Copyright © Hans Högman 2023-10-02
Ships of the Swedish Navy - 4
Swedish Warships - Surface
Combatants - 3
List of various types of Swedish Motorized
Surface Combatants
•
Battleship
•
Coastal defense ship
•
Cruiser, part-1, part-2
•
Destroyer, part-1, part-2, part-3
•
Frigate
•
Corvette
•
Motor torpedo boat
•
Torpedo boat / Missile boat
•
Patrol boat
•
Picket boat
•
Surveillance boat
•
Minelayer / Minehunter / Minesweeper
Definitions
In the description of the ships, there are some
concepts and terms that may be worth describing.
•
Pennant No., the recognition number that
Swedish warships normally, in peacetime, have
painted on the side of certain types of ships. For
submarines, it is an abbreviation of the
submarine's name. [Hull No. in the US].
•
Delivered refers to the time when the ship was
formally delivered to the Navy from the shipyard.
•
Launched, refers to the time when the ship was
christened and launched.
•
Decommissioned normally refers to the time
when the ship is permanently removed from the
Navy organization.
•
Displacement, expressed in tons, is given with two
values, standard displacement, and displacement
when the ship is fully equipped. If only one value is
given, it refers to standard displacement. For
submarines, displacement is given in surface
mode and submerged mode.
•
Speed is given in knots and refers to the
contracted speed. For submarines, the speed is
given in surface mode and submerged mode.
•
Dimensions, given in meters for length, beam,
and draft. The length may be given in two
dimensions: the waterline and the maximum
overall length. If only one length is given, the
maximum length is referred to. Beam means the
maximum width.
•
Complement, the crew size. It normally refers to
the peacetime crew size.
•
Submarine diving depths indicate the maximum
permitted diving depth in peacetime.
•
ihp = Indicated horsepower (the theoretical
power of a reciprocating engine if it is completely
frictionless)
The abbreviation "HMS" means “Hans Majestäts Skepp
/ Hennes Majestäts Skepp” and is used in the Swedish
Navy as a prefix before the ship's name, such as HMS
Visby. However, HMS was not used by the Swedish
Navy until after 1950. For older ships, i.e. built before
1950, "HM" (His Majesty's) was used followed by the
ship type and name, e.g. HM Kryssare Tre Kronor.
HSwMS is a sometimes used designation for military
ships from Sweden when traveling outside Sweden's
territorial waters, instead of HMS.
In the UK, the same abbreviation stands for Her
Majesty's Ship or His Majesty's Ship and has been used
in the Royal Navy since the 1660s. The USA uses the
designation USS, United States Ship.
During WW II, from June 23, 1940, Swedish warships
were marked with white transverse lines on their
decks and sides so that they could be clearly
identified as neutral ships and thus avoid accidental
fire from the belligerents.
Destroyer (2)
Destroyers are a type of warship developed in the
early 20th century. A destroyer is fast, relatively large,
and very heavily armed. Originally, the role of the
destroyer was to protect battleships from torpedo
boats. Soon enough, destroyers were also equipped
with torpedoes. On modern destroyers, torpedoes
have been supplemented or replaced by missiles.
During and before World War II, destroyers were
mainly used for patrol, escort, and anti-submarine
duties. They were therefore often armed with anti-
submarine equipment such as sonar and depth
charges.
Start-page: Destroyer
Swedish Destroyers
The Psilander class was a destroyer class consisting
of two destroyers, HMS Psilander (18) and HMS Puke
(19). The ships were originally Sella class destroyers of
the Italian Navy but were purchased by Sweden in
1940. In Italy, they carried the names Giovanni Nicotera
and Bettino Ricasoli respectively. At the same time, 2
Italian Romulus class destroyers and four motor
torpedo boats were also purchased.
On January 21, 1940, all contracts were completed
for the purchase of four destroyers, four motor
torpedo boats, and other war materials. The four
motor torpedo boats, which were of the MAS class that
in Sweden was designated T11 - T14, were
transported home on M/S Boreland from La Spezia to
Gothenburg in March 1940.
