HSwMS Hvalen

HSwMS Hvalen was a submarine of the Swedish Navy. Constructed in Italy, the submarine sailed the entire way to Sweden for her commissioning unaccompanied.^[1] In October 1915 she became involved in a diplomatic incident between neutral Sweden, and Germany, which was then engaged in fighting Britain in the First World War. Following a series of sinkings of German cargo ships and naval vessels in the Baltic Sea by British submarines entering the Baltic through the (Swedish-controlled) Öresund straits, a German warship opened fire on Hvalen killing a crew-member.^[2] According to the captain of the Hvalen, she was flying the Swedish naval flag and in Swedish home waters at the time she was fired on.^[3] Compensation was later paid to the widow of the crew-member and an apology was issued.^[4]

See also

• Hvalen incident

Citations

1. Gardiner and Gray 1985, p. 361.
2. https://flottansman.se/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/FM-nr-1-2022-14-febr-klar-LAG.pdf
3. "SWEDISH SUBMARINE SHELLED IN HOME WATERS; Hvalen Flying Own Flag and Weather Clear When Germans Fired, Says Captain". The New York Times. 22 October 1915. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
4. Aselius, Gunnar (7 November 2019). The Danish Straits and German Naval Power, 1905-1918. Militargeschichtliches Forschungsampt. p. 134. ISBN 9783941571112.

References

• Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1986). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.