The Finnish S-class torpedo boats was a series of six ex-
Russian torpedo boats that had been taken over by the
Finns
Finns or Finnish people ( fi, suomalaiset, ) are a Baltic Finnic ethnic group native to Finland.
Finns are traditionally divided into smaller regional groups that span several countries adjacent to Finland, both those who are native to these ...
after the
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...
and the
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War; . Other designations: Brethren War, Citizen War, Class War, Freedom War, Red Rebellion and Revolution, . According to 1,005 interviews done by the newspaper ''Aamulehti'', the most popular names were as follows: Civil W ...
.
''S1'' through ''S5'' belonged to the Russian
''Sokol''-class torpedo boat destroyers, while ''S6'' was of the smaller
Modified ''Ussuri'' class (also called
Modified ''Sungari'' class) torpedo boats.
Ships of the class
;''S1'': ex-''Ryaniy'' (Рьяный = eager) and ex-''Sova'' (Сова = owl); shipyard number: 112) was a Russian
torpedo boat destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in 1 ...
(officially was classified as a torpedo boat at first and later a squadron torpedo boat), which was taken over by the Finns after the Finnish Civil War in 1918. She was sunk as a training
target
Target may refer to:
Physical items
* Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports
** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports
** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...
in 1930.
;: ex-''Prozorlivij'' (Прозорливый = sharp) and ex-''Gagara'' (Gagara = loon) in Russian service. Taken over by the Finns after the Finnish Civil War in 1918. Lost in a storm on 4 October 1925, with the loss of all hands.
;''S3'': ex-''Poslushniy'' (Послушный = obedient) and ex-''Korshun'' (Коршун = Kite) in Russian service; shipyard number: 101) was taken over by the Finns after the Finnish Civil War in 1918. The ship was returned to
Soviet Russia in 1922 in accordance to the
Tartu peace treaty of 1920. She was scrapped in 1925.
;''S4'': ex-''Rezviy'' (Резвый = frisky) and ex-''Voron'' (Ворон = raven) in Russian service; shipyard number: 109) was taken over by the Finns after the Finnish Civil War in 1918. The ship was returned to Soviet Russia in 1922 in accordance to the Tartu peace treaty of 1920. She was scrapped in 1925.
;''S5'': ex-''Podvishniy'' (Подвижный = mobile) and ex-''Albatros'' (Альбатрос = albatros; shipyard number: 99) was taken over by the Finns after the Finnish Civil War in 1918. She was used as a decoy target during the
Continuation War and was anchored at Pellinge. She was scuttled in shallow water (so that the deck still was above the surface) and a large number of
anti-aircraft guns were scattered on the nearby islands. In this manner the Finns hoped to lure the
Soviet Air Forces
The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
to attack the . No aircraft were however sent there.
;''S6'': ex-''Torpedo boat № 212'' (Миноносец No. 212) was a Russian seagoing torpedo boat (officially was classified as a torpedo boat), which acted as a
minesweeper during World War I. She was taken over by the Finns after the Finnish Civil War in 1918 and returned to Soviet Russia in 1922 in accordance to the Tartu peace treaty of 1920. The S6 was not of the same class as the other S-boats, but of the smaller Modified ''Ussuri'' class.
Sources
*
*{{cite journal , last1=Joutsi , first1=Juha , title=The ''Sokol'' Class Torpedo Boats in Finnish Service , journal=Warship International , date=September 2021 , volume=LVIII , issue=3 , pages=206–214 , issn=0043-0374
Torpedo boat classes