Finnish Navy
Encyclopedia
The Finnish Navy is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces
. The Navy
employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscript
s are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix
"FNS" simply short for "Finnish Navy Ship". Prefix is not used while conversing in Finnish language.
As a term "Finnish Navy" is a bit misleading since it refers to Finnish Naval fleet, but there are also coastal forces (including coastal artillery), which are in fact capable of releasing more firepower than the naval fleet, and in time of war naval ships are dependent on supply and cover provided by the coastal forces.
of the Navy is Rear Admiral
Veli-Jukka Pennala. The navy is organized into two naval commands. The navy also includes the Nyland brigad, where coastal jaeger
s are trained. The Nyland brigad is also the only Swedish
language unit in the country and it carries the tradition and battle-honours of the Nyland Regiment from the Swedish Army.
Total of 31,500 personnel
).
During the Russian rule (1809–1917) an entirely Finnish Navy unit, Suomen Meriekipaasi, was
defending the country alongside the Baltic Fleet
of the Imperial Russian Navy
. Meriekipaasi participated the Crimean War
, albeit mostly on-shore duties. Meriekipaasi manned the coastal batteries
in Santahamina
Island during the siege of Fortress Viapori in Helsinki. The ships ekipaasi had included steam frigates Rurik
and Kalevala, named after the Finnish national epic (later serving Russian Pacific Fleet).
. These included various ships the withdrawing Russians had not been able to transfer to Kronstadt as the ships had been too weak hulled or not seaworthy enough to endure the voyage
. Finnish Navy started with several gunboats (Klas Horn
, Matti Kurki
, Turunmaa, and Karjala), 6 S-class torpedo boats, 8 C-class torpedo boats, 1 minelayer (Louhi
), several minesweepers, and 5 T-class minelaying boats. In addition to warships Finns got several other vessels the Russians left behind.
In addition Germans gave in two netlayers (Hämeenmaa and Uusimaa) for the Finnish Navy which formed the core of the Finnish Navy until the coastal defense ships were commissioned. With Treaty of Tartu
Finns had to return some of the equipment they had commandeered earlier. This equipment included 3 S-class torpedo boats (S3, S4 and S6), minesweepers Altair, Mikula, MP 7, MP 11, Ahvola, T 12, fifteen tugs, 4 small transports and 54 motorboats. Finns lost 3 more ships, torpedo boats C 1, C2 and C3, when on British admirals' insistence the weak hulled Finnish ships had to stay at Beryozovye Islands
support of the British operations against Soviets until sea had frozen. Last remaining C-class torpedo boat was placed in reserve after this incident.
After years of wrangling with various plans for how to build navy, and due to the loss of torpedo boat S2
in heavy seas in October 1925, in 1927 the Parliament of Finland
approved a plan to build two coastal defence ship
s (Panssarilaiva in Finnish) and four submarine
s. Motor torpedo boats were also acquired both from Britain
as well as from domestic sources. New minesweepers were also constructed. Also a training ship Suomen Joutsen
was acquired.
was limited. Some of the planned ships had not yet been constructed and wartime constraints on the economy prolonged ship building times.
On the Baltic Sea Finnish Navy had:
On lake Ladoga Finns had:
The navy also had several auxiliary warship
s, ice-breakers and patrol boats from the Coast Guard.
broke out the Finnish Navy moved to occupy the de-militarized Åland Islands
and to protect merchant shipping. In the first month of the war battles between Soviet ships and Finnish coastal batteries were fought at Hanko, Finland
, Utö
and Koivisto
. In Koivisto as well as at Hanko the batteries forced Soviet battleships to retire with damage. Finnish efforts to use submarines (Vesikko and Saukko) to sink the bombarding capital ships however failed. In December 1939 the ice became so thick that only the ice-breakers could still move. The two coastal defence ships were moved to the harbour in Turku
where they were used to stiffen the air-defences of the city. They remained there for the rest of the war.
five more torpedo boats were ordered from Italy
. The base that the Soviets had acquired in the Winter War at Hanko Peninsula
divided the areas where the Finnish Navy would operate in two with its accompanying coastal artillery positions in both islands of Russarö
and Osmussaar
guarding the minefields blocking the entrance to the Eastern Gulf of Finland
. Large mine fields were laid down in cooperation with the German
Kriegsmarine
when the war began. The coastal defence ships bombarded the Soviet base at Hanko until the Soviets evacuated Hanko
in December 1941.
Between 1941–1945 some 69,779 mines and mine sweeping obstacles were laid in the Gulf of Finland
by Finnish, Soviet and German naval forces. The Soviet Navy laid 16,179 mines and 2,441 mine sweeping obstacles, the Finnish navy 6,382 mines, and the German navy's vessels, submarines and aircraft laid some 45,000 mines, of which 3,000 were magnetic mines. The last mine sweeping season was held in 1957, but the mine danger continued for some 10 more years, and there are still mines there. The greatest loss of the Finnish Navy occurred on September 13, 1941 when the Ilmarinen ran into a mine and sank. 271 sailors lost their lives and only 132 were rescued. Most of the survivors later served in the Lake Onega flotilla, using old captured ships, including a steam engined paddlewheeler.