On April 14, 1940, with Swedish crews, all four
destroyers departed together from La Spezia in Italy
and the ships arrived in Gothenburg on July 10. The
Swedish convoy also included the passenger ship
Patricia and the tanker M/T Castor. Because of the war,
the Swedish ships went west of Ireland. During a stop
in the Faroe Islands, an event occurred that became
known as the Psilander Affair.
On the way home from Italy, Germany had attacked
France and Norway.
On June 20, 1940, the four Swedish destroyers in
the Faroe Islands were seized by the British Navy
on the grounds that they wanted to prevent the
Swedish destroyers from falling into the hands of the
German Navy on their onward journey to Sweden.
After just over a week of intense diplomatic activity
between Sweden and the UK, Sweden recovered the
seized destroyers and the ships were able to proceed
to Gothenburg.
After arriving in Sweden, the destroyers were
assigned to the Gothenburg squadron. However, the
Psilander and Puke proved to be too softly built and
rolled heavily in rough seas. It was therefore
necessary to build reinforcements into the ships and
fit sling keels to the hulls.
•
Psilander (Giovanni Nicotera) was launched in 1926
in Italy and joined the Swedish Navy in 1940. She
was decommissioned in 1947. Pennant no. 18.
•
Puke (Bettino Ricasoli) was launched in 1926 in Italy
and joined the Swedish Navy in 1940. She was
decommissioned in 1947. Pennant no. 19.
The vessels were 85.3 m long and the beam was 8.6
m. The displacement was 970/1,480 tons. Speed: 35
knots. Complement: 133 men. The ships' main
armament consisted of four 12 cm m/40 guns in twin
turrets. The anti-aircraft defense consisted of two 40
mm anti-aircraft automatic guns m/17 and two 13.2
mm anti-aircraft machine guns m/31. There were also
four 45.7 cm torpedo tubes m/30, and 30 naval mines.
The machinery consisted of 3 steam boilers
supplying steam to two steam turbines, each driving a
propeller. The machinery developed 36,000 hp which
gave a maximum speed of 35 knots.
The image shows the destroyer HMS Psilander J18,
launched in 1926 in Italy and acquired by Sweden in
1940. Length 85.3 m, beam 8.6 m. Pennant no. 18.
Photo in 1940. Image: Sjöhistoriska museet, ID:
Fo82094A.
In 1941-1942 the ships' armament was modified. The
m/17 anti-aircraft guns were replaced by two 40 mm
anti-aircraft automatic guns m/36 and two twin 8 mm
anti-aircraft machine guns m/36. Furthermore, the 45
cm torpedoes were replaced by 53 cm torpedoes, and
depth charge throwers and depth charge racks were
installed.
After a very short service, both ships were placed in
material readiness between 1943 and 1944, and in
1947 they were decommissioned.
The Romulus class was a destroyer class known in
Sweden as coastal destroyers. They consisted of two
smaller destroyers, HMS Romulus (27) and HMS
Remus (28). The ships were originally Spica 3 class
destroyers in the Italian Navy but were purchased by
Sweden in 1940. In Italy they carried the names Spica
and Astore respectively.
At the same time, 2 Italian Psilander-class destroyers
and four motor torpedo boats were also purchased.
On January 21, 1940, all contracts were completed
for the purchase of four destroyers, four motor
torpedo boats and other war materials. The four
motor torpedo boats, which were of the MAS class that
in Sweden was designated T11 - T14, were transported
home on M/S Boreland from La Spezia to Gothenburg
in March 1940.
On April 14, 1940, with Swedish crews, the four
destroyers departed together from La Spezia in Italy
and, after a dramatic journey to say the least, arrived
in Gothenburg on July 10.
Due to the war, the Swedish ships went west of
Ireland. The Swedish convoy also included the
passenger ship Patricia and the tanker M/T Castor.
During a stop in the Faroe Islands, an event occurred
that became known as the Psilander Affair.
On the way home from Italy, Germany had attacked
France and Norway.
On June 20, 1940, the four Swedish destroyers in
the Faroe Islands were seized by the British Navy
on the grounds that they wanted to prevent the
Swedish destroyers from falling into the hands of the
German Navy on their onward journey to Sweden.
