VILPPULA minesweepers (1917-1918/1918)

T2 1918

Rautu 1940

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
T2 (ex-Защитник [Zashchitnik]), 1936- Vilppula			Putilov Yd, Petrograd, Russia // Ahlstrom, Helsingfors, Russia	2.1916	5.8.1916	7.1917 // 4.1918	sunk 24.4.1944
T1 (ex-Фортрал [Fortral]), 1936- Rautu			Russo-Baltic Wks, Reval, Russia // Ahlstrom, Helsingfors, Russia	1.1916	1916	1.1918 // 4.1918	stricken 1950

Displacement normal, t	190
Displacement full, t	220
Length, m	43.6
Breadth, m	6.10
Draught, m	1.70
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 VTE, 2 Yarrow boilers
Power, h. p.	400
Max speed, kts	11
Fuel, t	oil 18
Endurance, nm(kts)	1100(5)
Armament	1 x 1 - 75/48 Canet, 1 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss AA, 2 x 1 - 7.6/94, mechanical minesweeping gear
Complement	35

Project history: Former Russian minesweepers of Udarnik class. After revolution based at Helsingfors Fortral and Zashchitnik in April, 1918 were captured by Finns and commissioned by Finnish Navy.

Modernizations: 1930s, both: - 1 x 1 - 47/40; + 1 x 1 - 20/60 Madsen, 30 mines

Naval service: In days of war both served mainly as depot ships for minesweeping boats. 24.4.1944 Vilppula was sunk in Porkkala harbour by Soviet air torpedo.

Rautu

FINNISH NAVY (FINLAND)

MINE WARFARE SHIPS

VILPPULA minesweepers (1917-1918/1918)