In 1942 the main focus of the war at sea was on the anti-submarine warfare as Finnish and German naval forces struggled against over 30 Soviet submarines that tried to attack shipping in the Baltic Sea as the German mine barrier had proven to be insufficient to completely stop Soviet submarines. The Soviet subs sank 18 ships, seven of which were Finnish. 12 Soviet submarines were also sunk three of which by Finnish submarines. Taking heed what happened in 1942 the Germans decided to follow on Finnish advice of laying anti-submarine nets between Naissaar
and Porkkala
immediately after waters came freed from ice. That barrier with its accompanying minefields effectively contained Soviet naval vessels to Easterns Gulf of Finland until autumn 1944 when Soviets were able to use Finnish coastal seeways to circumvent the barrier.
In Spring 1942 Finnish forces captured
the island of Gogland. In July 1942 the Soviets made an attempt to occupy the small island of Sommers
in the Gulf of Finland
. The Soviets lost several smaller vessels (patrol and torpedo boats) together with 128 men. 102 Soviet soldiers were taken prisoner. During 1943 the navy received 14 new torpedo boats which were used to replace the old pre-war ones.
In 1944 the Soviets launched a major offensive against Finland
, during which the navy fought in support of Finnish land forces the Gulf of Vyborg. In the end the ships were forced to pull out.
, but the Germans also tried to capture Suursaari
(Operation Tanne Ost
). The attack was repulsed. During the battle, Finnish motor torpedo boats sank several German vessels.
The last action of the Finnish Navy was during the amphibious landing of troops from Oulu
in Tornio
. The Finnish gunboats successfully shelled German batteries, which had posed serious threat for the landingships, while their anti-aircraft batteries defended the convoy from German air attacks. The navy also hunted German U-boats in the Baltic, laying its last mines of the war while doing this.
After the Armistice the navy started very high demanding mine clearance operation, which lasted until 1950. Especially the Gulf of Finland had been extensively mined. The result were high casualties among the clearance crews.
(Matti Kurki
), two Dark class fast patrol boats
(Vasama 1 and Vasama 2) and four BYMS class minesweeper
s were bought from the UK, two Riga class frigates
(Hämeenmaa
and Uusimaa
) and four Osa II class
fast attack craft (Tuima class missile boats
) from the Soviet Union. Some of the vessels, such as two Turunmaa class gunboats
(Turunmaa and Karjala) and serie of Nuoli class fast attack crafts, were produced domestically.
The Paris peace talks in 1947 resulted in a treaty that limited the offensive capability of the Finnish military. For the navy, this meant a limitation to a fleet of no more than 10,000 tons and 4,500 men. As for the weaponry, torpedoes, submarines, mines and missiles were forbidden. The restrictions were eased in the 1960s and missiles and mines were allowed. The torpedo restriction was not either fully exercised as the Riga class frigates were equipped with torpedoes and a number of torpedo boats were manufactured as gunboats that could quickly be converted to carry torpedoes.
The cold-war limitations are no longer in place (they were nullified with the breakup of the Soviet Union), but the size of the navy is still roughly the same.
In the late 1990s, the Finnish Navy was developing a new missile squadron called Laivue 2000 (Squadron 2000). At first it was supposed to consist of two Hamina class missile boats (already built at this date) and four Tuuli class
hovercraft
. The Navy experimented with one prototype hovercraft, but announced in 2003 that the Tuuli class would not enter active operations and that no more of them would be built. Instead two new Hamina class missile boats were built, and the extra weaponry from the hovercrafts were installed on the Hämeenmaa class minelayers.
The cable layer Putsaari and pollution control vessel Hylje were replaced in 2011 by a new multipurpose vessel built by Uudenkaupungin Työvene shipyard. The new icebreaking
oil spill response vessel was named Louhi
on 8 March 2011.
Patrol/ASW
Mine Warfare
Next generation's surface combatant, bigger than the current missile boats and more capable for international co-operation, is in pre-development stage. The new class of multi-purpose naval vessels, dubbed MTA 2020 in the preliminary papers, is intended to replace Hämeenmaa and Pohjanmaa class minelayers and Rauma class missile boats as they are retired.
s. The towed guns are being phased out as obsolete and all artillery-based coastal defences are to be retired within a near future.
The Euro-Spike coastal missile system was taken into use in 2005 at the Uusimaa Brigade and the older truck-mounted RBS-15 missiles have been complemented with new, upgraded RBS-15 Mk.3 (known as MTO-85M).
Finnish Defence Forces
The Finnish Defence Forces are responsible for the defence of Finland. It is a cadre army of 15,000, of which 8,900 are professional soldiers , extended with conscripts and reservists such that the standard readiness strength is 34,700 people in uniform...