After just over a week of intense diplomatic activity
between Sweden and the UK, Sweden recovered the
seized destroyers and the ships were able to proceed
to Gothenburg.
After arriving in Sweden, the ships of the class were
assigned to the Gothenburg Squadron. The ships were
intended for escort and surveillance tasks and not
offensive operations, which explains the somewhat
lighter artillery and torpedo armament.
The image shows the destroyer HMS Romulus J27,
launched in 1934 in Italy and acquired by Sweden in
1940. Length 81.4 m, beam 8.2 m. Pennant no. 27.
Photo in 1940. Image: Sjöhistoriska museet, ID:
Fo200229.
•
Romulus (Spica) was launched in 1934 in Italy and
joined the Swedish Navy in 1940. She was
decommissioned in 1958. Pennant no. 27.
•
Remus (Astore) was launched in 1934 in Italy and
joined the Swedish Navy in 1940. She was
decommissioned in 1958. Pennant no. 28.
The vessels were 81.4 m long and the beam was 8.2
m. The displacement was 630/900 tons. Speed: 34
knots. Complement: 99 men.
The ships' main armament consisted of three 10 cm
m/40 guns. The anti-aircraft defense consisted of
three 20 mm anti-aircraft automatic guns m/38 and
two 13.2 mm anti-aircraft machine guns m/31. There
were also four 45.7 cm torpedo tubes, two depth
charge racks m/33 and two depth charge throwers
m/33, 28 mines.
The
image shows a 20 mm anti-aircraft automatic gun
m/38 aboard the destroyer Romulus J27, launched in
1934 and acquired by Sweden in 1940. Length 81.4 m,
beam 8.2 m. Pennant no. 27. Photo in 1943. Image:
Sjöhistoriska museet, ID: Fo199543.
The machinery consisted of 2 steam boilers
supplying steam to two steam turbines, each driving a
propeller. The machinery developed 19,000 hp which
gave a maximum speed of 34 knots.
The destroyers were basically good ships that
participated extensively in the neutrality watch of the
coastal fleet. They were reclassified as frigates in
1953, but were never rebuilt.
The Psilander Affair in 1940
The Psilander affair was an incident that occurred in
the Faroe Islands on June 20, 1940, when the four
Italian-purchased Swedish destroyers HMS Psilander,
Puke, Romulus, and Remus were seized by the British
Navy. According to the British, the seizure was made
to prevent the German Navy from seizing the
destroyers and taking them into German service on
the Swedish destroyers' onward journey to
Gothenburg across the North Sea.
When World War II broke out, Sweden was in great
need of rapidly reinforcing its armed forces with new
equipment. The navy needed to be expanded with,
among other things, destroyers and motor torpedo
boats. Manufacturing destroyers in Sweden would
take time. It was quicker, if possible, to buy destroyers
from other countries. Italy was willing to sell 4
destroyers and 4 motor torpedo boats as a package
(all or nothing). The destroyers were two of the Sella
class and two of the Spica-3 class. The Sella destroyers
were older, launched in 1926, while the Spica-3
destroyers were more modern, launched in 1934.
On January 21, 1940, all contracts were completed
for the purchase of four destroyers, four motor
torpedo boats, and other war materials. The four
motor torpedo boats were of MAS class, which in
Sweden was designated T11 - T14, and were
transported home on M/S Boreland from La Spezia,
Italy, to Gothenburg, Sweden, in March 1940.
Commander 2nd Class Torsten Hagman was
appointed Head of the detachment consisting of the 4
destroyers to sail from Italy to Sweden. The Swedish
Lloyd passenger ship Patricia was chartered and
converted into an 'auxiliary cruiser' in the fleet and
equipped with a 12 cm gun and two 8 mm machine
guns. The four destroyer crews that were to sail the
purchased destroyers home consisted of 450 Swedish
seamen and naval officers. On March 4, 1940, they
departed on Patricia from Gothenburg together with
Patricia's own crew of 36 men towards La Spezia in
northern Italy. Patricia arrived in La Spezia on 19
March.
The Patricia was built in 1926 and was 106 m long
and the beam was 15 m. After the Italian adventure,
she was converted to a submarine depot ship in the
Swedish Navy.
