down Launched Commissioned Fate
Göteborg5Götaverken193414 October 1935October 1936Stricken 15 August 1958[4]
Sunk as target 14 August 1962[5]
Stockholm6Karlskrona dockyard193424 March 193627 November 1937Stricken 1 January 1964[4]
Scrapped 1965[6]
Malmö7Eriksberg193722 September 193815 August 1939Stricken 1 January 1964[4]
Scrapped 1970[6]
Karlskrona8Karlskrona dockyard193719 June 193912 September 1940Stricken 1 July 1974[4]
Scrapped 1979[6]
Norrköping10Eriksberg193925 September 19409 April 1941Stricken 1 February 1965[4]
Gävle9Götaverken193923 September 194030 June 1941Stricken 6 December 1968[4]
Used as generator at Simpevarp nuclear power station[6]

References
  1. Borgenstam, Insulander & Kaudern 1989, p. 48
  2. Borgenstam, Insulander & Kaudern 1989, p. 50
  3. Borgenstam, Insulander & Kaudern 1989, p. 52
  4. Whitley 2000, p. 249
  5. Gardiner & Chesneau 1980, p. 372
  6. Gardiner & Chumbley 1995, p. 443

Sources
  • Borgenstam, Curt; Insulander, Per; Kaudern, Gösta (1989), Jagare: med Svenska flottans jagare under 80 år (in Swedish), Västra Frölunda: Marinlitteratur, ISBN 91-970700-4-1, SELIBR 7792227
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen (1995), Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995, Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press, ISBN 1-55750-132-7
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger (1980), Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946, London: Conway Maritime Press, ISBN 0-85177-146-7
  • Jackson, Robert (2004), Fighting Ships of The World, London: Amber Books Ltd, p. 306, ISBN 9781840136470
  • Whitley, M. J. (2000), Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia, London: Cassell, ISBN 1-85409-521-8
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