. The Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscript
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
s are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix
Ship prefix
A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship.Prefixes for civilian vessels may either identify the type of propulsion, such as "SS" for steamship, or purpose, such as "RV" for research vessel. Civilian prefixes are often...
"FNS" simply short for "Finnish Navy Ship". Prefix is not used while conversing in Finnish language.
As a term "Finnish Navy" is a bit misleading since it refers to Finnish Naval fleet, but there are also coastal forces (including coastal artillery), which are in fact capable of releasing more firepower than the naval fleet, and in time of war naval ships are dependent on supply and cover provided by the coastal forces.
Organization
The current Commander-in-ChiefCommander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the Navy is Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Veli-Jukka Pennala. The navy is organized into two naval commands. The navy also includes the Nyland brigad, where coastal jaeger
Finnish Jäger troops
The Jäger Movement were volunteers from Finland trained in Germany as Jägers during World War I. Supported by Germany to enable a Finnish sovereign state, it was one of many means by which Germany intended to weaken Russia and to cause Russia's loss of western provinces and...
s are trained. The Nyland brigad is also the only Swedish
Finland-Swedish
Finland Swedish is a general term for the closely related cluster of dialects of Swedish spoken in Finland by Swedish-speaking Finns as their mother tongue...
language unit in the country and it carries the tradition and battle-honours of the Nyland Regiment from the Swedish Army.
Locations
- Naval Headquarters: (HeikkiläPihlajaniemiPihlajaniemi is a district of the city of Turku, in Finland. It is located to the south of the city centre, on the coastline of the Archipelago Sea. Pihlajaniemi shares the new luxurious residential development of Majakkaranta with the neighbouring district of Korppolaismäki...
, TurkuTurkuTurku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
) - Naval Academy: (SuomenlinnaSuomenlinnaSuomenlinna, until 1918 Viapori , or Sveaborg , is an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands , and which now forms part of the city of Helsinki, the capital of Finland.Suomenlinna is a UNESCO World Heritage site and popular with both tourists and locals, who...
, HelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
) - Naval Depot: PansioPansioPansio is a district and a suburb of the city of Turku, Finland. It is located in the western part of the city. It has a population of 2,809 , and an annual population growth of -3.83%....
and KimitoKimitoKimito is a former municipality of Finland. On January 1, 2009, it was consolidated with Dragsfjärd and Västanfjärd to form the new municipality of Kimitoön... - Naval Research Depot: EspooEspooEspoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland. The population of the city of Espoo is . It is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. Espoo shares its eastern border with Helsinki and Vantaa, while enclosing Kauniainen....
Bases
- Gulf of Finland Naval CommandGulf of Finland Naval CommandGulf of Finland Naval Command is a Finnish Navy unit headquartered in Upinniemi, Kirkkonummi.The main duty of the Gulf of Finland Naval Command during normal condition is the surveillance of Finnish territorial waters and maintaining territorial integrity. In addition, the Command trains...
: (UpinniemiUpinniemiUpinniemi is a village in the municipality of Kirkkonummi in southern Finland. It is located approximately 12 km south of the municipal centre....
, KirkkonummiKirkkonummiKirkkonummi is a municipality of inhabitants in southern Finland. The literal meaning of the words "Kirkkonummi" and "Kyrkslätt" in English is "church moor"....
) - Archipelago Sea Naval CommandArchipelago Sea Naval CommandArchipelago Sea Naval Command is a Finnish Navy unit headquartered in Pansio, Turku. Its main operating area is the Archipelago Sea. Archipelago Sea Naval Command was formed in 1998 by combining the Archipelago Sea Fleet and Turku Coastal Regiment....
: (PansioPansioPansio is a district and a suburb of the city of Turku, Finland. It is located in the western part of the city. It has a population of 2,809 , and an annual population growth of -3.83%....
, TurkuTurkuTurku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
) - Uusimaa Brigade: (Dragsvik, Ekenäs)
Mobilization Strength
- 2 Fast Attack Craft squadrons
- 3 Mine Countermeasures squadrons
- 2 Minelayers
- 3 Auxiliary Minelayers
- 2 Patrol Crafts
- 2 Coastal Jaeger Battalions
- 6 Coastal Jaeger Companies
- 2 Coastal Missile Companies
- 4 Anti-Ship missile Batteries
- 4 Fixed coastal artillery units
- 12 Mobile coastal artillery units
Total of 31,500 personnel
History
During the Swedish era, the Finnish Gulf saw many battles between the Swedish and Russian fleets. Many of the Swedish naval bases were located in present-day Finland and many sailors came from Finland (see Archipelago FleetArchipelago fleet
The archipelago fleet , officially the fleet of the army , was a branch of the armed services of Sweden between 1756 and 1823. Its purpose was to protect the coasts of Sweden, which was surrounded by a natural barrier of archipelagoes...