The
image shows HMS Patricia (formerly S/S Patricia,
Svenska Lloyd) with Swedish neutrality stripes. Built
1926 in England, length 106 m, beam 15 m, speed 15
knots. Displacement 4,950 tons. Photo in 1943. Image:
Sjöhistoriska museet, ID: Fo64665A.
On March 27, the Italian flags were lowered on the
destroyers Bettino Ricasoli, Giovanni Nicotera, Spica,
and Astore, and Swedish naval flags were raised on the
Puke, Psilander, Romulus, and Remus, which became
the Swedish names of the destroyers. Equipment
work, training of the Swedish crews, and sea trials
were completed on April 13.
On April 14, 1940, all four destroyers departed
together from La Spezia in northern Italy and the
ships arrived in Gothenburg on July 10. Commander
Hagman was the Head of the Swedish naval force and
also the Ship Commander of HMS Puke.
For the first part of the voyage, two Italian naval
engineers and seven engineer petty officers were on
board the destroyers to help with any engine
problems.
Also on board the auxiliary cruiser Patricia were 30
purchased torpedoes, ammunition, and a large
quantity of spare parts for the destroyers. The motor
torpedo boats were already sent home.
On April 20, the British naval attaché in Rome
announced that “The Admiralty” would guarantee free
passage for the Swedish squadron, as had been done
with Boreland and Patricia. The British suggested that
the Swedes should travel via the English Channel.
However, the Swedish Naval Command informed the
German legation in Stockholm that the destroyer
force planned to travel via Ireland and the Faroe
Islands to the Norwegian coast and then close to the
coast to Gothenburg, Sweden.
At noon on the same day, i.e. April 20, HMS Puke
encountered engine problems. HMS Psilander, who
was sailing behind HMS Puke, did not have time to
turn aside, but at moderate speed hit Puke's stern
with her stem. As the watertight bulkheads held, both
destroyers could continue after a while and the fleet
headed for Cartagena in Spain for repairs, where they
arrived the following day and were able to dock at a
Spanish naval shipyard. Psilander was docked for
repairs, while Puke was repaired without docking.
After replenishing supplies, the destroyers departed
on April 26 for Lisbon, where they arrived on April 28.
The Patricia had been sent in advance to Lisbon to
bunker the ordered oil.
However, the stay in
Lisbon was to be month-
long as there was no oil
available, only fresh water.
The Puke's damages from
the collision earlier were
finally repaired in the dock.
The image shows the
destroyer HMS Romulus
behind HMS Psilander
underway in the
Mediterranean in 1940.
Image: Wikipedia.
The legation of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign
Affairs in London sent a telegram to the Office of the
Swedish Naval Command on April 29, 1940, stating
that the British Foreign Office had recommended that
the destroyers be ordered to remain in Lisbon until
further notice and that, under the present
circumstances, it must be strongly advised against
repatriating them. However, this message never
reached the head of the Swedish naval force in
Lisbon, Commander Hagman.
On May 10, Germany attacked the Netherlands,
Belgium, and France on the Western Front, closing the
destroyers’ route through the English Channel.
Meanwhile, efforts were being made in Stockholm to
obtain oil for the destroyers from elsewhere and the
Chief of Navy informed the destroyers on 15 May that
a Swedish tanker, M/T Castor, would arrive in Lisbon
within four to five days. The M/T Castor was a Swedish
tanker from Trelleborg, en route from Mexico to
Sweden with oil, which had now been requisitioned by
the Swedish government and was ordered to join the
destroyer force. On 21 May, the Castor arrived in
Lisbon with 14,495 tons of oil, half of which was diesel
oil. Furthermore, Castor had more than 1,000 tons of
fresh water in its tanks, which would make the
destroyers self-sufficient.
The tanker now formally became the warship HM
Transportfartyg Castor (Auxiliary vessel) and its
commander John Juhlin became a lieutenant in the
naval reserve.
The
image shows the motor tanker M/T Castor. Length
147 m, beam 18.8 m, year of construction 1928,
deadweight tons: 13,440. Shipping company:
Trelleborgs Ångfartygs Nya AB. Image: Sjöhistoriska
museet, ID: Fo68663A.
