Swedish submarine incidents
Encyclopedia
The submarine hunts or submarine incidents were a series of several incidents involving foreign submarine
s that occurred in Swedish
territorial waters during the Cold War
, more specifically during the 1980s. In this time, there was intensive debate and speculation in Swedish media about the possibility of Soviet submarine infiltration of Swedish territorial waters
.
While there had been earlier incidents involving foreign submarines (as seen below), the incidents normally referred to in this context are those that followed the sensational stranding of the Soviet
submarine U 137 deep inside Swedish waters on October 27, 1981. The Swedish navy responded aggressively to these perceived threats, increasing patrols in Swedish waters, mining
and electronically monitoring passages, and repeatedly chasing and attacking suspected submarines with depth charge
bombs, but no hits or casualties were ever recorded.
Reports of new submarine sightings and television imagery of Swedish Navy helicopters firing depth charges into coastal waters against suspected intruders became commonplace in the mid-to-late 1980s. They remain, for many Swedes, one of the iconic images of the Cold War and of the Swedish relation to the Soviet Union—for some underlining what was considered a major threat to Swedish sovereignty, while for others illustrating the tense and, in the view of some, paranoid atmosphere of the time. However, the reports of these incidents are not uncontested, and an intensive debate emerged early on. This debate unfolded somewhat, but far from exclusively, along leftwing/rightwing lines, and became tied up with the larger issues of relations to Moscow
and Swedish armed neutrality
. The Soviet Union consistently denied that it was responsible for violating Swedish waters, and claimed that the U 137 had only crossed the border because of navigational faults. Russia
today maintains this stand. While the submarine sightings subsided with the fall of the Soviet Union, the debate about these events has reemerged in the 1990s and 2000s. They have been the subject of a number of government investigations in Sweden, and continue to attract media attention.
As a result, there is no clear consensus on the extent of possible infiltration, or on whether trespassing submarines were necessarily of Soviet origin. Some suggest that NATO submarines may have been responsible for the most well-known incidents, which has led to a further line of debate, on whether such submarines were secretly allowed to exit Swedish waters unpursued—that would have been in contravention of the publicly declared Swedish neutrality
. There is also a dispute concerning sound recordings purported to be of submarine engines, which some now allege stem from natural sounds, fish, mink
, civilian vessels, etc.
The discussion also focuses on whether U 137 was sent to spy on Swedish defenses (supported by the large number of similar suspected espionage infiltrations, and by the depth to which it had penetrated), or, as its captain claimed, was lost because of a navigational error (supported by the fact that it ran aground). Furthermore, there is a debate on whether this vessel was armed with nuclear weapons. Swedish military teams are said to have registered high levels of radiation
on geiger counter
s when examining the stranded submarine.
Twenty years after the events, they still generate controversy in modern-day Swedish politics, with prominent politicians and former military officials active on both sides of the dispute.
Ola Tunander attributes majority of these incursions to be of NATO origin.
(Den orolige mannen), the final Kurt Wallander
novel written by Swedish author Henning Mankell
and published in 2009. Mankell considered the incursions to be one of the worst scandals in Swedish political history. Mankell’s upcoming play Politik set to debue at Stockholm City Theatre in autum 2010, also deals with the submarine incidents of the 80’s.
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s that occurred in Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
territorial waters during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, more specifically during the 1980s. In this time, there was intensive debate and speculation in Swedish media about the possibility of Soviet submarine infiltration of Swedish territorial waters
Territorial waters
Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most from the baseline of a coastal state...
.
While there had been earlier incidents involving foreign submarines (as seen below), the incidents normally referred to in this context are those that followed the sensational stranding of the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
submarine U 137 deep inside Swedish waters on October 27, 1981. The Swedish navy responded aggressively to these perceived threats, increasing patrols in Swedish waters, mining
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
and electronically monitoring passages, and repeatedly chasing and attacking suspected submarines with depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
bombs, but no hits or casualties were ever recorded.
Reports of new submarine sightings and television imagery of Swedish Navy helicopters firing depth charges into coastal waters against suspected intruders became commonplace in the mid-to-late 1980s. They remain, for many Swedes, one of the iconic images of the Cold War and of the Swedish relation to the Soviet Union—for some underlining what was considered a major threat to Swedish sovereignty, while for others illustrating the tense and, in the view of some, paranoid atmosphere of the time. However, the reports of these incidents are not uncontested, and an intensive debate emerged early on. This debate unfolded somewhat, but far from exclusively, along leftwing/rightwing lines, and became tied up with the larger issues of relations to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Swedish armed neutrality
Armed neutrality
Armed neutrality, in international politics, is the posture of a state or group of states which makes no alliance with either side in a war, but asserts that it will defend itself against resulting incursions from all parties....
. The Soviet Union consistently denied that it was responsible for violating Swedish waters, and claimed that the U 137 had only crossed the border because of navigational faults. Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
today maintains this stand. While the submarine sightings subsided with the fall of the Soviet Union, the debate about these events has reemerged in the 1990s and 2000s. They have been the subject of a number of government investigations in Sweden, and continue to attract media attention.