).
defending the country alongside the Baltic Fleet
Baltic Fleet
The Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet - is the Russian Navy's presence in the Baltic Sea. In previous historical periods, it has been part of the navy of Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union. The Fleet gained the 'Twice Red Banner' appellation during the Soviet period, indicating two awards of...
of the Imperial Russian Navy
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...
. Meriekipaasi participated the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, albeit mostly on-shore duties. Meriekipaasi manned the coastal batteries
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
in Santahamina
Santahamina
Santahamina is an island and neighbourhood of Eastern Helsinki, Finland. At present it is a military base housing the Guard Jaeger Regiment, making access restricted...
Island during the siege of Fortress Viapori in Helsinki. The ships ekipaasi had included steam frigates Rurik
Russian frigate Rurik (1851)
The Rurik was a steam-powered frigate of the Imperial Russian Navy. She was ordered by the Senate of the Grand Duchy of Finland for the Finnish naval equipage . She was named in honour of Rurik, the semi-legendary founder of ancient Russia.Rurik was designed by Johan Eberhard von Schantz...
and Kalevala, named after the Finnish national epic (later serving Russian Pacific Fleet).
Independent Finland
The first ships of the independent Finnish Navy were old ships left behind by the Russians during the Finnish Civil WarFinnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War was a part of the national, political and social turmoil caused by World War I in Europe. The Civil War concerned control and leadership of The Grand Duchy of Finland as it achieved independence from Russia after the October Revolution in Petrograd...
. These included various ships the withdrawing Russians had not been able to transfer to Kronstadt as the ships had been too weak hulled or not seaworthy enough to endure the voyage
Ice Cruise of the Baltic Fleet
Ice Cruise of the Baltic Fleet was an operation which transferred the ships of the Baltic Fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy from their bases at Tallinn and Helsinki to Kronstadt in 1918, caused by the possible threat to those bases from the final German offensives against Russia during World War...
. Finnish Navy started with several gunboats (Klas Horn
Finnish gunboat Klas Horn
Klas Horn was the flagship and an escort ship for the Russian Czar's yacht. Posadnik was built in Prussia in 1892 for the Montenegrin king Nicholas I. The ship was purchased by the Russian Czar after Nicholas' money ran out. After the Russian revolution, the ship was taken over by the Finnish Navy...
, Matti Kurki
Finnish gunboat Matti Kurki
Matti Kurki was an escort ship for the Russian Imperial Yacht. Voivoda was built in Prussia in 1892 for the Montenegrin king Nicholas I. The ship was purchased by the Russian Czar after Nicholas' money ran out. After the Russian revolution, the ship was taken over by the Finnish Navy and renamed...
, Turunmaa, and Karjala), 6 S-class torpedo boats, 8 C-class torpedo boats, 1 minelayer (Louhi
Finnish minelayer Louhi
Louhi was originally constructed for the Imperial Russian Navy as Voin the Louhi was known in Finnish service as M-1 until 1936. The ship was built as a minelayer but was not particularly good in it with its slow speed, bad seakeeping qualities and poor storage space...
), several minesweepers, and 5 T-class minelaying boats. In addition to warships Finns got several other vessels the Russians left behind.
In addition Germans gave in two netlayers (Hämeenmaa and Uusimaa) for the Finnish Navy which formed the core of the Finnish Navy until the coastal defense ships were commissioned. With Treaty of Tartu
Treaty of Tartu (Russian–Finnish)
The Treaty of Tartu between Finland and Soviet Russia was signed on 14 October 1920 after negotiations that lasted for four months. The treaty confirmed the border between Finland and Soviet Russia after the Finnish civil war and Finnish volunteer expeditions in Russian East Karelia. Ratifications...
Finns had to return some of the equipment they had commandeered earlier. This equipment included 3 S-class torpedo boats (S3, S4 and S6), minesweepers Altair, Mikula, MP 7, MP 11, Ahvola, T 12, fifteen tugs, 4 small transports and 54 motorboats. Finns lost 3 more ships, torpedo boats C 1, C2 and C3, when on British admirals' insistence the weak hulled Finnish ships had to stay at Beryozovye Islands
Beryozovye Islands
Beryozovye Islands , alternatively spelled Berezovye Islands, is an island group in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. The islands are situated at the bottom of the Gulf of Finland, just outside the town of Primorsk on the Karelian Isthmus....
support of the British operations against Soviets until sea had frozen. Last remaining C-class torpedo boat was placed in reserve after this incident.
