NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Gustaf V 1922

Ships

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

Technical data

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

Standard scale images

Graphics

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.