:HSwMS Tapperheten (1901)

{{Main|Äran-class coastal defence ship|l1= Äran-class coastal defence ship}}

Between 1880 and 1905 the Swedish Navy launched 12 coastal defence battleships, to counter the Imperial Russian Navy.{{sfn|Campbell|1979|page=360}} The {{sclass|Äran|coastal defence ship}} was a development of {{HSwMS|Dristigheten||2}} retaining the same main armament but with the secondary armament mounted in turrets to improve protection and angles of fire. Tapperheten was the third of the class to be laid down, and the first from Kockums of Malmö.{{sfn|Fleks|1997|page=14}} Originally designated armoured boats ({{lang|sv|pansarbaater}}) in Swedish, the vessels were reclassified as armoured ships ({{lang|sv|pansarskepper}}) in the 1920s.{{sfn|Roberts|1985|page=369}}

Tapperheten had an overall length of {{convert|89.7|m|ft|abbr=on}} and measured {{convert|87.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} at the waterline, a beam of {{convert|15.02|m|ft|abbr=on}} and a maximum draught of {{convert|5.3|m|ft|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Fleks|1997|page=15}} Normal displacement was {{convert|3840|LT|t|lk=in}} although, in 1912, displacement was reported as {{convert|3612|LT|t}}.{{sfn|Brassey|1912|page=236}} Eight Yarrow boilers fed steam to two sets of triple-expansion steam engines rated at {{convert|5500|shp|kW|lk=in}} driving two shafts, giving a design speed of {{convert|17|kn|lk=on}}. Two funnels were fitted. A full load of {{convert|300|LT|lk=on}} of coal was carried, which gave a design range of {{convert|2000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn}}.{{sfn|Parkes|Prendergast|1969|page=379}} During sea trials, on 4 March 1903, the ship achieved {{convert|17.7|kn}} at {{convert|5888|shp|kW}}.{{sfn|Fleks|1997|page=16}} The ship had a complement of 285 officers and ratings, later expanded to 301.{{sfn|Campbell|1979|page=361}}{{sfn|Parkes|Prendergast|1969|page=379}}

Armament consisted of two single Bofors {{convert|21|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} guns mounted in turrets on the ship's centreline, one fore and the other aft. Each of the guns weighed {{convert|10.73|LT|t|order=flip}} and could fire a {{convert|276|lb|kg|abbr=on|order=flip|adj=on}} shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|750|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}}. The mounting, designated M1894, used electric training and manual elevation.{{sfn|Friedman|2011|page=304}} Secondary armament consisted of six Bofors {{convert|15|cm|in|1|abbr=on}} guns mounted singularly in turrets amidships.{{sfn|Campbell|1979|page=361}} These guns, which had an actual calibre of {{convert|15.24|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} and weighed {{convert|7630|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, could fire a {{convert|43.4|kg|lb|abbr=on|adj=on}} shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|750|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}}. The M1899 mounting was manually trained and elevated.{{sfn|Friedman|2011|page=305}} The ship was also armed with eight single Bofors 57 mm kanon M/89B distributed around the superstructure and two submerged Elswick torpedo tubes for {{convert|45.7|cm|0|abbr=on}} torpedoes.{{sfn|Parkes|Prendergast|1969|page=379}}

Armour included a {{convert|50.43|m|ftin|abbr=on|adj=on}}-long armoured belt that was {{convert|175|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} thick amidships. It consisted of surface-hardened Krupp armour backed by {{convert|100|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} of teak. The main armament was protected by barbettes were {{convert|190|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} thick and turrets having an armouted face {{convert|190|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} thick and the remainder {{convert|140|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} thick. The secondary armament sat on barbettes protected by {{convert|100|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} nickel-steel armour, the turrets having a face {{convert|125|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} thick, sides {{convert|60|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} thick and a roof {{convert|48|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} thick. The conning tower was protected by {{convert|175|mm|in|abbr=on|1|adj=on}} armour.{{sfn|Fleks|1997|page=15}} Flat to the belt was deck armour that was {{convert|2|in|abbr=on|adj=on|order=flip}} thick.{{sfn|Parkes|Prendergast|1969|page=379}} Two {{convert|90|cm|in|abbr=on}} searchlights and a {{convert|2|m|ftin|abbr=on}} rangefinder were later fitted.{{sfn|Fleks|1997|page=15}}

{{stack|File:HMS Tapperheten.jpg}}

Tapperheten was ordered from Kokums in October 1898 at a cost of SEK 2,390,000.{{sfn|Fleks|1997|page=14}} The vessel was the second to be named {{lang|sv|Tapperheten}}, meaning courage, the first being a ship of the line launched by the same shipyard in 1785. Laid down on 12 October, the ship was launched on 7 November 1901 and completed in 1902.{{sfn|Fleks|1997|page=16}} The ship was commissioned into the coastal defence fleet based at Karlskrona.{{sfn|Gard|Becker|1966|page=134}}{{sfn|Westerlund|1992|page=96}}