After years of wrangling with various plans for how to build navy, and due to the loss of torpedo boat S2
Finnish torpedo boat S2
S2 was a Finnish Sokol class torpedo boat that had been seized from the Russians after the Finnish Civil War 1918. It sank during a fierce storm on October 4, 1925, taking with her the whole crew of 53.-Background:Between 1900 and 1908, the Russians built 25 Sokol class torpedo boats for the...
in heavy seas in October 1925, in 1927 the Parliament of Finland
Parliament of Finland
The Eduskunta , is the parliament of Finland. The unicameral parliament has 200 members and meets in the Parliament House in Helsinki. The latest election to the parliament took place on April 17, 2011.- Constitution :...
approved a plan to build two coastal defence ship
Coastal defence ship
Coastal defence ships were warships built for the purpose of coastal defence, mostly during the period from 1860 to 1920. They were small, often cruiser-sized warships that sacrificed speed and range for armour and armament...
s (Panssarilaiva in Finnish) and four submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s. Motor torpedo boats were also acquired both from Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as well as from domestic sources. New minesweepers were also constructed. Also a training ship Suomen Joutsen
Suomen Joutsen
Suomen Joutsen is a three-mast, steel hull, full rigged ship. She was built in 1902 in St. Nazaire, France to serve in the trade between Atlantic and Pacific ports. In 1930, she was bought by the Government of Finland to serve as a Finnish Navy training ship. Before World War II she made eight...
was acquired.
World War II
Finnish Naval strength at the begin of the World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was limited. Some of the planned ships had not yet been constructed and wartime constraints on the economy prolonged ship building times.
On the Baltic Sea Finnish Navy had:
- 2 coastal defence ships (Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen)
- 5 submarines (Vesihiisi, Iku-Turso, Vetehinen, Vesikko and Saukko)
- 4 gunboats (Turunmaa, Karjala, Uusimaa and Hämeenmaa)
- 7 motor torpedo boats (2 , 1 , 4 )
- 1 minelayer (LouhiFinnish minelayer LouhiLouhi was originally constructed for the Imperial Russian Navy as Voin the Louhi was known in Finnish service as M-1 until 1936. The ship was built as a minelayer but was not particularly good in it with its slow speed, bad seakeeping qualities and poor storage space...
) - 8 minesweepers (6 , 2 )
- 1 training ship Suomen JoutsenSuomen JoutsenSuomen Joutsen is a three-mast, steel hull, full rigged ship. She was built in 1902 in St. Nazaire, France to serve in the trade between Atlantic and Pacific ports. In 1930, she was bought by the Government of Finland to serve as a Finnish Navy training ship. Before World War II she made eight...
On lake Ladoga Finns had:
- 1 icebreaker (Aallokas)
- 1 gunboat (Aunus)
- 1 minelayer (Yrjö)
- 1 tug (Vakava)
- 2 motor boats (S 1 and N. K. af Klercker)
The navy also had several auxiliary warship
Armed merchantmen
Armed merchantman is a term that has come to mean a merchant ship equipped with guns, usually for defensive purposes, either by design or after the fact. In the days of sail, piracy and privateers, many merchantmen would be routinely armed, especially those engaging in long distance and high value...
s, ice-breakers and patrol boats from the Coast Guard.
Winter War
When the Winter WarWinter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
broke out the Finnish Navy moved to occupy the de-militarized Åland Islands
Åland Islands
The Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland...
and to protect merchant shipping. In the first month of the war battles between Soviet ships and Finnish coastal batteries were fought at Hanko, Finland
Hanko, Finland
Hanko , is a bilingual port town and municipality on the south coast of Finland, west of Helsinki. Its current population is , with a majority being Finnish speakers and a strong minority being Swedish speakers.-Politics:...
, Utö
Utö, Finland
Utö is a small island in the Archipelago Sea in the Baltic sea and belongs to Väståboland municipality. It is the southernmost year-round inhabited island in Finland. On the island there's a lighthouse, pilot station, a small guest harbour, a shop and a post office. Due to the remoteness of the...
and Koivisto
Koivisto
Koivisto has many meanings.Persons named Koivisto:* Anu Koivisto, Finnish backstroke swimmer* Mauno Koivisto, Finnish president, Ph.D.* Jussi V. Koivisto, Finnish economist, Ph.D.* Tom Koivisto, Finnish ice hockey player...
. In Koivisto as well as at Hanko the batteries forced Soviet battleships to retire with damage. Finnish efforts to use submarines (Vesikko and Saukko) to sink the bombarding capital ships however failed. In December 1939 the ice became so thick that only the ice-breakers could still move. The two coastal defence ships were moved to the harbour in Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
where they were used to stiffen the air-defences of the city. They remained there for the rest of the war.
Continuation War
Before the Continuation WarContinuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
five more torpedo boats were ordered from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The base that the Soviets had acquired in the Winter War at Hanko Peninsula
Hanko Peninsula
The Hanko Peninsula , also spelled Hango, is the southernmost point of mainland Finland. The soil is a sandy moraine, the last tip of the Salpausselkä ridge, and vegetation consists mainly of pine and low shrubs...
divided the areas where the Finnish Navy would operate in two with its accompanying coastal artillery positions in both islands of Russarö
Russarö
Russarö is an island south of Hanko. The island is closed to the public as it is military area of the Finnish Defence Forces. The island has a five-story stone lighthouse built in 1863 and a Finnish Meteorological Institute weather station.- External links :...
and Osmussaar
Osmussaar
Osmussaar is an Estonian island situated in the mouth of the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea, 7.5 km off the Estonian mainland. Administratively the island is part of Noarootsi Parish in Lääne County. Its area is ....
guarding the minefields blocking the entrance to the Eastern Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
. Large mine fields were laid down in cooperation with the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
when the war began. The coastal defence ships bombarded the Soviet base at Hanko until the Soviets evacuated Hanko
Battle of Hanko (1941)
The Battle of Hanko was a lengthy series of small battles fought on Hanko Peninsula during the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union in the second half of 1941...
in December 1941.