List of major reported incidents
- 1962: During a military exercise, a submarine is discovered by radar echo and hydrophone, north of Fårö at Gotland. It retreats only after repeated depth chargeDepth chargeA depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
strikes.
- Fall 1969: During a Navy drill on the coast of Norrland, the Swedish submarine Springaren comes into contact with a foreign submarine in Swedish waters; it leaves the scene.
- 1974: A submarine periscope is spotted by the Coast Guard near Kappelhamnsviken on GotlandGotlandGotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
. A destroyer is sent to the scene and establishes contact, at which point the foreign submarine leaves Swedish waters.
- Fall 1976: During a marine drill in the Stockholm Archipelago, a Soviet Type W submarine exposes itself by using radar, outside Swedish territorial waters. A Swedish submarine monitors the Soviet vessel entering Swedish waters, and records sounds from it. When Swedish submarine-hunting helicopters and destroyers arrive, it speeds out towards international waters and disappears.
- 18 September to 6 October 1980: The Swedish MarineSwedish coastal artilleryThe Swedish coastal artillery has its origin in the Archipelago Artillery that was raised in 1866. The Coastal Artillery was formed from the Archipelago Artillery, the Marine Regiment and parts of the Artillery in 1902...
tugboatTugboatA tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
Ajax discovers the turret of a submarine outside UtöUtöUtö may refer to:* Utö, Finland, an island in the Archipelago Sea, in southwest Finland* Utö, Sweden, an island in the Stockholm archipelago in Sweden...
in the Stockholm ArchipelagoStockholm archipelagoThe Stockholm archipelago is the largest archipelago of Sweden, and one of the largest archipelagos of the Baltic Sea.-Geography:The archipelago extends from Stockholm roughly 60 kilometers to the east...
. Submarine hunting helicopters are dispatched to the scene, establish contact, and fire warning shots. The submarine does not leave the area, but attempts to avoid capture, and a prolonged submarine hunt began. This lasted for several weeks, during which time the submarine is repeatedly sighted.
- October 27, 1981: The U 137 incident. On the evening of October 28, 1981, a fisherman residing in the eastern part of the KarlskronaKarlskronaKarlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...
archipelago phoned in to the Coast Guard and reported that a submarine had capsized in Gåsefjärden, 30 km from the town centre of Karlskrona. Originally, it was not taken seriously because of its location, as Gåsefjärden is a very difficult terrain to navigate in, as well as being a "dead end". Nevertheless, the fisherman was right, and the vessel was found to be of Soviet origin. The grounded submarine generated intense media interest, and Swedish military forces were put on high alert following suspicions that the Soviet Union would try to recapture the vessel. After several rounds of interrogation, the conservativeModerate PartyThe Moderate Party is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1904 as the General Electoral League by a group of conservatives in the Swedish parliament...
/LiberalLiberal People's Party (Sweden)The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006...
government led by Thorbjörn FälldinThorbjörn FälldinThorbjörn Fälldin is a Swedish politician. He was Prime Minister of Sweden in three non-consecutive cabinets from 1976 to 1982, and leader of the Swedish Centre Party from 1971 to 1985...
decided to release both the vessel and its crew. This marked the beginning of the "submarine hunts" (ubåtsjakter), as nicknamed by Swedish media.
- October 1–13, 1982: The Hårsfjärden incident. After a long period of submarine incidents, the Swedish navy sets a trap by sealing off an area with mines and sensors. A foreign submarine is then recognized to have entered the trap, and the Navy responds in force with major forces stationed nearby. A reported 44 depth charges and 4 naval mines are detonated, trying to sink the submarine, but it is later determined that it avoided the trap or fled at an early stage. This incident triggers the appointment of a parliamentary committee under the leadership of Sven AnderssonSven AnderssonSven Andersson is a retired Swedish football goalkeeper. Born in Strömstad near the Norwegian border, he began his professional career in Örgryte IS, a club with which he won the Allsvenskan championship in 1985...
, which—partly due to the efforts of Carl BildtCarl Bildt, Honorary KCMG is a Swedish politician, diplomat and nobleman. Formerly Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994 and leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, Bildt has served as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs since 6 October 2006...
—blames the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, thereby escalating tension with MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Later research has cast doubt on many of the conclusions of the committee, with some of the sound recordings from the purported submarine now believed to have come from a civilian ship. The entire incident is now hotly disputed, with some arguing the submarine may have been of NATO origin.
- May 4, 1983: A suspected submarine is reported in Törefjärden, North of LuleåLuleå- Transportation :Local buses are run by .A passenger train service is available from Luleå Centralstation on Sweden's national SJ railway service northbound to Narvik on the Norwegian coast, or southbound to Stockholm. See Rail transport in Sweden....
, and mines are detonated.
- May 1983: Submarine hunt outside SundsvallSundsvall-External links:* - Official site from Nordisk Familjebok - Sundsvalls tourist information bureau. - The alternative guide to Sundsvall. - Blog with photos from Sundsvall....
