HDMS ''Sælen'' (S323) (or KDM ''Sælen'' ) is one of the three ''Tumleren''-class small

coastal submarine A coastal submarine or littoral submarine is a small, maneuverable submarine with a shallow draft (hull), draft well suited to navigating coastal channels and harbors. Although size is not precisely defined, coastal submarines are larger than mi ...

s of the

Royal Danish Navy The Royal Danish Navy (, ) is the Naval warfare, sea-based branch of the Danish Armed Forces force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Denmark, Danish territorial waters (incl. Faroe Islands and ...

History

She was built as a Type 207 submarine by Rheinstahl-Nordseewerke of Emden, Germany in 1965 for the

Royal Norwegian Navy The Royal Norwegian Navy () is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for navy, naval operations of Norway, including those of the Norwegian Coast Guard. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 i ...

and served for 25 years as HNoMS ''Uthaug'' before being purchased by

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

in 1990, and renamed after the

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

. Her international call sign is OUCJ. On 4 December 1990, ''Sælen'' sank in the

Kattegat The Kattegat (; ; ) is a sea area bounded by the peninsula of Jutland in the west, the Danish straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the Swedish provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Scania in Swede ...

off Hesselø while being towed from

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...

. On 17 December, she was raised by the German floating crane ''Roland'' and taken to

for repair. On 10 August 1993, diving approval was issued and the boat was recommissioned. ''Sælen'' served in the 2003 invasion of Iraq from May 2002 until June 2003. To speed her return to her homeport of

Frederikshavn Frederikshavn () is a Danish town in Frederikshavn municipality, Region Nordjylland, on the northeast coast on the North Jutlandic Island in northern Denmark. Its name translates to "Frederik's harbor". It was originally named Fladstrand. The ...

after 385 days of deployment in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

and the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

, she was transported on board the heavy-lift ship ''Grietje''.

Museum ship

After her return from the

, ''Sælen'' was decommissioned and handed over to the

Royal Danish Naval Museum The Royal Danish Naval Museum ( Danish: Orlogsmuseet) is a museum dedicated to the history of the Royal Danish Navy. The displays include a collection of naval models which dates back to late 17th century. The museum is based in '' Søkvæsthuset' ...

. ''Sælen'' is now on the hard at the old navy headquarters at Holmen in central

where she is open to visitors.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saelen (S323) Ships in the National Museum of Denmark Museum ships in Copenhagen Kobben-class submarines Ships built in Emden 1965 ships Tumleren-class submarines Maritime incidents in 1990 Museum ships in Denmark

History

Museum ship

See also

References