Between 1941–1945 some 69,779 mines and mine sweeping obstacles were laid in the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
by Finnish, Soviet and German naval forces. The Soviet Navy laid 16,179 mines and 2,441 mine sweeping obstacles, the Finnish navy 6,382 mines, and the German navy's vessels, submarines and aircraft laid some 45,000 mines, of which 3,000 were magnetic mines. The last mine sweeping season was held in 1957, but the mine danger continued for some 10 more years, and there are still mines there. The greatest loss of the Finnish Navy occurred on September 13, 1941 when the Ilmarinen ran into a mine and sank. 271 sailors lost their lives and only 132 were rescued. Most of the survivors later served in the Lake Onega flotilla, using old captured ships, including a steam engined paddlewheeler.
In 1942 the main focus of the war at sea was on the anti-submarine warfare as Finnish and German naval forces struggled against over 30 Soviet submarines that tried to attack shipping in the Baltic Sea as the German mine barrier had proven to be insufficient to completely stop Soviet submarines. The Soviet subs sank 18 ships, seven of which were Finnish. 12 Soviet submarines were also sunk three of which by Finnish submarines. Taking heed what happened in 1942 the Germans decided to follow on Finnish advice of laying anti-submarine nets between Naissaar
Naissaar
Naissaar is an island northwest of Tallinn in Estonia. The island covers an area of 18.6 km². It is 13-14 km long and 6 km wide, and lies about 8.5 km from the mainland. The highest point on the island is Kunilamägi, which is 27 meters above sea-level. The island consists predominantly of...
and Porkkala
Porkkala
Porkkala is a peninsula in the Gulf of Finland located at Kirkkonummi in Southern Finland.The peninsula had great strategic value, as coastal artillery based there would be able to reach more than halfway across the Gulf of Finland...
immediately after waters came freed from ice. That barrier with its accompanying minefields effectively contained Soviet naval vessels to Easterns Gulf of Finland until autumn 1944 when Soviets were able to use Finnish coastal seeways to circumvent the barrier.
In Spring 1942 Finnish forces captured
Battle of Suursaari
The Battle of Suursaari was fought over the frozen Gulf of Finland on and around the islands of Gogland and Bolshoy Tyuters . After sharp fighting the numerically superior Finnish forces captured Gogland and Bolshoy Tyuters, and later provided support for German forces defending Bolshoy Tyuters...
the island of Gogland. In July 1942 the Soviets made an attempt to occupy the small island of Sommers
Sommers
Sommers is an islet and a lighthouse in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, and arm of the Baltic Sea, just outside the Gulf of Vyborg, about 19 kilometres south of Virolahti, Finland, but it is now possessed by Russia....
in the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
. The Soviets lost several smaller vessels (patrol and torpedo boats) together with 128 men. 102 Soviet soldiers were taken prisoner. During 1943 the navy received 14 new torpedo boats which were used to replace the old pre-war ones.
In 1944 the Soviets launched a major offensive against Finland
Fourth strategic offensive
The Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive or Karelian offensive was a strategic operation by the Soviet Leningrad and Karelian Fronts against Finland on the Karelian Isthmus and East Karelia fronts of the Continuation War, on the Eastern Front of World War II. The Soviet forces captured East Karelia and...
, during which the navy fought in support of Finnish land forces the Gulf of Vyborg. In the end the ships were forced to pull out.
Lapland War
On September, 1944 the operations against Germany started. The main focus was in the north, the Lapland WarLapland War
The Lapland War were the hostilities between Finland and Nazi Germany between September 1944 and April 1945, fought in Finland's northernmost Lapland Province. While the Finns saw this as a separate conflict much like the Continuation War, German forces considered their actions to be part of the...
, but the Germans also tried to capture Suursaari
Battle of Suursaari
The Battle of Suursaari was fought over the frozen Gulf of Finland on and around the islands of Gogland and Bolshoy Tyuters . After sharp fighting the numerically superior Finnish forces captured Gogland and Bolshoy Tyuters, and later provided support for German forces defending Bolshoy Tyuters...
(Operation Tanne Ost
Tanne Ost
Operation Tanne Ost was a German operation during World War II to capture the island Suursaari in the Gulf of Finland before it could fall into Soviet hands...
). The attack was repulsed. During the battle, Finnish motor torpedo boats sank several German vessels.
