Sverige class coastal defence ship

The Sverige class coastal defence ships (sometimes incorrectly referred to as coastal battleships) were the largest ships to serve in the Swedish Navy until that point. Their design was completely new and was influenced by the ships of the time. Their armament consisted of four 28.3 cm Bofors guns in two turrets and eight 15.2 cm guns in one double and six single turrets. During the Second World War they were the backbone of the Swedish Navy.

pecification as built

;Displacement:
* HMS "Sverige"
**6,852 tons standard;
**7,516 tons full load,
**7,080 tons - Jane's Fighting Ships 1938
***HMS "Sverige" reconstructed 1932-1933

*HMS "Drottning Victoria" and HMS "Gustav V":
**7,125 tons standard
**7,633 tons full load
**7,120 tons - HMS "Drottning Victoria" - Jane's Fighting Ships 1938
**7,275 tons - HMS "Gustav V" - Jane's Fighting Ships 1938
***HMS "Gustav V" reconstructed 1929-1930, modernized 1937
***HMS "Drottning Victoria" reconstructed 1935

;Dimensions:
*Length: 392.8 ft (119.7 m) - HMS "Sverige"
*Length: 396.6 ft (120.9 m) - HMS "Drottning Victoria" and HMS "Gustav V"
*Beam: 18.6 m (61 ft)
*Draught: 6.7 m (22.0 ft)

;Armour
*Belt: 200/150-60 mm (7.9/5.9-2.4 in)
*Turret: 8 in. Front, 4 in. Sides, 4 3/8 in Rear
*Conning Tower: 175/100-60 mm (6.9 in)
*Deck: 1 5/8 in.
*Redoubt: 4 in.
*Barbettes: 6 in.
*Small Turrets: 5 in. Front, 3 in. Sides

;Machinery:
*2 shaft; Curtis direct-coupled turbine 20,000 SHP (Westinghouse Geared Turbines Manufactured by Motala Company in "Gustaf V" and "Drottning Victoria" 22,000 SHP); 12 Yarrow type coal fired boilers

;Armament:
*4x 283 mm (11.1 inch 45 cal.) Bofors guns (2 twin turrets), load in 17 seconds, rated as cramped, dividing partition between guns
*8x 152 mm (6 inch 50 cal.) Bofors QF guns (1 twin turret superfiring over the forward 11 inch battery, and 6 single turrets, 3 on each beam)
*4x 75 mm Bofors AA cannons mounted forward of the rear 11 inch battery
*2x 57 mm short barreled Bofors cannons (6 pdr.)
*9x 6,5 mm MG
*2x 457 mm (18 in) TT

;Complement:
*450 after reconstruction

;AppearanceAll three ships looked similar until reconstruction. Gustav V had funnels trunked into one and the upper works modified heavily. Sverige had the fore funnel trunked back away from the superstructure which was modified, and kept the second funnel, making the ships very different in appearance between the main turrets.

hips

Three of these ships were built:
*HMS Sverige was ordered in 1912 and completed in 1917, built by Götaverken Gothenborg, she was paid for by public subscription as the Swedish people's gift to the country
*HMS Drottning Victoria (Queen Victoria) was ordered in 1915 and completed in 1921, built by Götaverken Gothenborg
*HMS Gustav V was built by Kockums shipyard in Malmö ordered in 1915 and completed in 1922.

A fourth ship was considered but not built due to economic diffculties

The ships were modernised in the 1930s with oil fired boilers replacing the old coal fired boilers, new anti-aircraft guns and fire control equipment

ee also

* Coastal defence ship