H.M Jagare Visby of the Visby class / Modifierad stadsjagare class (1942)
- Yes
- No
- 3.3
- 3.7
- 4.0
- I said no
H.M Jagare Visby (11) was one of 4 destroyers built of the Visby class, also known as the “Modifierad stadsjagare” class, for the Swedish navy during WW2. H.M Jagare Visby was the first of the Visby class destroyers and wore the number (11). She was launched in 1942, which is the form i am suggesting, and delivered to the Swedish navy in 1943 where she saw service as neutrality watch and used for the escorting of other ships until the end of ww2.
History and related info
Built by AB Götaverken at a shipyard in Gothenburg, she and the rest of her class were built on the idea of the preceding Göteborg class of destroyers with the mission of improving the design, therefore receiving the name “Modified City Destroyers” as an alternative to the “Visby class” (The Göteborg class was alternatively called the “City destroyer class” due to the ships being named after Swedish cities).
The Göteborg class ship H.M Jagare Göteborg, you can really see the likeness of the classes.
The Visby class improved the design by extending the stern by around 3 meters and replacing the rounded “Cruiser stern” design with a flat “Square stern” for increased buoyancy and mobility aswell as cutting down the engine power necessary for achieving the top speed of 39 knots.
The cannon in the middle of the ship was placed on a raised platform for better firing angles and general performance as well as allowing the funnels closer together.
Back to the Visby though, she was launched in 1942 in Gothenburg delivered to the Swedish navy in 1943 where she preformed well as a destroyer (and deterrent), she saw service as neutrality watch and used for the escorting of other ships until the end of ww2 where she returned to harbor to be brought out during exercises and general peacetime ship activities.
Cool photo of her forward 12cm cannon and bridge.
In 1965, H.M Jagare Visby and her sisters were reclassified as frigates and received a complete makeover, The Visby and Sundsvall however received the biggest changes. Replacing the three main 12cm artillery were two 57mm cannons, A quad Squid anti-submarine mortar, and more depth charge racks , othe modifications such as modifications to the radar and fire control systems as well as the addition of a helicopter platform were also made. She would see this form until her decommissioning in 1982, where she met her death as a target for an RBS 15 Anti shipping missile, later to be scrapped in Spain.
Visby and Sundsvall as frigates right after they were decommissioned, 1982 (Submarine HMS Valen cameo)
As i am suggesting her original 1942 form, the stats will reflect that, not the 1965 frigate refit.
Armament and general stats
Length: 97,5 meters
Beam: 9,2 meters
Draft: 3,8 meter
Deplacement: 1320 ton
Thanks to three oil-fired Penhoët A boilers generating steam for two 36,000 hp de Laval steam turbines, the ships maximum speed became 39 knots.
The ships main armament consisted of three 12 cm m/24C guns, each with a firing rate of 10 rounds a minute. They could fire either 42 kg HE shells with a velocity of 900 mps, or Illuminating “Star Shells” rounds, unfortunately those have no effect on enemy ships other than perhaps confusion so they’re irrelevant.
The anti-aircraft armament was four 40 mm Bofors m/36, two single and one double mount.
Four 20 mm AA Cannons m/40 and Two 8mm machine guns m/36.
Secondary armament included six 53.3 cm torpedo tubes m/30 in triple racks, two depth charge racks m/24, two depth charge throwers m/33, sixteen depth charges m/30, and 40 - 46 sea mines.
The Complement was around 155 men.
Her armament layout, its in Swedish but i think you’ll be able to figure it out.
Sjunkbombsfällare = Depth charge racks
Sjunkbombskastare = Depth charge throwers
Förlig Avståndsmätare = Forward rangefinder
Akterlig Avståndsmätare = Rear rangefinder
Minräls = Minerail
The rest should be obvious.
Quick note, some may be confused on why she is called “H.M Jagare Visby” and not “HMS Visby” or “HSwMS Visby”. Earlier Swedish ships, aka those who were built before the year 1950 were named
(Hans Majestäts - Type of ship - Name of ship), it wasn’t until 1950 that the simple HMS (Hans Majestäts Skepp) saw its use.