The last action of the Finnish Navy was during the amphibious landing of troops from Oulu
Oulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
in Tornio
Tornio
Tornio is a town and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. The population density is , with a total population of . It borders to the Swedish municipality of Haparanda...
. The Finnish gunboats successfully shelled German batteries, which had posed serious threat for the landingships, while their anti-aircraft batteries defended the convoy from German air attacks. The navy also hunted German U-boats in the Baltic, laying its last mines of the war while doing this.
After the Armistice the navy started very high demanding mine clearance operation, which lasted until 1950. Especially the Gulf of Finland had been extensively mined. The result were high casualties among the clearance crews.
The Cold War era
The war time fleet was replaced in the 1950s and 1960s. Due to the Finland's neutrality she tried to balance her new purchase of equipment between the two blocs and also produce its own ships. A Bay class frigateBay class frigate
The Bay class was a class of 26 anti-aircraft frigates built for the Royal Navy under the 1943 War Emergency Programme during World War II...
(Matti Kurki
HMS Porlock Bay (K650)
HMS Porlock Bay was a Bay-class anti-aircraft frigate of the British Royal Navy, named for Porlock Bay on the northern coast of Somerset. Commissioned in 1946, she served on the American and West Indies Station and as a Fisheries Protection Vessel before being put into reserve in 1949...
), two Dark class fast patrol boats
Dark class fast patrol boat
The Dark class, or Admiralty "Type A", were a class of eighteen fast patrol boats that served with the United Kingdom's Royal Navy starting in 1954. All were named with a prefix of 'Dark'. The class could be fitted as either motor gun boats or motor torpedo boats, depending on the type of armament...
(Vasama 1 and Vasama 2) and four BYMS class minesweeper
BYMS class minesweeper
The BYMS class was a class of wooden motor minesweepers, part of the US Navy YMS Yard class minesweepers. 150 ships destined for UK were launched from 1941 to 1943....
s were bought from the UK, two Riga class frigates
Riga class frigate
The Riga class was the NATO reporting name for class of frigates built for the Soviet Navy in the 1950s. The Soviet designation for these ships was Storozhevoi Korabl Project 50 Gornostay . The Riga class were analogous to World War II era destroyer escorts.-Design:These ships were a smaller and...
(Hämeenmaa
Finnish frigate Hämeenmaa
Hämeenmaa was a Finnish . The class was called the Hämeenmaa-class in Finland since the ship had some unique modifications . The two 37 mm twin guns were also replaced with two 40 mm single AA guns in 1975....
and Uusimaa
Finnish frigate Uusimaa
Uusimaa was a Finnish . However the class was called the Uusimaa-class in Finland since the ship had some unique modifications ....
) and four Osa II class
Osa class missile boat
The Project 205 Tsunami, more commonly known by their NATO reporting name Osa, are a class of missile boats developed for the Soviet Navy in the early 1960s. The Osas are probably the most numerous class of missile boats ever built, with over 400 vessels constructed for both the Soviet Navy and for...
fast attack craft (Tuima class missile boats
Tuima class missile boat
The Tuima class missile boat was a class of fast attack craft in use by the Finnish Navy.The vessels were constructed in the Soviet Union and purchased by the Finnish Navy between 1974 and 1975...
) from the Soviet Union. Some of the vessels, such as two Turunmaa class gunboats
Turunmaa class gunboat
The Turunmaa class fast gunboats was a type of vessel, previously operated by the Finnish Navy in the ASW and trade protection roles. Internationally they were labeled as corvettes.-History:...
(Turunmaa and Karjala) and serie of Nuoli class fast attack crafts, were produced domestically.
The Paris peace talks in 1947 resulted in a treaty that limited the offensive capability of the Finnish military. For the navy, this meant a limitation to a fleet of no more than 10,000 tons and 4,500 men. As for the weaponry, torpedoes, submarines, mines and missiles were forbidden. The restrictions were eased in the 1960s and missiles and mines were allowed. The torpedo restriction was not either fully exercised as the Riga class frigates were equipped with torpedoes and a number of torpedo boats were manufactured as gunboats that could quickly be converted to carry torpedoes.
The cold-war limitations are no longer in place (they were nullified with the breakup of the Soviet Union), but the size of the navy is still roughly the same.
Modern times
In the late 1990s, the Finnish Navy was developing a new missile squadron called Laivue 2000 (Squadron 2000). At first it was supposed to consist of two Hamina class missile boats (already built at this date) and four Tuuli class
Tuuli class hovercraft
The Tuuli class combat hovercraft is a type of vessel designed for the Finnish Navy.The Tuuli class was also previously known as the T-2000 class. It takes its name from the decommissioned Tuima class FNS Tuuli missile boat...
hovercraft
Hovercraft
A hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
. The Navy experimented with one prototype hovercraft, but announced in 2003 that the Tuuli class would not enter active operations and that no more of them would be built. Instead two new Hamina class missile boats were built, and the extra weaponry from the hovercrafts were installed on the Hämeenmaa class minelayers.