The following year, on March 31, 1941, M/T Castor was
torpedoed by the German submarine U-46 between
Newfoundland and Ireland in the North Atlantic. 21 of
Castor's crew of 36 men were rescued.
On May 26, the squadron left Lisbon and on May 27
arrived in Vigo, Spain, where Castor and Patricia were
fully bunkered. The Italian engineers of the destroyers
went ashore recalled by their government.
Although the Chief of Navy had previously given
instructions for Castor to accompany the destroyer
force, the ship's low speed of around 8 knots meant
that oil and water would probably not be sufficient on
the destroyers for the move to Cobh (Queenstown) in
Ireland, according to Commander Hagman's
assessment.
Hagman therefore detached Castor and let the
destroyers and Patricia leave Vigo at their most
economical speed, 12 knots, in a wide arc into the
Atlantic towards Cobh on May 29.
The map shows
the route the
Swedish ships took
from northern Italy
to Gothenburg in
Sweden.
Red: The route of
the destroyers
from La Spezia to
Torshamn in the
Faroe Islands and
from Kirkwall to
Gothenburg under
Swedish
command.
Orange: Under
British command from Torshamn to Kirkwall.
Green: The tanker Castor's journey as a single ship,
including via Casablanca.
Image: Wikipedia.
In late May and early June 1940, the evacuation of
some 300,000 English and French soldiers from the
beaches of French Dunkirk across the English
Channel took place.
The British Admiralty therefore designated a new
route for the Swedish naval force, which entered the
Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland to continue to the
Faroe Islands, where M/T Castor would also join.
After Denmark's surrender on 9 April 1940, the
Danish Faroe Islands were effectively occupied by
the British military to forestall a German invasion
(Operation Valentine). The British did not formally
recognize this, as it would have meant responsibility
for the governance and supply of the Faroe Islands.
The destroyer force anchored in Cobh, Ireland, on
June 2. However, no oil was available here either. But
by bunkering the destroyers from Patricia, they were
able to replenish enough oil to reach the Faroe
Islands.
In addition, 117 civilian Swedish passengers, including
40 women and 8 children, were to be taken on board
the Patricia for the onward journey to Sweden. Many
of these were former employees of British companies,
who were now out of work after the companies had
switched to war production. On June 15, Patricia took
on board its civilian passengers, and on the night of
June 16 it left Cobh for the Faroe Islands.
On June 22, France surrendered, leaving Britain
alone against the German troops. The German Navy
had lost 10 of its most modern destroyers in the Battle
of Narvik on April 10 and 13, 1940. The British were
therefore keen that Germany should not have quick
access to new destroyers.
At the British War Cabinet meeting in London on
June 18, the Minister for the Dominions announced
that four Swedish destroyers had left Ireland for the
Faroe Islands. He suggested that the War Cabinet
consider the possibility of capturing the Swedish
destroyers on their arrival in the Faroe Islands. The
Foreign Minister declared that he would examine the
matter further.
At the meeting of the War Cabinet on June 19, the
proposal from the previous day to hijack the
destroyers was discussed. The Minister for the
Dominions considered that this was a case where the
Right of Angary could be used. This is a right
established in international law for a belligerent
nation to seize the property of a neutral state, within
the territory of the belligerent nation or areas
occupied by it. The War Cabinet instructed the Admiralty
to order the capture of the destroyers as soon as
possible.
During the early morning of June 19, the Patricia and
the destroyers approached the Faroe Islands. The
Castor was expected to arrive in the Faroe Islands the
following day. Due to dense fog, the Swedish
squadron waited to dock until the fog lifted. After the
fog lifted in the morning, Patricia and the destroyers
continued towards the Faroe Islands. A pilot was
taken on board to guide the ships to the long, narrow
Skaalefjord near Torshamn. Patricia was assigned
an anchorage at the far end of the fjord, and the
destroyers had to anchor in tactical numerical order -
in line.
Then several armed British trawlers (so-called naval
drifters) anchored on either side of the destroyers.
