HSwMS Hvalen

HSwMS Hvalen was a submarine of the Swedish Navy. Constructed in Italy, the submarine sailed the entire way to Sweden for her commissioning unaccompanied.[1] In October 1915 she became involved in a diplomatic incident between neutral Sweden, and Germany, which was then engaged in fighting Britain in the First World War. Following a series of sinkings of German cargo ships and naval vessels in the Baltic sea by British submarines entering the Baltic through the (Swedish-controlled) Öresund straits, a German warship opened fire on Hvalen killing a crew-member. According to the captain of the Hvalen, she was flying the Swedish naval flag and in Swedish home waters at the time she was fired on. [2] Compensation was later paid to the widow of the crew-member and an apology was issued.[3]

History
Sweden
Name: Hvalen
Builder: Fiat-San Giorgio, La Spezia Italy[1]
Launched: 16 February 1909[1]
Commissioned: 1909
Decommissioned: 1919
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: Foca Class
Displacement:
  • 187 long tons (190 t) surfaced
  • 230 long tons (230 t) submerged
Length: 42.4 m (139 ft 1 in)
Beam: 4.3 m (14 ft 1 in)
Draught: 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Propulsion:
  • 3 × petrol engines,
  • 750 hp (560 kW)
  • 1× electric motor,
  • 150 hp (110 kW)
Speed:
  • 14.8 knots (27.4 km/h; 17.0 mph) surfaced,
  • 6.3 knots (11.7 km/h; 7.2 mph) submerged
Test depth: 30 m
Complement: 17
Armament: 2 x 45.7 cm torpedo tubes

References
  1. Gardiner and Gray 1985, p. 361.
  2. "SWEDISH SUBMARINE SHELLED IN HOME WATERS; Hvalen Flying Own Flag and Weather Clear When Germans Fired, Says Captain". The New York Times. 22 October 1915. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  3. Aselius, Gunnar (7 November 2019). The Danish Straits and German Naval Power, 1905-1918. Militargeschichtliches Forschungsampt. p. 134. ISBN 9783941571112.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1986). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.


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