The Hårsfjärden disaster was an event in the

Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy ( sv, Svenska marinen) is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet () – as well as marine units, the Amphibious Corps (). In Swedish, vessels o ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. A series of accidental explosions, it caused by far the worst damage to Swedish Navy units during the era of that war, in which Sweden was not a combatant. The disaster occurred on 17 September 1941. Three Swedish Navy

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 ...

s were berthed in Hårsfjärden fjord near Stockholm when the torpedoes or oil tanks of exploded; flames then also enveloped and in an inferno. The three destroyers were sunk, and thirty-three sailors killed, a major blow to the Swedish Navy. All three ships were later raised. ''Klas Uggla'' never again saw service; the other two ships did, after repairs. An investigation into possible sabotage commenced. Theories also emerged that the cause was a bomb dropped accidentally by a Swedish plane on training maneuvers, or a torpedo demonstration gone wrong. But the cause was never established.

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