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Filin-class guard ship
ORP General Haller
Model of the ORP General Haller
Class overview
Builders: Ab Crichton 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.

Overview[]

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]

Initially classified as patrol cruisers though the name did not really fit. Class had good accommodations for a their size but they hardly resembled any type of warship. Foreign observer's comments of the ships of the class in service of the Finnish Navy was that they were graceful tugs. The ships were only suitable for patrolling seaways as they were not particularly seaworthy and their structural strength and power were limited. Also the structure did not allow larger than 75 mm gun to be installed to the class.[2][3][4]

Ships in class[]

Ship Laid down as Launched In commission Service with Notes
Turunmaa Tshirok
Orlan
1918 1918 - 1952 Naval Ensign of FinlandFinnish Navy Sold for scrap 1953
Karjala Filin 1918 1918 - 1952 Naval Ensign of FinlandFinnish Navy Sold for scrap 1953
General Haller Vodorez 1919[1] 1921 - 1939 Naval Ensign of PolandPolish Navy Sunk September 1939
Naval Ensign of PolandKomendant Piłsudski
War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945Heisternest (M 3109)
Lun 1919[1] Naval Ensign of Poland1921-1939
War Ensign of Germany 1938-19451939-1943
Naval Ensign of PolandPolish Navy
War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945Kriegsmarine
Naval Ensign of PolandSunk September 1939
War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945Raised 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. 1.0 1.1 1.2 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. 2.0 2.1 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. 
  4. Kijanen, Kalervo (1968) (in Finnish). Suomen Laivasto 1918–1968, I [Finnish Navy 1918–1968, part I]. Helsinki, Finland: Meriupseeriyhdistys/Otavan Kirjapaino. p. 112. 



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