Sverige 1917
Drottning Victoria 1921
Sverige 1940
Drottning Victoria 1943
Drottning Victoria 1943
Gustaf V 1945
Gustaf V 1945
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Sverige | 414 | Lindholmen, Göteborg | 12.12.1912 | 3.5.1915 | 10.5.1917 | stricken 1.1953 | |
| Drottning Victoria | Götaverken, Göteborg | 7.1915 | 15.9.1917 | 3.1921 | stricken 4.1957 | ||
| Gustaf V | 122 | Kockums, Malmö | 12.1914 | 31.1.1918 | 1.1922 | school hulk 4.1957 |
|
Displacement standard, t |
Sverige: 6852 Drottning Victoria, Gustaf V: 7125 |
|
Displacement full, t |
Sverige: 7516 Drottning Victoria, Gustaf V: 7633 |
|
Length, m |
Sverige: 119.7 wl 120.0 oa Drottning Victoria, Gustaf V: 120.9 wl 121.6 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
18.6 |
|
Draught, m |
Sverige: 6.30 normal 6.50 deep load Drottning Victoria, Gustaf V: 6.20 normal 6.70 deep load |
|
No of shafts |
Sverige: 4 Drottning Victoria, Gustaf V: 2 |
|
Machinery |
Sverige: 4 Westighouse steam turbines, 12 Yarrow boilers Drottning Victoria, Gustaf V: 2 sets Motala geared steam turbines, 12 Yarrow boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
Sverige: 25400 Drottning Victoria, Gustaf V: 23910 |
|
Max speed, kts |
22.5 |
|
Fuel, t |
Sverige: coal 776 + oil 100 Drottning Victoria, Gustaf V: coal 761 + oil 100 |
|
Endurance, nm(kts) |
Sverige: 2720(14) Drottning Victoria, Gustaf V: 3280(14) |
|
Armour, mm |
belt: 200 - 60, upper belt: 100, main turrets: 200 - 130, main barbettes: 150, secondary turrets: 125, secondary barbettes: 100, CT: 175, deck: 45 - 30 |
|
Armament |
2 x 2 - 283/44 K/45 M12, 1 x 2 - 152/49 K/50 M12, 6 x 1 - 152/49 K/50 M12, 6 x 1 - 75/49 K/50 M12, 2 x 1 - 57/50 K/55 M89B, 2 x 1 - 8.80, 2 - 533 TT (beam) |
|
Complement |
427 |
Project history: The last classical coast defence
battleships in the world and the unique coast defence
battleships equipped with a turbine machinery.
The history of designing of these ships goes back to 1906 when the
chiefs of the Swedish Naval Forces had come to conclusion that the sizes and arms of existing coast defence
ships do not answer time requirements. According to experts
meaning it was required to increase displacement to 7000
- 7500
ts, that would allow to
mount 283mm main artillery and
adequate protection. The
design of the battleship named "F" has been prepared
according to new requirements . It represented strongly increased
Oscar II with four 283mm
guns in two end turrets and 22.5kts
speed. Construction of the new ship which has received a
name Sverige has been approved by parliament in 1911.
In a parallel way with designing of the ship
Bofors has started designing of 283mm
gun accepted by the Swedish
navy in 1912 and by the right of considered for time one of best in the world.
Secondary artillery has not changed in comparison with a prototype, but placed in a new fashion: one
twin turret took place behind fore
main turret, and remaining six guns were placed in
single turrets on three aboard, as by earlier ships of
Äran class.
4 anti-TB,
2 AA 75mm
guns and two underwater TT
also were installed.
Machinery of Sverige included 4 turbines directly connected with two shafts.
Ship were equipped with a small forecastle with a sloping deck (as on early torpedo boats), pulled to fore main turret for the purpose of seaworthiness raise.
