Merivoimat (finnisch), Marinen (schwedisch)

Type MAS 220, here Swedish  "MTB 1" (ex "MAS 231") - Picture: Archives L. Törnberg (Vet.Fltl)

In the beginning the boats were in Finnish service as „MTV 1“ and „MTV 2“. In the Second Worldwar they were employed as  motortorpedoboats. "Sisu" until 1942, "Hurja" until 1941. Both boats were broken up after the war.

On Oktober, 1st 1941 "Sisu" and "Nuoli" ("Svöksu“-class) were patrolling east of the island Gogland and run into a big Soviet Mineweeper of "Fuga"-class. Assuming that the minesweeper was underway because of scum developing ar her bow "Sisu" fired a torpeodo, which went wrong. The second torpedo was hitting and sank the minesweeper

Isku“- Class (Thornycroft 53ft)

As succession type the motortorpedoboat one of type Thornycroft 53 ft was built by the shipyard Borga Varv at Porvoo/Finland. In contrary to the original design of the British boat the torpeoes were not launched from rail in the stern but were dropped from launching devices on the side decks.

 It was no successful design. The boat took part in the winter-war (November 30ties 1939 until March 13th 1940) and in the succession-war (June 22nd 1941 until September 19th 1944), was however striken from the list of Finnish warships in 1942, the boat was laid up at  Suomenlinna because of differnt wear- and tear damages and broken up after the war.

"Svöksy“-Class (Thornycroft 55ft)

Starting 1928 a new class of four boats of Thornycroft 55ft-boats were commissioned which were built by Thornycroft and the boatyard Turun Venevistamo at Turku, the "Svöksy"-class.

Thornycroft 55 ft Boat, here the Swedish "MTB 4" – Picture: Archives Tino Kunzmann

In this type of boat the torpedos were launched from rails in the stern. The boats had to move out of the firing course after launching a torpedo which was difficult in the narrow waters of the Golf of Finland. 1942 the boats got identification marks: „Svöksy“ (ex MTV 4) – ace of diamomds, „Vinha“ (ex MTV 5) – ace of cross,  „Nuoli“ (ex MTV 6)– ace of hearts and „Raju“ (ex MTV 7) – ace of spades.   

Two more boats of this type were ordered by the Finnish Navy in 1938. The boats under construction were, however, confiscated by the British Navy after the outbreak of the Second Worldwar and commissioned as "MTB 67" and "MTB 68" in March 1941.

On July 6th 1941 „Svöksy“ and „Vinha“ performed an attack against a convoy of three Soviet sailingships with course on Hankö. Since the torpedoes were not relyable in the heavy seastate and the targets were missed, „Svöksy“ sailed so close in front of the leading sailing ship that she could drop her depth charges directly in front of her bow. The exploding depth charges sank the sailing ship. Both motortorpedoboats could turn away and get away from the Sovietish guarding units.

In the night July 19th/20th 1941 the Finnish boats performed a patrol in front of the Estonian coast when a Soviet destroyer opened fire on them. „Vinha“ got a hit and was left disabled. „Svöksy“ performed some torpeoattacks against the destroyer and could draw the fire of herself so that the other units could tow away "Vinha" into safety.

During a patrol on September 1st 1941 south of the island Beryozovye „Svöksy“ and „Vinha“ found two Soviet freighters. „Svöksy“ sank SS „Meero“ (1.866 tons) with a torpedo.

On September 9th 1941 “Svöksy” sank the Soviet minehunter T-41 “Kirov” during a patrol with “Vinha” east of the island Gogland.

On October 1st 1941 “Nuoli” contributed to the sinking of a Soviet minehunter, the torpedo was fired by “Sisu“.

“Svöksy”, “Vinha”, and “Vihuri” as well as a minelaying coastal minsweeper took part in an attack against the harbour of Lavansaari in which „Svöksy“ could sink the Soviet gunboat „Krasnoye Znamya“ (1.760 tons).

„Svöksy“, „Nuoli“,  and „Vinha“ were reconstructed 1943 as Patrolboats, they got a 20mm-gun (Madsen 20mm) and the capability to load three mines. "Raju" collided on May 16th 1943 with a tree-trunk drifting in the water and was destroyed thereby. 

„Hurja“-Class

The „Hurja“-class was consisting of the boats „Hurja 1" through "Hurja 5“ with the indicators H 1 through H 5. The boats of type MAS 424 (2) were built by Baglietto, Varazze, and displaced 21,5 t.

„Jymy“-Class

1943  Finland purchased the boats MAS 526 through 529 from Italy and named them „Jymy 1“ through „Jymy 4“.

The boats had a hull made of metal. They were reconstructed as fast patrol-boats in 1949 and had one to two 20mm/double carriage Madsen machineguns. The boats were broken up in 1961.

„Taisto“-Class

The shipyard Turun Venevistamo at Turku in 1942/1943 built the boats "Taisto 1" through "Taisto 8" for the Finnish Navy. They were a development of the Baglietto-Type with a displacement of 22 tons.

Boat of the Taisto-Class at Anchor - Picture Wikipedia   

The boat „Taisto 1“ (Tarmo) was lost on June 21st 1944 by an airattack, the boats 2, 4, and 5 were reconstructed in 1949 to fast patrol-boats and decommissioned between 1963 and 1965. "Tuuli" (boat 6) was reconstructed in 1977 with a water-jet-propulsion and was decommissioned 1979."Tyrsky" (boat 3) is at the maritime museum Forum Marinum at Turku.