Commander Hagman now gave orders to turn off the
steam boilers on the destroyers to save oil (The Castor
had not yet reached the Faroe Islands). This meant
that it would take about four hours to get the
destroyers ready for departure again.
Three British Tribal-class destroyers, HMS Maori,
HMS Tartar, and HMS Mashona left the British naval
base Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands on June 19 at
19.30, heading for the Faroe Islands, intending to
seize the Swedish destroyers.
Early in the morning of June 20, the Castor arrived in
the Faroe Islands where she was ordered to anchor
southeast of Torshamn about ten nautical miles or
one and a half hours passage from the destroyers in
Skaalefjorden.
Later in the morning the British destroyers also
arrived in the Faroe Islands.
The image shows the British Tribal-class destroyer
HMS Maori, one of the destroyers in Skaalefjord in
the Faroe Islands during the Psilander affair in 1940.
She was launched in 1937 and was 115 m long and
the beam was 11 m. Speed: 36 knots. Main
armament: four twin 12 cm guns.
Image: Wikipedia.
The Naval Officer in Charge of Faroe Islands (NOIC) was
Navy Captain Crowther. The Chief of the Royal Navy
squadron, Navy Captain C. Caslon, together with a
lieutenant commander as secretary and a civilian,
arrived in a motorboat at the Swedish command ship
HMS Puke at 07:15 on June 20.
Caslon made an oral presentation with a non-
negotiable but time-bound ultimatum, stating that
he had received orders directly from the British
government to seize the Swedish destroyers. The
reason given was that the British assumed that the
destroyers would end up in German hands as the
ships approached Sweden.
According to British requirements, the destroyers
were to be evacuated within two and a half hours,
and the crews were to be transferred to England for
further transportation to Sweden. HMS Patricia and
Castor could continue their journey. Resistance from
the Swedish destroyers or attempts to sink the ships
would be met with "appropriate countermeasures". All
radio transmitters on the Swedish ships were to be
sealed immediately, and attempts to establish
communication with Sweden were to be prevented by
force.
Commander Hagman's spontaneous answer was that
he rejected the demands and that he would fight or
sink the ships. Captain Caslon regretted this and
pointed out that it was only a question of taking the
ships into custody, they would remain Swedish
property. Hagman then demanded to be put in touch
with the Swedish government, but Caslon explained
that the use of radio would be prevented by force.
Hagman requested to receive the British
government's demands and motives in written
form, after which he would reply in writing. Caslon
promised to comply and then left HMS Puke.
At 08:06 on June 20, Hagman sent out a message to
the Swedish ship commanders: "Prepare to evacuate
the destroyers".
At 09:00 the British demands were submitted in
writing. They also included the "Right of Angary" as an
attachment. However, this right has no application to
warships. According to the
written demands, any damage
to the seized destroyers would
be compensated.
The sketch shows the situation
at Skaalefjord in the Faroe
Islands on June 20, 1940,
during the so-called Psilander
affair. We see the Swedish
ships inside the fjord
anchored in line with English
drifters on the sides and the
English destroyers circling
outside at the mouth of the
fjord. Image: Wikipedia.
After reviewing the written
requirements, Commander Hagman and the ship
commanders held consultations on board HMS Puke.
The balance of power was strongly in the British
favor. The British destroyers were underway and
prepared for action (general quarters) and all hands
were at their action stations. Each of the Tribal
destroyers had four twin 12 cm guns, four anti-
aircraft automatic guns, and four torpedo tubes. In
addition, there were armed English "drifters" between
the Swedish destroyers, as well as armed posts
ashore.
The Swedish destroyers had very little oil left and an
unfavorable position for battle in the long narrow
fjord as they were anchored in line. After a few hours
of building up steam pressure, only HMS Remus' two
aft 10 cm guns had a clear field of fire against the
British destroyers.
If the Swedish destroyers had broken out, they would
soon run out of fuel and become easy targets for the
British Home Fleet. Moreover, Patricia was in the line
of fire, loaded with ammunition and with 117 civilians
on board.
To increase the pressure on the Swedes, at 09:20,
several of the British Tribal-class destroyers entered
the Skaalefjord, turned around, and headed out
again.
