Filin class guard ship


Model of the ORP General Haller
Class overview
Builders: Crichton-Vulcan naval yard
Turku, Finland
Operators: Finnish Navy, Polish Navy, Kriegsmarine
Built: 1918-1919
In commission: 1918–1952
Planned: 6
Completed: 4
Lost: 2
Scrapped: 2
General characteristics
Type: Gunboat
Displacement: 342 tons
Length: 50 m (160 ft)
Beam: 7 m (23 ft 0 in)
Draft: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)
Installed power: 1,150 shp
Speed: 15 knots
Complement: 48–63
Armament: Filin-class:
  • 1 x 75 mm gun
  • 1 x 40 mm gun AA[1]
Turunmaa after 1941:
  • 2 x 75 mm/50
  • 3 x 20 mm Madsen AA
  • 1 x 12.7 mm machine gun
  • 2 x DC mortar (SPH/37 or SPH/43)
  • 30 mines

Filin class guard ships were a class of ships originally built in Finland as patrol vessels for the Imperial Russian Navy. With the withdrawal of Russia from the area, the ships went to other use. Four ships were constructed, two of them were sold to Polish Navy where they served as General Haller and Komendant Piłsudski and the other two were commissioned into the Finnish Navy as Turunmaa and Karjala.[2]

The ships were only suitable for patrolling seaways as they were not particularly seaworthy and their structural strength and power were limited.[2][3]

Ships in class

Ship Laid down as Launched In commission Service with Notes
Turunmaa Tshirok
Orlan		 01918 1918 01918 1918 - 1952 Finnish Navy Sold for scrap 01953 1953
Karjala Filin 01918 1918 01918 1918 - 1952 Finnish Navy Sold for scrap 01953 1953
General Haller Vodorez 01919 1919[1] 01921 1921 - 1939 Polish Navy Sunk 01939-09-01September 1939
Komendant Piłsudski
Heisternest (M 3109)		 Lun 01919 1919[1] 01921 1921-1939
1939-1943		 Polish Navy
Kriegsmarine		 Sunk September 1939
Raised 1939. Sunk September 1943.
Gorlitsa Gorlitsa - - - Never completed, scrapped
Sova Sova - - - Never completed, scrapped

Last two ships of the same class - Gorlitsa and Sova - were being constructed before the work on them was halted. They were never completed and instead were scrapped.

References

  1. ^ a b c Gardiner, Robert, ed (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921. London, England: Conway Maritime Press Ltd.. pp. 319. ISBN 0-85177-245-5. 
  2. ^ a b Auvinen, Visa (1983) (in Finnish). Leijonalippu merellä [Lion flag at sea]. Pori, Finland: Satakunnan Kirjapaino Oy. pp. 34–35. ISBN 951-95781-1-0. 
  3. ^ Kijanen, Kalervo (1968). "Erikoistietoja Suomen Laivastovoimien Aluksista [Special information on the Ships of the Finnish Navy]" (in Finnish). Suomen Laivasto 1918–1968, II [Finnish Navy 1918–1968, part II]. Helsinki, Finland: Meriupseeriyhdistys/Otavan Kirjapaino. 
Filin-class guard ships
Finnish Navy
Polish Navy
Finnish Navy ships and ship classes of World War II
Coastal defence ships
Submarines
Gunboats
Minelayers
Motor torpedo boats
Minesweepers
Patrol boats
Other
  • Viena
  • Aunus
  • Baltic
  • Frej
  • Poseidon
  • Suomi
  • S — Single ship of class