Gothenburg Squadron

Gothenburg Squadron
Göteborgseskadern
Active	1939–1951
Country	Sweden
Branch	Swedish Navy
Type	Maritime security, mine clearance
Role	Training unit
Size	Squadron
Garrison/HQ	Gothenburg

Military unit

Gothenburg Squadron (Swedish: Göteborgseskadern, GE) was a naval squadron of the Swedish Navy which has operated in various forms from 1939 to 1951. The unit was based at Gothenburg naval base at Nya Varvet in Gothenburg.^[1]^[2]

History

The oldest written evidence of a naval station in Gothenburg dates from 1523, when Gustav Vasa based a number of smaller ships at Old Älvsborg Fortress.^[3] The Gothenburg Squadron was discontinued in 1959, and its war organization was partly taken over by the Third Squadron (Tredje eskadern). In the peace organization, the newly formed 6th Mine Clearance Department (6. minröjningsavdelningen, 6. mröjA), which was to be placed at the Gullmarn base in Skredsvik, took over the tasks from the Gothenburg Squadron.^[1]

World War II

During the fall of 1939, the Gothenburg Squadron consisted of the following ships:^[4]

Coastal defence ships: Manligheten
Destroyers: Wrangel and Wachtmeister
Submarines: Hajen, Sälen and Valrossen
Minesweepers: Starkodder and Styrbjörn
Gunboats: Skagerack
Patrol boats: 2 x type I and 6 x type II

In September, the squadron was strengthened with the Coastal Fleet's destroyers Klas Horn and Göteborg as well as two submarines.^[5]

Full compilation of the Gothenburg Squadron's naval forces during World War II^[6]
Ship type	Fall of 1939	9 April 1940	Spring of 1941	Spring of 1942	29 July 1943	Spring of 1944	Spring of 1945
Coastal defence ships	Manligheten	Manligheten	Manligheten	Manligheten	Manligheten	Manligheten	Manligheten
Cruisers				Fylgia
Destroyers	Wrangel Wachtmeister	Wrangel Wachtmeister	Wrangel Wachtmeister Psilander Puke	Wrangel Wachtmeister Psilander Puke	Wrangel Wachtmeister Psilander Puke	Puke Klas Horn Karlskrona Göteborg	Klas Horn Göteborg
Auxiliary barracks ships				Tjelvar	Tjelvar	Tjelvar
Depot ships							Jacob Bagge
Salvage ships							Isbrytaren II
Submarines	Hajen Sälen Valrossen	Hajen Sälen Valrossen	Hajen Sälen Valrossen	Springaren Delfinen Nordkaparen Ulven Gripen Draken	Springaren Delfinen Nordkaparen Gripen Draken	Springaren Delfinen Nordkaparen Gripen Draken U 4 U 5 U 6	U 7 U 8 U 9
Minesweepers	Starkodder Styrbjörn	Starkodder Styrbjörn	Koster Kullen Vinga Ven Starkodder Styrbjörn	Koster Kullen Vinga Ven Starkodder Styrbjörn	Koster Kullen Vinga Ven Starkodder Styrbjörn	Koster Kullen Vinga Ven Starkodder Styrbjörn	Koster Vinga Ven Starkodder Styrbjörn
Auxiliary cruisers		Hjkr 10 Fidra
Auxiliary gunboats	Skagerack	Skagerack Odin	Skagerack Odin	Skagerack Odin	Skagerack Odin	Skagerack Odin	Skagerack Odin
M-boats					4x	6x	5x
Motor Torpedo Boats					6x	3x	4x
Patrol boats							Thetis Astrea
Auxiliary patrol boat type I	2x	2x	2x	2x			2x
Auxiliary patrol boat type II	6x	12x	18x	12x	12x	12x	12x

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b Kjellander 2007, p. 35
^ "Göteborgsavdelningen (Göteborgseskadern), stabsexpeditionen > Se förteckning" (in Swedish). National Archives of Sweden. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
^ "Göteborgs eskader och örlogsstation 1523-1870". www.gsgbg.se (in Swedish). Garnisonssällskapet Göteborg. Archived from the original on 12 August 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
^ Lagvall 1991, p. 19
^ Holmquist 1972, p. 198
^ Lagvall 1991

Print

Kjellander, Rune (2007). Svenska marinens högre chefer 1700-2005: chefsbiografier och befattningsöversikter samt Kungl Örlogsmannasällskapets ämbetsmän och ledamöter 1771-2005 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Probus. ISBN 978-91-87184-83-3. SELIBR 10452099.
Lagvall, Bertil (1991). Flottans neutralitetsvakt 1939-1945: krönika. Marinlitteraturföreningen, 0348-2405 ; 71 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Marinlitteraturfören. ISBN 91-85944-05-X. SELIBR 7753511.
Holmquist, Åke (1972). Flottans beredskap 1938-1940. Sverige under andra världskriget, 99-0108326-5 (in Swedish). Stockholm. ISBN 91-38-00216-7. SELIBR 7257422.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)