Commander Hagman wrote in his reply to the
British that under the circumstances he had no
choice but to agree to the demands. But he also
protested seriously against the whole procedure,
especially the fact that he was denied the possibility
of communication with his own government.
Before submitting the letter, a request had been
made for the crews to be transferred to HMS Patricia
and Castor instead of being taken to England, as per
the original ultimatum. The request was accepted by
the British.
After the ship commanders’ meeting, the
commanders returned to their ships and informed
the crews. Only personal belongings could be packed
in the sea bags according to British directives. Some
belongings were thrown overboard as the crews did
not want to hand them over to the British.
Despite orders from Hagman not to worsen the
situation by sabotage or resistance, the destroyers
were still Swedish property, this occurred anyhow on
the initiative of individual crew members.
At 11:00, three Royal Navy drifters arrived to transfer
the crews from the Puke, Psilander, and Romulus to
Patricia and from Remus to Castor.
After the crews left the
Swedish destroyers,
British crews boarded
the destroyers, with the
first action being to
take down the Swedish
flags and insignia.
The image shows the
crew of the Swedish
destroyer HMS Remus
embarking on the
British drifter Scottish
for further
transportation to the
Swedish tanker M/T
Castor. Image:
Wikipedia.
At 09:00 on June 21, the NOIC, Captain Crowther,
came to the Patricia and announced that the ship
could depart. At 14:00, the anchor was weighed and
the ship went out through Skaalefjorden towards the
Norwegian coast. Out in international waters, radio
transmitters could again be used to contact the
Swedish authorities.
At 22:45 on June 21, the Swedish Chief of Navy Vice-
Admiral Tamm replied to Commander Hagman:
"Return to Torshamn. Energetically recall the destroyers.
The British government has not communicated anything
to the Swedish government."
Patricia and Castor sailed on a counter course back
to the Faroe Islands. Meanwhile, a diplomatic
telegram exchange between Stockholm and London
began. In Stockholm, Undersecretary of State for
Foreign Affairs Erik Boheman, who was at dinner with
Victor Mallet, the British Ambassador to Sweden, was
very upset and demanded that Mallet telegraph to
London that the destroyers should be released
immediately.
The two Swedish ships returned to Torshamn,
where they anchored on the outer roadstead at 08:00
on June 22. The Swedish vice-consul in the Faroe
Islands reported that the destroyers had been moved
to a place unknown to him, which he had protested
to the British consul. Diplomatic contacts continued.
For example, in London, the Swedish Ambassador to
the UK, Björn Prytz, spoke with the British Foreign
Secretary Halifax. Prytz also reported that the route
of the destroyers had been fully discussed with the
British legation in Stockholm, which Halifax claimed
not to know.
It turned out that Sweden's formal request for
passage had been left with the Admiralty in London
without being forwarded. Therefore, the British
government was surprised by the movement of the
Swedish naval force, which was perceived to be
unannounced and not following normal routine and
proper channels.
Over the next few days, the British realized that the
destroyers were relatively small and that they could
be returned to the Swedes. On the evening of June
25, NOIC announced that the Swedish destroyers
would be returned to their crews. Two of the
destroyers were in Kirkwall, and two were on their
way there. So that M/T Castor would not have to travel
through the dangerous waters around the Orkney
Islands, the Remus crew was also transferred to
Patricia.
On the morning of July 1, the Swedish ship
commanders and some crew members were able to
inspect the destroyers.
During the earlier voyage between the Faroe Islands
and Kirkwall with an English crew, the destroyers had
suffered a lot of damage, partly because the English
crew was unfamiliar with the destroyers' machinery
and partly because of previous Swedish sabotage.
On both HMS Psilander and Romulus, the British had
dry-boiled a boiler, which had been completely
destroyed. On HMS Romulus, oil had also been
pumped by mistake into corridors and wardrooms.
HMS Puke was damaged after a collision during a tow
and had lost an anchor. The ships had also been
largely looted of loose equipment and tools.
All losses, as well as wage costs for Patricia and
Castor's crews, etc., were later valued at 879,644 SEK,
which was paid by the British.
