hms stickleback: swedish navy special forces

Spiggen (Stickleback)

Small, but viciously and fearlessly defending its domain!This picture gallery briefly documents some of the history and details about this curious little water-dwelling fellow, who from 1958 to 1975 could be frequently spotted in the Stockholm Archipelago, Baltic Sea(specifically, around the two islands named Märsgarn and Vitsgarn!)

Builder: Vickers & Armstrong Ltd., Barrow, EnglandDimensions: Length 15.4 m, Beam 1.75 m, Draft 1.8 mDisplacement: Surface 27 ton, submerged 30 tonSurface power: Single 42 hp Gardner dieselDive power: Single 30 hp Gardner electric motor/generatorSpeed: Surface 6.5 knots, submerged 5.5 knotsMax dive depth: 90 mRange: Surface 1 500 nm, submerged 60 nmCrew: 4 (skipper, navigator, engineer, diver)Weaponry: 2×2 ton time-fused amatol, limpet mines

HMS Spiggen Predecessors:“X-Craft” Submarines X5 to X10

Unidentified British X5 Class Midget Submarine

Unidentified British X5 Class Midget Submarine

Midget Submarine XE-7

Biggest Catch: Schlachtshiff Tirpitz (41 000 ton)Operation Source Midget Subs: X5, X6, and X7

Kåfjord, Norway, September 22-27, 1943

Builder: Vickers & Armstrong Ltd., Barrow (Yard 1027)Dimensions: Length 16.4 m, beam 1.8 m, draft 2.2 mDisplacement: Surface 36 ton, submerged 41 tonSurface engine: Single 50 hp Perkins P6 (6 cylinder diesel)Dive engine: Single 44 hp electric motor/generatorSpeed: Surface 7 knots, submerged 6 knotsMax dive depth: 100 mRange: Surface 1 860 nm, submerged 80 nmCrew: 5 (Skipper, navigator, engineer, two divers)Weaponry: 2×2 ton time fused amatol, limpet mines

The X50 Midget Submarine Class

X51: HMS Stickleback (launched July 1954), sold to the

Royal Swedish Navy in 1958, renamed HMS Spiggen

Since 1977 in Imperial War Museum, Duxford, UK

X52: HMS Shrimp (launched October 1954)

X53: HMS Sprat (launched 30 December 1954)

X54: HMS Minnow (launched 5 May 1955)

The X50 “Stickleback” Class

Very early picture of (what was to become) HMS Stickleback

Photo courtesy Barrow Museum Service Image Archive

HMS Stickleback, under construction (1954)Photo courtesy Barrow Museum Service Image Archive

Photo courtesy Barrow Museum Service Image Archive

X 51 ready for trials (1954)

Photo courtesy Barrow Museum Service Image Archive

The very first X 51 (future HMS Stickleback) crew, 1954

Photo courtesy Barrow Museum Service Image Archive

X51 Trial runs (not yet named HMS Stickleback (1954))

X-52, HMS Shrimp, sister sub of HMS Stickleback

X52: HMS Shrimp (launched October 1954)

Photo courtesy Barrow Museum Service Image Archive

After successful trial runs, named HMS Stickleback (1954))

Unidentified British X50 Class Midget Submarine(Possibly, HMS Stickleback or HMS Shrimp)

HMS Stickleback, next to S/S Queen Mary (1956)

HMS Stickleback, bound for Sweden (1957)

HMS Stickleback, delivered to Sweden (1957)

HMS Spiggen (ex HMS Stickleback), was an X50 class midget sub, the successor of the very successful X5 class of Tirpitz and operation Source fame. A nasty saying among old divers is that the attack (combat) diver teams operating from Spiggen were so successful in embarrassing officers of the large surface ships that Spiggen was sold back to the UK to put a stop to that. It is also sometimes said that their success is the reason why the surface fleet "forgot" the midget sub-marine threat, which may explain the lack of technology and expertise to hunt midget submarines active in the Baltic Sea in the early 1980's.

Attack divers use rebreathers in order to avoid tell-tale bubbles, and the rebreather system size is critical for successful submerged diver exit and entrance from and into the submarine. During field trials, the AGA Oxymatic system was beaten by the Dräger Norge II, primarily due to the smaller size of the Norge II and thus easier entrance/exit from the very cramped middle chamber of Spiggen (the wet/dry compartment, used for lock-in/out, and which incidentally also served as “the john”).