On 3 August 1907, the vessel joined with {{HSwMS|Oscar II||2}} and two other ships of the Swedish Navy at a naval review by Edward VII in The Solent.{{cite news| title=The Home Fleet: To-day's Inspection by the King| newspaper=The Times| date=3 August 1907| issue=38402 | page=6}} Four days later the ship led the squadron into Portsmouth where the sailors were hosted by staff of the Royal Naval Barracks and HMS Excellent.{{cite news| title=Naval And Military Intelligence: The Swedish Squadron at Portsmouth| newspaper=The Times| date=7 August 1907| issue=38405 | page=8}} On 28 January 1914, Tapperheten ran aground off the coast of the island of Sandön while manoeuvring in the Stockholm Archipelago.{{cite news| title=Swedish Battleship Aground| newspaper=The Times| date=29 January 1914| issue=40433 | page=6}} Despite numerous attempts, it was not possible to refloat the ship until 10 July. During this time, the vessel was repeatedly battered by waves and yet stayed generally unharmed with all bulkheads remaining watertight and the hull in good condition, gaining the nickname {{lang|sv|Fastigheten}}, or Permanence, in the process. After a short repair, Tapperheten was recommissioned into the coastal defence fleet, the process sped up due to the ongoing First World War. The cost of the damage and repair was SEK 1,340,808.{{sfn|Fleks|1997|page=16}} The ship served for the remainder of the conflict protect the nation's trade routes and shipping fleet due to Sweden's neutrality in the war.{{sfn|Agius|2013|page=68}} In 1927, the warship received a second nickname, {{lang|sv|Tappaankarheten}}, meaning anchor losing, in honour of the loss of an anchor in the English Channel.{{sfn|Fleks|1997|page=16}}

At the start of the Second World War, the warship was used as a flagship.{{sfn|Westerlund|1992|page=96}} The ship's weaponry was considered outdated and so was upgraded between 1939 and 1940.{{sfn|Fleks|1997|page=16}} The torpedo tubes were removed and four {{convert|57|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} and two {{convert|25|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} anti-aircraft guns added.{{sfn|Gard|Becker|1966|page=134}} The vessel was transferred to Karlskrona.{{sfn|Holmquist|1972|page=208}} On 17 September 1941, the warship was at anchor at Hårsfjärden when the destroyer {{HSwMS|Göteborg|J5|2}} exploded in the Hårsfjärden disaster. Tapperheten was undamaged in the incident.{{sfn|Brook|Godwin|Palmstierne|1974|page=412}} During that year, the vessel was allocated to the squadron based at Stockholm, before returning to Karlskrona the following year.{{sfn|Fleks|1997|page=17}} After the war, Sweden decided to retire the whole fleet of coastal defence ships. On 13 July 1947, Tapperheten was taken out of service and, in 1952, was sold to AB Vrng to be broken up at Oxelösund.{{sfn|Fleks|1997|page=17}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book | last=Agius | first=Christine | title=The Social Construction of Swedish Neutrality: Challenges to Swedish Identity and Sovereignty | location=Manchester | publisher=Manchester University Press | year=2013 | isbn=978-1-84779-199-3}}
• {{cite journal | editor-last=Brassey | editor-first=Thomas | title=II List of British and Foreign Ships. Ordinance Tables | journal=The Naval Annual 1912 | year=1912 | location=Portsmouth | publisher=J. Griffin & Co. | pages=177–268 | oclc=1118005447 | author-link=Thomas Brassey, 2nd Earl Brassey}}
• {{cite journal | last1=Brook | first1=P. | last2=Godwin | first2=C. | last3=Palmstierne | first3=C. | title=Swedish Naval Disaster | journal=Warship International | volume=11 | number=4 | year=1974 | pages=412–413 | jstor=44890771 | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44890771}}
• {{cite book | last=Campbell | first=N J M | chapter=Sweden | pages=360–363 | editor1-last=Gardiner | editor1-first=Robert | year=1979 | title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905 | publisher=Conway Maritime Press | location=London | isbn=978-0-85177-133-5 | url-access=registration | url = https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2}}
• {{cite book | last=Fleks | first=Adam | title=Od Svea Do Drottning Victoria | trans-title=From Svea to Drottning Victoria | location=Tarnowskie Góry | publisher=Okręty Wojenne | year=1997 | isbn=978-8-39022-748-1 | oclc=401825394 | url=https://archive.org/details/ow005odsveadodrottningvictoria | language=PL}}
• {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=Naval Weapons of World War One: Guns, Torpedoes, Mines and ASW Weapons of All Nations; An Illustrated Directory|publisher= Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley, UK |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-84832-100-7 |author-link=Norman Friedman}}
• {{cite journal | last1=Gard | first1=Bertil | last2=Becker | first2=William A. B | title=Scandinavian Coast Defense Ships: Part I – Sweden | journal=Warship International | volume=3 | number=2 |year=1966 | pages=130–139 | jstor=44885673 | url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/44885673}}
• {{cite book | last=Holmquist | first=Åke |title=Flottans beredskap 1938-1940 | trans-title=Fleet Readiness 1938–1940 | location=Uddevalla | publisher=Bohusläningens AB | year=1972 |language=SV | isbn=978-9-13800-216-2}}
• {{cite book | last1=Parkes | first1=Oscar | last2=Prendergast | first2=Maurice | title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1919 | publisher=David & Charles | location=Newton Abbott | year=1969 | oclc=907574860}}
• {{cite book | last=Roberts | first=John | chapter=Sweden | pages=355–363 | editor1-last=Gardiner | editor1-first=Robert | editor2-last=Gray | editor2-first=Randal | title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 | publisher=Conway Maritime Press | location=London | year=1985 | isbn=978-0-85177-245-5}}
• {{cite book | last=Westerlund | first=Karl-Erik | title=Svenska Örlogsfartyg 1855–1905 | trans-title=Swedish Naval Ships 1855–1905 | location=Karlskrona | publisher=Abrahamson | year=1992 | isbn=978-9-18707-213-0 | language=SV}}

{{Äran class coastal defence ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tapperhetten}}

Category:1901 ships

Category:Äran-class coastal defence ships

Category:Ships built in Malmö

Category:World War II naval ships of Sweden