In 1914 parliament has made a decision about a building of two more battleships of Sverige class with minor design alterations. The most appreciable appearance alterations were abandoning from ram (at the expense of some slenderness of a fore end) and other form of a forecastle. Machinery was redesigned: Gustaf V and Drottning Victoria received 2-shaft 22000hp geared steam turbines instead of turbines with a direct drive. t and the improved hull form had led to a velocity increment on 0.7kts. (From 22.5 to 23.2kts.), using of geared driven turbines even with a smaller full stock of fuel (761 against 776ts) have allowed to raise an endurance to 3280 miles (against 2720 miles at Sverige).
Protection: Main belt of 2m in height was stretched almost on all length of the hull and was 112m long. It had 200mm thickness at 51m midship part, thinning to ship ands first to 150, and then to 60mm. The 100mm upper belt extended from fore barbette of 152mm turret to a barbette of after main turret.
Modernizations: (1924-1925), Sverige: new tripod mast with new director was fitted, fire-control centre was installed.
(1926-1927), Drottning Victoria: new tripod mast with new director was fitted, fire-control centre was installed, ship received paravanes; - 2 - 533 TT.
(1927-1930), Gustaf V: new tripod mast with new director was fitted, fire-control centre was installed, ship received paravanes, funnels were been trunked into one, main mast was cutted and moved fwd; - 6 x 1 - 75/49, 2 - 533 TT; + 2 x 2 - 75/56 K/60 M28.
(1931-1933), Sverige: ship received paravanes, fore funnel was angled aft, S-shaped, main mast was cutted and moved fwd, Westinghouse turbines were replaced by Curtis geared turbines; - 6 x 1 - 75/49, 2 - 533 TT; + 2 x 2 - 75/56 K/60 M28.
(1934-1935), Drottning Victoria: ship received paravanes, main mast was cutted and moved fwd, 6 Yarrow mixed-burning boilers were replaced by 2 oil-burning Penhöet (fuel stowage was 360ts of coal and 273ts of oil); - 6 x 1 - 75/49, 2 - 533 TT; + 2 x 2 - 75/56 K/60 M28, 3 x 1 - 25/55 K/58 M32.
(1936-1937), Gustaf V: 6 Yarrow mixed-burning boilers were replaced by 2 oil-burning Penhöet (fuel stowage was 360ts of coal and 273ts of oil); - 1 x 2 - 152/49; + 2 x 2 - 40/56 K/60 M32, 2 x 2 - 25/55 K/58 M32, 4 x 1 - 25/55 K/58 M32
(1938-1940), Sverige: all boilers were replaced by 4 oil-burning Penhöet; - 2 x 1 - 152/49; + 2 x 2 - 40/56 K/60 M32, 2 x 2 - 25/55 K/58 M32
(1940-1941), Drottning Victoria: - 2 x 1 - 152/49; + 2 x 2 - 40/56 K/60 M32, 2 x 1 - 25/55 K/58 M32
(1941-1942), Drottning Victoria: + 2 x 1 - 25/55 K/58 M32
1942, Sverige: - 2 x 2 - 25/55; + 1 x 2 - 40/56 K/60 M32, 2 x 2 - 20/63 K/66 M40
1942, Drottning Victoria: - 7 x 1 - 25/55; + 1 x 2 - 40/56 K/60 M32, 7 x 1 - 20/63 K/66 M40
1942, Gustaf V: - 2 x 2 - 25/55, 4 x 1 - 25/55; + 1 x 2 - 40/56 K/60 M32, 2 x 2 - 20/63 K/66 M40, 4 x 1 - 20/63 K/66 M40
1943, Drottning Victoria: + Swedish-built radar.
1946, Gustaf V: + British radar
Naval service: Sverige collided with submarine Svärdfisken 18.1.1942, repair has held two months. Sverige and Drottning Victoria were laid up in 1947 and Gustaf V next year. Gustaf V was scrapped last in 1970.
Gustaf V 1922
Sverige 1942
Gustaf V 1943
Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.
© Ivan Gogin, 2009-15