HMS Spiggen, Surface Cruising(Left to right: Högbåtsman Kulis, Furir Bergkrantz, Löjtnant Kihl)

HMS Spiggen surfacing during a Mysingen training mission(Note the rope: Getting ready for being towed by HMS Kanholmsfjärd)

HMS Kanholmsfjärd(“Mothership” for HMS Spiggen)

HMS Spiggen and her beautiful “mothership” HMS Kanholmsfjärd(Attracting public attention while negotiating a lock during a Göta Kanal passage)

Photo CourtesyJan Fält (1962)

HMS Spiggen, under tow by HMS Kanholmsfjärd

HMS Spiggen, Cruising around “Hårsan”

HMS Spiggen: An Insider’s ViewPeriscope (center) Down

The aft compartment was shared by Skipper, Navigator, and Engineer: It was cramped!Picture taken from the lock/head, looking aft. The weaponry (two divers) were tagging along, lying flat down in the battery room (bow compartment), fully dressed in dry suits

“Highboatswain” Sture Alexandersson, EngineerServed for many years on board HMS Spiggen. A super great guy!

HMS Kanholmsfjärd and HMS Spiggen Märsgarn Island, Hårsfjärden Navy Base

The “angry frog,” dynamite stick in hand, puffing away on a fat cigar, is Moses (old Hebrew name, meaning “pulled from the water”), mascot of the Attack Divers

HMS Kanholmsfjärd and HMS Spiggen Moored somewhere in the Stockholm archipelago

HMS Spiggen, prepared for hoisting…

HMS Spiggen being hoisted for shipping

Ur Veckorevyn (1958)

HMS Spiggen meets M/S Volkswagen (Södertälje Canal, 1957)

Photo: Volkswagen Group Sweden, Inc.

”Submarine For Sale” is a song written by Ulf Peder Olrog, first time recorded by Lasse Krantz (1945). It dreamed about going to Uppsala, by submarine, via the Fyris River... Well, HMS Spiggen actually made this happen, in the summer of 1958!

Photo: Reportagebild

Trollhätte Kanal (late fifties)

Nice Model of HMS Spiggen (X-51)

HMS Spiggen (Same X-51 Model)

HMS Spiggen (Same X-51 Model)

Image courtesy Leif “Flinta” Ehnemark (Attack Diver 1961/62)

Royal Swedish Navy Combat Diver “Logo”

HMS Spiggen Memorabilia(To the unknown creator of this background picture: Please drop me an email!)

The Royal Swedish Navy Combat Diver(Training Program Modeled After the US Navy UDT/SEAL)

According to some, “the only offensive Swedish weapon”…

Photo CourtesyBengt Hermansson (1962)

The Weaponry of HMS Spiggen:

Dräger “Norge II” Oxygen Rebreather System

Pressure reductionand demand valve

Oxygen storage2L @ 200 Kg/cm2

“One-way” breathing mouthpiece

Overflow valve

CO2 absorbant container

Oxygen flow

The Klepper model Aerius II was introduced in 1951 and is still in production (in 2006). In 1956, Dr. Hannes Lindemann crossed the Atlantic Ocean in an Aerius II, proof of the Aerius's great integrity and seaworthiness. Its light weight and non-metallic construction has made the Aerius the kayak of choice of several military Special Forces. Nautiraid of France produces a special model for military use, as do Klepper and Long Haul, who supply the Swedish/German and US Special Forces, respectively. I bought my Klepper Aerius II in California, in 1988 (now equipped with a great new feature: indestructible seat cushions!)

Surface Transport: A Folding Kayak (!)

Length 500 cmWidth 85 cmWeight 50 kg

Main transport: Klepper Aerius II Folding Kayak

Packs neatly into two canvas (”long” and “short”) bags, which can be easily carried (and taken in/out of Spiggen’s wet/dry compartment)

With my Klepper (P/V Isokelekel) in Micronesia

Thirty years later…

Grenade Launcher GRG M/48Carl-Gustaf

Navy Attack Diver Combat Weapons (1964)

Automatic Rifle AG M/52

HandGrenade

Knife M/56

Limpet(Magnetic)

Mine

Submachine gun (Kpist) M/45 9 mm

Pistol M/07 9 mm(Browning/Husqvarna)

Pistol M/40 9 mm(Husqvarna)

Light Machine Gun M/52-BCarl Gustav

Attack Diver recruits, class of 1964-65 (April 1964)Out of 16 hopefuls, 7 made it… (Instructor: Håkan Ågren)

Kanothuset (the kayak shack), Märsgarn Island

April 1964: 16 Aspiring Attack Divers

By April 1965, 10 remained:

Lindquist Andersson ? Östlund ? Berg Danneker Forsberg

Norman Carlsson Palmberg Kihl Svensson Hagman Evinger ?