The cable layer Putsaari and pollution control vessel Hylje were replaced in 2011 by a new multipurpose vessel built by Uudenkaupungin Työvene shipyard. The new icebreaking
Icebreaker
An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels .For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most...
oil spill response vessel was named Louhi
Louhi (2011)
Louhi is a Finnish multipurpose oil and chemical spill response vessel owned by the Finnish Environment Institute , but manned and operated by the Finnish Navy...
on 8 March 2011.
Equipment
Vessels
Fast Attack Craft- 4 Hamina classHamina class missile boatThe Hamina class missile boat is a 4-strong class of fast attack craft of the Finnish Navy. Technically they are classified as "missile fast attack craft", ohjusvene, literally "missile boat" in Finnish.-History:...
fast attack craft - 4 Rauma classRauma class missile boatThe Rauma class missile boats are a type of vessels in use by the Finnish Navy.It is the predecessor of the Hamina class missile boats. The ships were constructed at the Hollming yards and Finnyards in Rauma, Finland...
fast attack craft
Patrol/ASW
- 2 Kiisla class patrol/ASW-ships (ex- Coast Guard patrolships)
Mine Warfare
- 2 Hämeenmaa classHämeenmaa class minelayerThe Hämeenmaa class minelayers is a two vessel strong class of minelayers, used by the Finnish Navy.The ships have a steel hull and alloy superstructure. The class has an ice operating classification of ICE-1A and can operate around the year...
minelayers/escort ships - 1 Pohjanmaa class minelayer/training ship
- 3 Pansio classPansio class minelayerThe Pansio class minelayers is a three-strong class of mine warfare vessels used by the Finnish Navy, built between 1991 and 1992. The vessels can also be used for transport or to supply the naval forts...
minelayers - 6 Kuha classKuha class minesweepers (1974)The Kuha class minesweepers is a series of six inshore minesweepers of the Finnish Navy. The ships were constructed in 1974-1975. All the vessels of the class were modified and modernized in the late 1990s. This included e.g. a lengthening of the hull....
minesweepers - 7 Kiiski classKiiski class minesweeperThe Kiiski class minesweepers are a series of seven small minesweepers of the Finnish Navy. The ships were constructed in 1975 and were modernized in the 1990s.-Vessels of the class:Kiiski 1 Kiiski 2 Kiiski 3 Kiiski 4 Kiiski 5...
minesweepers
Future vessels
As the Squadron 2000 is finished, the Navy has shifted its attention to mine prevention and will replace the old Kuha and Kiiski class minesweepers with three Katanpää class mine countermeasure vessels, previously known as the MCMV 2010 and MITO classes, that will be delivered in 2012 and reach operational readiness by 2015. The ships are being constructed by the Italian company Intermarine and the order is valued 244.8 M€.Next generation's surface combatant, bigger than the current missile boats and more capable for international co-operation, is in pre-development stage. The new class of multi-purpose naval vessels, dubbed MTA 2020 in the preliminary papers, is intended to replace Hämeenmaa and Pohjanmaa class minelayers and Rauma class missile boats as they are retired.
Coastal Forces
Coastal Forces include both the Coastal Infantry and Jaeger forces and the remnants of the coastal artillery units, which have moved from fixed and towed guns to truck-mounted and infantry-carried anti-ship missileAnti-ship missile
Anti-ship missiles are guided missiles that are designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea-skimming type, many use a combination of inertial guidance and radar homing...
s. The towed guns are being phased out as obsolete and all artillery-based coastal defences are to be retired within a near future.
- Spike-ER Coastal Missiles (Infantry carried)
- MTO-85M Anti-Ship Missiles, truck mounted (SAABSaabSaab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...
RBS-15SF) - Coastal artillery, both fixed (130 53 TK130 53 TK130 53 TK or 130 TK is a Finnish stationary, heavy artillery piece, manufactured by Tampella. The caliber is 130 mm. 130 53 TK is the main weapon of the Finnish coastal artillery....
and 100 56 TK) and mobile (130 K 54 and 130 K 90-60130 K 90-60The 130 K 90-60 is a Finnish towed 130 mm coastal artillery piece, manufactured in the 1980s by Vammas.-History:The development process for the 130 K 90-60 began in 1960 when the Finnish company Tampella presented their concept of a new 122 mm gun for the Finnish Army. This gun was called 122 K 60....
) - BOR-A 550BOR-A 550BOR-A 550 is a ground and coast surveillance radar, developed by Thales Group. The radar operates on the I band, it is also man-portable and can locate targets up to a distance of 40 km in a 360° sector. It has also proven useful to locate small and slow targets, like persons or rubber boats.The...
Ground and coastal Surveillance Radar (GSR)
The Euro-Spike coastal missile system was taken into use in 2005 at the Uusimaa Brigade and the older truck-mounted RBS-15 missiles have been complemented with new, upgraded RBS-15 Mk.3 (known as MTO-85M).