. Helicopters establish contact with a foreign submarine, but are unable to fire, reportedly because civilian journalists have entered the safety area.
- Summer 1983: Submarine hunt in Töreviken.
- August 1983: Submarine hunt in the harbor area of KarlskronaKarlskronaKarlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...
and in the adjoining archipelago. Depth charges are fired inside Karlskrona harbor.
- February 9–29, 1984: Another submarine hunt in KarlskronaKarlskronaKarlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...
. 22 depth charges are fired against a suspected submarine.
- Early summer 1986: A "mysterious object" is reported "diving into the water" in Klintehamnsviken on GotlandGotlandGotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
. The sea floor is examined, and double-track trace is discovered, allegedly from a submarine vehicle, extending 1100 meters.
- June 1987: Another submarine hunt in Törefjärden.
- Summer 1987: While examining the magnetic sensors of a minefield in Kappelshamnsviken on GotlandGotlandGotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
, the military discovers "clear traces on the bottom from a tracked submarine vehicle".
- Early summer 1988: A suspected foreign submarine is noticed in Hävringebukten outside OxelösundOxelösundOxelösund is a locality and the seat of Oxelösund Municipality in Södermanland County, Sweden with 10,843 inhabitants in 2005.- History :The harbour at Oxelösund has been used for at least 500 years. In the 19th century, an increased extraction from the Mining district of Central Sweden , made...
. Submarine sounds and air venting is said to have been recorded.
- April 13, 2011: A possible foreign submarine is noticed in Baggensfjärden in NackaNackaNacka is the municipal seat of Nacka Municipality and part of Stockholm urban area in Sweden. The municipality's name harks back to an 16th century industrial operation established by the Crown at Nacka farmstead where conditions for water mills are good...
. The Swedish Armed Forces' Naval Tactical intelligence service, MTS-M2 investigated the incident. Later it was confirmed that the object was really a raft frozen in moving ice.
- September 11, 2011: An eyewitness contacts the Swedish armed forces after seeing something outside the harbor of Gotenburg that possibly could have been a foreign submarine. The Swedish navy deployed several surface warships in an attempt to locate the unknown object.
Controversy
As noted above, these events have been hotly disputed in Swedish media and by politicians and journalists active during the time. Although there were some clearly recognized cases of foreign military activity in Swedish waters (eg. band tracks on the sea floor, or most obviously the U 137), many of the supposed submarine incidents were based on intelligence reports, radar, underwater sensors, or witness statements, giving a less than full picture of the source of the disturbance.As a result, there is no clear consensus on the extent of possible infiltration, or on whether trespassing submarines were necessarily of Soviet origin. Some suggest that NATO submarines may have been responsible for the most well-known incidents, which has led to a further line of debate, on whether such submarines were secretly allowed to exit Swedish waters unpursued—that would have been in contravention of the publicly declared Swedish neutrality
Neutrality (international relations)
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
. There is also a dispute concerning sound recordings purported to be of submarine engines, which some now allege stem from natural sounds, fish, mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
, civilian vessels, etc.
The discussion also focuses on whether U 137 was sent to spy on Swedish defenses (supported by the large number of similar suspected espionage infiltrations, and by the depth to which it had penetrated), or, as its captain claimed, was lost because of a navigational error (supported by the fact that it ran aground). Furthermore, there is a debate on whether this vessel was armed with nuclear weapons. Swedish military teams are said to have registered high levels of radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
on geiger counter
Geiger counter
A Geiger counter, also called a Geiger–Müller counter, is a type of particle detector that measures ionizing radiation. They detect the emission of nuclear radiation: alpha particles, beta particles or gamma rays. A Geiger counter detects radiation by ionization produced in a low-pressure gas in a...
s when examining the stranded submarine.
Twenty years after the events, they still generate controversy in modern-day Swedish politics, with prominent politicians and former military officials active on both sides of the dispute.
Ola Tunander attributes majority of these incursions to be of NATO origin.
Cultural influence
The incursions during 1982 and 1983 form a basis for the plot of The Troubled ManThe Troubled Man
The Troubled Man is a crime fiction novel by Swedish author Henning Mankell, featuring police inspector Kurt Wallander. Mankell has announced that it is the final Wallander novel.- Synopsis :...
(Den orolige mannen), the final Kurt Wallander
Kurt Wallander
Kurt Wallander is a fictional character created by Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell. The protagonist of several mystery novels, set in and around the town of Ystad, 60 km south-east of the city of Malmö, in the southern province of Skåne...
novel written by Swedish author Henning Mankell
Henning Mankell
Henning Mankell is a Swedish crime writer, children's author, leftist activist and dramatist, best known for a series of mystery novels starring his most famous creation, Inspector Kurt Wallander.-Life and career:...
and published in 2009. Mankell considered the incursions to be one of the worst scandals in Swedish political history. Mankell’s upcoming play Politik set to debue at Stockholm City Theatre in autum 2010, also deals with the submarine incidents of the 80’s.