In 1900, the Swedish Navy sent Carl Richson to the United States, who was ordered to study submarines. After his return, he was inspired by USS Holland and designed HSwMS Hajen, Sweden's first submarine.[1]: 11 Over the next decade, Hajen's design was further developed to create a fleet of coastal submarines.[1]: 131 During World War I, Sweden primarily relied on the Swedish Navy to enforce the nation's neutrality. Swedish doctrine viewed submarines as a cheap method to counter enemy capital ships, and the Navy often pushed to build more boats. Throughout the war, the Riksdag invested in the fleet, which included expanding the number of submarines.[2]: 355 In 1914, this included the two Laxen class boats that served as the basis for the subsequent Abborren class. Compared to their predecessors, the Abborren class featured an additional torpedo tube and more powerful engines and were the last costal submarines based on Richson's design.[1]: 131-132
The class had a length of 30.99 metres (101 ft 8 in), a beam of 3.61 metres (11 ft 10 in), and a draught of 3.10 metres (10 ft 2 in). They displaced 174 tons surfaced and 310 tons submerged, with a crew of 14. Propulsion was provided by two six-cylinder diesel engines and two electric motors that generated 920 brake horsepower (690 kW) and 280 horsepower (210 kW), respectively, which drove two propellers. Each boat could reach 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) on the surface and 7.4 knots (13.7 km/h; 8.5 mph) submerged. Armament consisted of two 457-millimetre (18 in) torpedo tubes in the bow, capable of carrying four torpedoes in total.[2]: 362
Both were built at the Karlskrona Navy Yard, laid down in 1915, and commissioned into the fleet in 1916. After serving throughout World War I and the interwar period, they were stricken on 18 June 1937.[2]: 362
_(model).jpg)
Swedish Navy