The destroyers were returned on 2 July to their
Swedish crews, who quickly carried out cleaning and
temporary repairs to the ships. On 5 July at 02:00,
Patricia and the destroyers left Kirkwall to return
to the Faroe Islands. The M/T Castor was met at a
point 40 nautical miles east of the islands on the
evening of July 5, and the force then proceeded in
column towards the Norwegian coast, at 8 knots and
in the order of HMS Puke, Psilander, Castor, Patricia,
Romulus and Remus.
Germany guaranteed Swedish neutrality and let the
ships go to Sweden.
Along the Norwegian coast, at about 6 in the morning
on 8 July, they were subjected to a bombing raid by
a British Coastal Command aircraft, which dropped
four bombs on the Castor. The bombs were
detonated at a distance of 50 - 75 m from the tanker,
which after careful checking reported that no leak
could be detected. The attack was a mistake and the
British have since apologized.
On the morning of July 10, the Swedish naval force
passed into Swedish territorial waters. At 17:00 the
destroyers were moored at the naval base Nya
Varvet in Gothenburg where they were received by
the Chief of Navy, Vice-Admiral Fabian Tamm.
The image shows the destroyers after they arrive in
Gothenburg. From left: HMS Remus, Romulus,
Psilander, and Puke (with damaged bow) at Nya
Varvet in Gothenburg after their return on July 10,
1940. The Swedish three-tailed naval ensign is in the
foreground. Image: Maritime Museum, ID: Fo54812A.
Aftermath:
After arriving in Gothenburg, at the initiative of the
Chief of Navy, a preliminary hearing was held with
Commander Hagman at the field court martial of
the West Coast Naval District. When asked by the
interrogator whether Hagman felt that he had upheld
"the reputation of the Swedish Navy and the honor of
the Swedish flag", he replied that he felt he had acted
correctly in the situation at hand, regardless of
regulations and instructions.
After the field court martial met again on August 6,
1940, it was concluded that Hagman's actions would
not lead to responsibility or liability and that the case
would not proceed to trial, i.e. Hagman was found
neither guilty nor innocent.
At the meeting, the prosecutor asked whether it
might have been appropriate to let the British fire a
shot or two, and only then decide whether the
destroyers should be handed over.
Commander Hagman replied that he would inevitably
have had to respond to the fire, thereby jeopardizing
compensation claims. According to Hagman, it was
extremely important that not a single shot was fired.
Although Swedish Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson
personally informed Hagman that he had his support
for his actions, Hagman was never formally
vindicated, as he was not publicly exonerated in
court. He was regarded by many as a traitor who
surrendered his ships without a fight.
On August 22, 1940, the day after the Field Court
Martial concluded its preliminary investigation, the
Chief of the Coastal Fleet, Rear Admiral Gösta
Ehrensvärd, issued a secret order: 'I forbid any officer
under my command to surrender his ships to a foreign
power, for whatever reason. Fidelity to the flag is most
important of all.".
In the press debate that broke out in connection with
the court martial verdict, most newspapers
supported Hagman's actions. One comment was that
“military service must not make the use of the brain
superfluous”.
On the British side, several representatives have
subsequently expressed regret for the action of
seizing the destroyers, which was called "a dirty trick"
initiated by the Secret Service.
A senior civilian official in the Admiralty told then
Rear Admiral Stig H:son Ericson that the British action
could only be explained by the nervous state the
British were in, and that the Admiralty had made a
very regrettable blunder.
Prime Minister Churchill also later acknowledged to
Swedish Ambassador Prytz in London that Hagman
had handled "the difficult and embarrassing affair"
admirably, and that "he saved both countries much
trouble".
In 1990, In the preface to the commemorative
publication for the 50th anniversary of the Italian
expedition, the then Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Bengt
Schuback, praised Commander Hagman's actions and
gave him a posthumous redress.
Naval officer Torsten Hagman
(1893-1968) ended his active career
in 1953, then head of the
Stockholm Naval Station with the
rank of Navy Captain (the rank is
equal to the army rank of Colonel).
The image to the right shows
Commander Torsten Hagman.
Image: Sjöhistoriska museet, ID:
Fo145674.
