Finnish minelayer Riilahti
Encyclopedia
Riilahti was a Ruotsinsalmi class minelayer
Ruotsinsalmi class minelayer
The Ruotsinsalmi class minelayers were a two-strong class of minelayers in the Finnish Navy.Both ships were launched in 1940 and named after famous 18th century sea battles between Sweden and Russia.- New minelayers for the navy :...
of the Finnish Navy
Finnish Navy
The Finnish Navy is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS" simply short for "Finnish Navy Ship"...
. Riilahti was commissioned in 1940 and sunk in 1943. The vessel was named after the battle of Riilahti
Battle of Gangut
The Battle of Gangut took place on July 27Jul./ August 7, 1714Greg. during the Great Northern War , in the waters of Riilahti Bay, north of the Hanko Peninsula, near the site of the modern-day city of Hanko, Finland, between the Swedish Navy and Imperial Russian Navy...
, which was fought between Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in 1714.
New minelayers for the navy
Funding for two new minelayers had been secured as early as in 1937, but instead the money was used to refurbish the garrison at MäkiluotoMäkiluoto
Mäkiluoto is a Finnish island in the Gulf of Finland, just to the south of Porkkala peninsula. It is part of Kirkkonummi municipality. The whole island is an unmanned military installation and access for civilians is heavily restricted. A number of coastal artillery guns are emplaced...
. Riilahti was launched on December 14, 1940, three weeks after her sister ship Ruotsinsalmi
Finnish minelayer Ruotsinsalmi
Ruotsinsalmi was a minelayer of the Finnish Navy and the namesake of her class. Ruotsinsalmi was commissioned in 1940 and remained in service until 1975...
.
The ship had an extensively modified propulsion system and hull, compared to her sister vessel, and it took some time before the crew had figured out all the characteristics of the vessel.
Originally, the vessels were intended as escort minesweepers
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
for the Finnish navy's coastal defence ships Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen, and they were therefore designed with a draft of only 1.5 m. Riilahti was armed with one 75 mm gun, one Bofors 40 mm gun
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
s and two Madsen 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons. The vessel had three mine dropping rails, and could carry about 100 mines. The ship could also hunt submarines, and was equipped with sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
, depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
throwers and rails. The vessel was also strong enough to be ale to tow minesweeping equipment. She was equipped with smoke generators so she could protect itself, and other near-by vessels from the enemy.
Riilahti was commanded by kapteeniluutnantti Osmo Kivilinna during her entire career.
Riilahti during the Continuation War
Riilahti and Ruotsinsalmi began mining the Gulf of FinlandGulf 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...
on June 26, 1941, immediately after the outbreak of the Continuation War
Continuation 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...
. Riilahti launched almost 1,000 sea mines during 1941, most of them in the Juminda minefield.
In 1941, Riilahti managed to seize control of a Soviet barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
and participated in minesweeping operations south of the 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...
.
In the summer of 1942, Riilahti laid numerous mines near Hogland
Hogland
Gogland or Hogland is an island in the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, located some 180 km west of Saint Petersburg and 35 km away from the coast of Finland . The island is a part of the Leningrad Oblast, Russia. The area of Hogland Island is approximately...
.
Riilahti was sent as reinforcement to the island of Someri
Sõmeri
Sõmeri is an uninhabited island belonging to the country of Estonia.The island has an area of 41.3 ha....
on 8 July 1942, when the Russians tried to land and take the island. She was involved in artillery duels with ships from the Soviet Navy, gave fire support to the Finnish defenders on the island and fended of several air attacks. The vessel counted 56 aircraft attacking her, but she survived, thanks to the gallantry of her crew. The island was held by the Finnish defenders.
The Marshal of Finland, Mannerheim awarded the Mannerheim Cross
Mannerheim Cross
The Mannerheim Cross of Liberty is the highest Finnish military decoration. The medal was introduced after the Winter War and named after Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim...
to Osmo Kivilinna on 8 March 1943, citing the war record of the ship, whose characteristics still were not all known. The ship had also previously sunk the Soviet submarine Shch-406
Shchuka class submarine
The Shchuka class submarines , also referred to as Shch or SC class submarines were a medium-sized class of Soviet submarines, built in large numbers and used during World War II...
together with some German patrol vessels on 26 May 1943.
The last battle
On August 22, 1943 at 5.30 am, Riilahti set out from LoviisaLoviisa
Loviisa is a municipality and town of inhabitants on the southern coast of Finland. About 43 per cent of the population is Swedish-speaking.The municipality covers an area of of which is water...
on an anti-submarine mission west of Hogland
Hogland
Gogland or Hogland is an island in the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, located some 180 km west of Saint Petersburg and 35 km away from the coast of Finland . The island is a part of the Leningrad Oblast, Russia. The area of Hogland Island is approximately...
. The patrol vessel VMV 1 followed her on the journey. At 2 pm on August 23 an outlook spotted two Soviet motor torpedo boat
Motor Torpedo Boat
Motor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"...
s and sounded the alarm. The officer on duty had previously ordered the engines to be stopped so that the sonar operators easier could listen for submarine sounds. While the vessel tried to start her engines and reach steering power, the Soviet motor torpedo boat TK 94 fired a torpedo, which struck Riilahti amidships and broke her in two. Riilahti sunk in two minutes, taking with her 23 of her crew. VMV 1 saved eleven men from the water, one being the commander of the ship, and Mannerheim knight Osmo Kivilinna. He later died from his wounds on the operating table.
This was one of the most significant single losses during the war years; Kivinlinna was a very well-liked officer, and it was widely believed that he could become the first full Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
of the Finnish Navy
Finnish Navy
The Finnish Navy is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS" simply short for "Finnish Navy Ship"...
.
The wreck of Riilahti lies five nautical miles from the island of Tiiskeri at a depth of 70 m. The loss of Riilahti left the Finnish Navy with a gap in their mine warfare capabilities. This was addressed with the launching of the Keihässalmi
Finnish minelayer Keihässalmi
Keihässalmi was a minelayer of the Finnish Navy. She was commissioned in 1957 and remained in service until 1994, after which she was turned into a museum ship in Turku. The vessel was named after the strait of Keihässalmi, which is located in Sipoo...
in 1957.
The third engine, which had been ordered, but not yet fitted on the Riilahti was instead fitted onto the sister vessel Ruotsinsalmi.
Riilahti laid 1,733 sea mines and 599 obstacles during her career.