• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Swedish Navy - 1900

By the year 1900 the fleet of the Swedish navy consisted of the following vessels, those building and granted included. The flagship or royal yacht Drott of 630 tons. Fighting-ships: 11 ironclads of the first class (The Svea, Gata, Thule, Oden, Thor, Niord, Dristigheten, Aran, Vasa, Tapperheten, and Manligheten) each of from 3,100-3,650 tons; 4 second class ironclads of 1,500-1,600 tons; 7 third class ironclads of 460 tons; 5 torpedocruisers of 800 tons; 9 first class gunboats of 500-640 tons; 1 second class gunboat of 280 tons, 1 destroyer, 15 first class torpedoboats of 67-90 tons; and 11 second class torpedoboats of 40-50 tons. Training and schoolships: 4 corvettes of 1,500-2,000 tons, 4 second class gunboats of 190 tons; 1 repair-ship of 175 tons; 6 schoolships of 80-312 tons; 6 receivingships, and 3 small steamers.

The total displacement of the fighting-ships of the fleet was about 60,000 tons. The number of guns on these ships was 315, viz. 38 heavy, 93 secondary weight (of these 71 rapidfiring) and 184 light guns (all rapidfiring). The number of magazine guns was about 100 and of torpedotubes, 64. The sum of indicated horsepowers was about 110,000.

The ironclads of the first class made the main body and chief strength of the navy. They corresponded nearest to the coastdefense vessels or fourth class battleships of the larger navies, but they were of more modern construction than most of these. Their chief dimensions were: length 75-89 meters; width 15 m. and draught 5 m. They were all built of steel with double bottom and supplied with armorplates, 20-29 cm. thick, extending over more than half of the entire length; armored deck 5 cm.; turrets for the heavy guns of 15-29 cm. armour; casemates or smaller turrets of 10 cm. armour for the secondary guns. The armament consisted of 1-2 heavy guns (25 or 21 cm.), 4-7 secondary guns (16 or 12 cm. rapidfiring), 10-11 light guns (57 mm. rapidfiring). Torpedo tubes were placed on board, generally under the waterline. All but two of these vessels had rams. Two independent engines of together 3,640-6,000 horsepowers(on the older compound horizontal, on the new ones triple expansion vertical engines) give them a speed of 14-7 -16'5 knots. The ship's company was 232-282 men. The second and third class ironclads were of the well known monitor type.

The torpedo cruisers corresponded nearest to the torpedo catchers of the English navy from the time of 1880. They were intended for scouting, but are hardly fast enough for this purpose (19-20 knots). Their chief dimensions were: length 68-73 m., width 8 m., draught 3 m. Engines and boilers were placed below the waterline and protected by a light armoured deck ('2 cm.). The armament consisted of two 12 cm. and four 57 mm. rapidfiring guns. Below the waterline is a bow-tube for 38 cm. torpedoes. The ship's company was 99 men.

The gunboats were hardly of any value as fighting ships, but were well adapted for training in the archipelagoes. One of them, Svensksund, served besides as icebreaker and salvage vessel.

The torpedo boats were much like those of other navies. The nine latest built were of 90 tons displacement (length 39, width 4-8, and draught 2'i meters), have one fixed and one moveable torpedotube, two 47 mm. rapidfiring guns, and a speed of 23 knots. The older ones were smaller and mafe about 18 knots. The ship's company was 17 and 13 men.

All the vessels were built in Siceden (with the exception of three torpedo-boats), the ironclads of the first class at Bergsund, at Lindholmen, and at Kocknm (Miilrno); those of the second class and most of the third class at Motala wharf; a few gun- and torpedo-boats, at the navy-yard in Karlskrona; others at Stockholm.

The administration of the navy was effected by the Royal department of the Navy with its command expedition, the Naval Department, and the General Staff of the Navy, all stationed at Stockholm. The Minister for the Royal department of the Navy was, next to the King, the highest chief of the navy. The department directed all matters which according to the constitution belong to the navy, with exception of matters of command which belong to the Kommandoexpedition of the department.