"Tyrsky" (Taisto 3) at Forum Marinum, Turku - Picture: Scharff modellmarine.de

Soviet Loot-Boat "D-3"-Class

In October 1941 the Soviet ex-"TK 52" which had sunken after a grounding during a storm was detected at Borstö and salvaged by the Finnish Navy. After repairs the boat was employed as torpeoboat and 1943 reconstructed as a fast patrolboat. According to the peace-treaty after the continuation-war she was returned to the Soviet Union in 1944.

Torpedocutter D3-Class - Picture: Google

Soviet Loot-Boats "D-5"-Class

The boats fired their torpedoes from rails in their sterns in aft direction. "Vihuri" took part in the attack against the harbour of Lavansaari on November 18th 1942, during which "Svöksy" suceeded in sinking the Soviet Gunboat "Krasnoye Znamya" (1.760 ts) with a torpedo.

All three boats were returned to the Soviet Union according to the peace-treaty after the continuation-war.

Torpedocutter D5-Class, here "TK 47" as Loot-Boat of the Kriegsmarine - Picture: PK Hirche

Wish for German S-Boats Type 38

Finland had endevoured to be delivered with German S-boats, what had also been agreed to by the German political Leadership. 

On June 15th 1944 four Finnish Crews arrived at Saßnitz to take over the boats "S 64", "S 83", "S 99", and "S 117". The Leader of the S-Boats (Führer der Schnellboote = F.d.S.) objected to the delivery of the boats, since a delivery of another four boats to Romania at the same time would have caused a considerable blood-letting at this phase of the war.

The four boats foreseen for Finland therefore stayed in posession of the Kriegsmarine and were allocated to the 2. S-School-Flotilla.

S-Boats of the Finnish Navy after the Second Worldwar

As a result of the Paris peace-discussions of 1947 the offensive capabilities of the Finnish Navy was very limited. The pesonnel-strength was 4.500 men, the tonnage of the entire fleet was not to exceed 10.000 tons. Torpedoes, submarines, mines, and misssiles were prohibbited. The restrictions were not lowered before the 60s, missiles and mines were permitted, torpedoes were only introduced again in 2018.

The neutrality of the country led to armament-purchases for the Navy as well in the West as in the East.

„Vasama“-Class (British Dark-Class)

The patrol-boats of the British "Dark"-class were the first diesel-driven boats developed for the Royal Navy during the Cold War.

Since the peace-treaty with the Soviet Union prohibited the operation of torpeoboats, the boats were only fitted out as gun-boats, but they were able to easily be retrofitted with up to four torpedo-tubes.

The Finnish Navy purchased two of these boats, „Vasama 1“ and „Vasama 2“, the hulls were of wood on aluminum framing, the upper deck was made of aluminium.

Boat of "Dark"-Class, here in the Version Gunboat -Picture: Archives Tino Kunzmann

Finnish "Vasama 1" - Picture: Archives Tino 'Kunzmann 

Boot of the „Dark“-Class – here RN-Boat in the Version Torpedo-Boat

„Nuoli“-Klasse

The boats of the „Nuoli“-class were built following the „Dark“-boats as all-steel-construction by 0y Laivateollisuus AB at Suomen/Finland. The boats „Nuoli 1“ trough „Nuoli 4“ were delivered 1961. „Nuoli 5“ through „Nuoli 8“ were commissioned in 1962 and the remaining four boats „Nuoli 9“ through „Nuoli 12“ in the years 1963 to 1965/66. In 1972 three of the boats were subordinate to the Coast-Guard, the other boats were already decommissioned.

Boat 6 of the "Nuoli"-Class in Camouflage Painting – Picture: Wikipedia

„Tuima“-Class (Soviet Project 205U, OSA II-Class)

The Soviet Union built some variants of the missile-sboat-class with the Soviet indicator Project 205 with the allias Moskit (Russian: „Москит“ - english: „Moskito“), which were developed in the years 1957/58 and was called OSA-Class by NATO . 

For the Finnish Navy four boats of Type Project 205U (OSA-II) were built, called „Tuima“-class in the Finnish Navy. The main difference to the other boats of Project 205 was the more modern missile, P15U, the improved fire-cotrol-system and the less susceptible engineeing plant.

"Tuima" (OSA II) - Picture: Wikipedia   

 „Helsinki“-Class

The four missile-boats of „Helsinki“-class were developed from the „Tuima“-class (OSA II rsp. Project 205U).  The four boats were built by Wärtsilä-Shipyard at Turku.

Missile-Sboat 61 "Helsinki" - Picture: Wikipedia

Missile-Sboat 62 "Oulo" in teh Fjord of Kiel - Picture: Andreas Engel

Missile-Sboat "Kotka" of "Helsinki"-Class at Kiel - Picture: Andreas Engel

The boats „Helsinki“ (commissioning September 1st 1981) and „Turku“ (commissioning June 3rd 1985) were decommissioned 2002. „Oulu“ (commissioning October 1st 1985) and „Kotka“ (commissisoning June 16th 1986) were sold to the Croatian Navy in 2008.  

The Helsinki“-class was the last class of boats, falling into the category of sboats. They were released by the "Rauma"-class, which internationally are counted as corvettes.