Hårsfjärden Disaster
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Hårsfjärden disaster was an event in the
Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy () is the maritime service branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet (), formally sometimes referred to as the Royal Navy () – as well as marine units, the Amph ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. 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, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
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.


References


Further reading

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harsfjarden disaster Sweden in World War II Naval history of Sweden Ship fires Explosions in 1941 Non-combat naval accidents 1941 in Sweden Maritime incidents in September 1941 20th century in Stockholm County