The Admiralty was a collegial of6ce, which under the Navy department administered technical and economical matters belonging to the navy. It consisted of one chief (admiral) and six members (three commodores or captains, the chief of the mining defense, the chief constructor of the navy, and one counselor), who are the heads of the six divisions of the Administration: those of intendancy, of artillery, of torpedoes, of mines, of construction, and the civil division. In the administration were besides employed several officers, marine engineers, and civil functionaries.

The General Staff of the Navy, organized in 1896, was under an admiral and works on two divisions: that for mobilization and statistics, and the one for communications, each under its chief (commodore or captain) and with about fifteen officers together.

The personnel and material of the navy were disposed at two stations: Karlskrona and Stockholm, each under a commander-in-chief. Under him subordinate: 1 chief of the non-commissioned officers and sailors, the chiefs of the schools of the station, 1 educational committee, 1 administration office, officers of hygiene and sickrelief, 1 court-martial and others. The commander-in-chief at Karlskrona was also commander of the fortifications.

To each station belonged a navy yard, the director of which subordinates directly under the Admiralty. The work of the yards is divided in five sections: the departments of artillery, torpedoes, mines, equipage, and engineers. Control over and account of money, proviant, clothing etc. was left to the counting office of the station consisting of most of its civil functionaries.

The personnel of the navy consisted of a cadre, reserve, and nonscripts, and was divided in the following corps and bodies: a) military corpses: officers (and midshipmen), non-commissioned officers, sailors, and boys; b) civil-military-bodies: marine engineers, the civil staff, the ecclesiastical staff, the medical staff, labourers, and policemen.

The active personnel of the corps of officers consisted, according to the budget, of 210 officers, viz. 3 admirals, 7 commodores, 14 captains of 1st rank, 15 of 2nd rank, 75 commanders or lieutenant-commanders. 65 lieutenants, and 31 sub-lieutenants. Naval officers are recruited from the corps of midshipmen, which is trained for 6 years in the Naval College, during winter in Stockholm and in summertime (4 months) on board ships (1 corvette, 1 gunboat and 1 torpedoboat).

The common men of the navy consisted of the corps of sailors, the corps of boys, and the conscripts of the navy. The corps of sailors of the old system of distribution of the army and navy, which had existed over 200 years, became gradually vacant after the change in organization of 1888. Since then the organization of the navy men had undergone several changes, and a satisfactory recompensation for the old sailors had not yet been reached. According to the organization adopted for 1902 the corps of sailors shall consist of 2,825 men, divided in 16 companies. The corps is filled partly from the corps of boys (generally at the age of 18 or 19), and partly by voluntary enlistment for a time of 21 a to 6 years. Re-engagement for 2 years at a time is generally permitted and becomes obligatory after each passed examination in the schools for non-commissioned officers.

The training of the personnel (besides midshipmen and boys) is brought about, partly in schools, on shore, and on board ship (drilling, torpedo, and signaling schools, and schools for non-commissioned officers), and partly in squadrons at sea, which, during the last years, generally had been made up by one squadron of 3 first class ironclads, 4 to 6 torpedo cruisers or gunboats, and 8 torpedoboats for a time of 3 months; one squadron of 4 smaller ironclads, 1 gunboat, and 4 torpedoboats for a time of 6 weeks or 3 months; and 2 training corvettes for 3 to 7 months.

To the navy department belongs furthermore from Jan. 1, 1902 the entire Coast-Artillery, which garrisons all the fortifications at the sea-board. It consists of two coast-artillery-regiments, that of Vaxholm, and that of Karlskrona, from which detachments are sent to Gothenburg and to Farosund. When complete, the coast-artillery will consist of 100 officers, 154 non-commissioned officers, and 1,314 men, besides a large number of conscripts. A general is chief of the coast-artillery, and the regiments are formed in about the same manner as those of the army, the different companies, however, consisting of artillerymen, miners, and miscellaneous.