Turunmaa class gunboat
Encyclopedia
The Turunmaa class fast gunboats (Finnish
: Turunmaa-luokan tykkivene) was a type of vessel, previously operated by the Finnish Navy
in the ASW
and trade protection roles. Internationally they were labeled as corvette
s.
's Hietalahti shipyard in Helsinki
.
In 1985-86 both ships were refitted, and the entire fire-control and communications systems were updated.
FNS Karjala has been berthed since 2002 at the maritime museum Forum Marinum in Turku
as a museum ship
next to Suomen Joutsen
. FNS Turunmaa was stripped of armaments and served as a floating machine shop and training ship for Satakunta Polytechnics. Currently the Turunmaa is being refitted for civilian use. Neither vessel is currently owned by the Finnish Navy.
The ships were ordered in 1963, launched in 1968, commissioned in 1969 and decommissioned in 2002. The leading vessel was named after the turuma
frigates serving in the Archipelago Fleet
in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
: Turunmaa-luokan tykkivene) was a type of vessel, previously operated by the Finnish Navy
Finnish Navy
The Finnish Navy is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS" simply short for "Finnish Navy Ship"...
in the ASW
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
and trade protection roles. Internationally they were labeled as corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s.
History
Development of the class started in 1963. Five hull designs and over thirty propulsion variants were looked at during development. At the time, the electronics of the vessels, and the propulsion system were state of the art and attracted international attention. Both vessels were built by WärtsiläWärtsilä
Wärtsilä is a Finnish corporation which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets. The core products of Wärtsilä include large combustion engines...
's Hietalahti shipyard in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
.
In 1985-86 both ships were refitted, and the entire fire-control and communications systems were updated.
FNS Karjala has been berthed since 2002 at the maritime museum Forum Marinum in Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
as a museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
next to Suomen Joutsen
Suomen Joutsen
Suomen Joutsen is a three-mast, steel hull, full rigged ship. She was built in 1902 in St. Nazaire, France to serve in the trade between Atlantic and Pacific ports. In 1930, she was bought by the Government of Finland to serve as a Finnish Navy training ship. Before World War II she made eight...
. FNS Turunmaa was stripped of armaments and served as a floating machine shop and training ship for Satakunta Polytechnics. Currently the Turunmaa is being refitted for civilian use. Neither vessel is currently owned by the Finnish Navy.
The ships were ordered in 1963, launched in 1968, commissioned in 1969 and decommissioned in 2002. The leading vessel was named after the turuma
Turuma
A turuma was a type of warship built for the Swedish archipelago fleet in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was developed for warfare in the Archipelago Sea and along the coasts of Svealand and Finland against the Russian navy...
frigates serving in the Archipelago Fleet
Archipelago fleet
The archipelago fleet , officially the fleet of the army , was a branch of the armed services of Sweden between 1756 and 1823. Its purpose was to protect the coasts of Sweden, which was surrounded by a natural barrier of archipelagoes...
in the 18th and 19th centuries.
External links
- Finnish gunship FNS Turunmaa (1968) Photos (Flickr)
- Turun Sanomat newspaper archive
- The Finnish Navy's announcement of FNS Karjala's pending museum ship status
- MTV3.fi's news article from 2001
- Corvette Karjala @ Forum Marinum
- GN113 Warbird Consulting Ltd Current owner of Turunmaa. Includes pictures.