Close Combat (Kpist m/45) Drill (Instructor: Allan Mann)

Instructors for the divers of 1962/63 (Trained my brother to top-of-class)

Leif “Flinta” EhnemarkAttack Diver 1961/62

Göran “Sucko” ReimerAttack Diver 1961/62

Lasse "13" Ljungqvist Kent "90" Sjögren

Swedish Navy Attack Divers (Contingent 1961/62)

Attack diver barracks,The Kayak Shack,

HMS Spiggen Home Port

Attack Diver Endurance Trial:Long distance surface swim route,~ 10 km (dry suit & “Duck Feet”)

Hårsfjärdens Örlogsbas(Stockholm Archipelago)

Training Grounds,Sports Field

Navy Attack Diver, Surfacing Somewhere…

Oxygen rebreather apparatus: Dräger “NORGE II”

“Cast and Recovery” Training

High-speed diver drop-off and pick-up, in full Attack Diver gear

Navy Attack Diver Winter Pleasures

Typical Start of a Friday Afternoon Training Race (1963)

“Medley races,” usually involving kayak navigation, swimming, under water navigation, cross-country running. and other “pain filled” activities. Silent transport in folding kayaks (Klepper II).

(In the background, HMS Göta Lejon, Swedish Navy cruiser/battleship)

Emergency Submarine Evacuation Training (Karlskrona):A 22 m deep circular pool, on top of a pressure chamber

Test to pass to become Attack Diver: Free dive to depth of 20 meter (65 feet).The instructors were mostly Attack Divers from the class of previous year.

Janne Appa

Björn KihlSpiggen class of 64

Photo CourtesyBjörn Kihl (2003)

Nils “Nisse” Planck: My Dive Buddy 1964/65Navy submariner by profession. Together with myself, Swedish Champion in Under Water

Orienteering, 1964. A good friend, funny and fearless—The best buddy one could ever ask for!

Photo CourtesyNils Planck (2003)

Photo Courtesywww.soundcloud.com

Jan-Olov “Janne” Norman, Attack Diver 1962/63My older brother! At age 66, he earned the Ocean Kayak Paddlers Blue Ribbon (from the

Norwegian border (Svinösund) to the Finnish border (Haparanda)! Janne came out as the top attack diver of the Class of -62, and stayed on as an instructor for the Class of -63.

Photo © 2003Henry Norman

Kurt “Kurre” Bergkrantz, Attack Diver 1963/64Trained by my older brother Jan-Olov, Kurre became my buddy aboard the HMS Spiggen

from 1965 through 1966, when we both signed on as divers at the Stockholm Naval Shipyard (working for Inge Serrander, at the “Diver’s Shack”)

Photo courtesy Kurt Bergkrantz

Henry K.O. Norman, Attack Diver 1964/65I could not repeat Janne’s top of the class position (According to FC (Lieutenant Jan Sundlöf), I was“för stor I käften” (a loudmouth)… Go figure!). I stayed on as Attack Diver onboard HMS Spiggen,

together with Kurt Bergkrantz (Class of -63, one of my brother’s “victims”).

Photo © 2005William Newell

Attack divers, sneaking through enemy lines…

Photo courtesy Kurt Bergkrantz

Kurt Bergkrantz & Henry Norman (later working as BeNoDive UPA)Good Buddies, both on- and off-duty

Photo courtesy Lars NybergCopyright © 1965, Pressens Bild

Waiting to exit through Spiggen’s air/water lock

Photo courtesy Kurt Bergkrantz

Attack divers on a winter mission

Photo courtesy Kurt Bergkrantz

HMS Spiggen (exhibition exercise in Hälsingborg)In background, HMS Belos (Swedish Navy Submarine Rescue Ship)

Photo courtesy Kurt Bergkrantz

Attack divers, emerging after subsurface swim

Photo courtesy Kurt Bergkrantz

Attaching explosives to “enemy ship” (HMS Oscar II) rudder

Photo courtesy Kurt Bergkrantz

Swedish Navy Attack Divers (Contingent 1962/63)

Photos courtesy Jan-Olov Norman

Jan-Olov “Janne” Norman Anders “Appa” Asplund

HMS SpiggenSolidly Frozen In…Hårsfjärden Naval Base

Photo courtesy Kurt Bergkrantz

Ove SvenssonTop of ClassA-Dyk 64/65

Kurre BergkrantzA-Dyk 63/64

Photo courtesy Kurt Bergkrantz

Henry NormanAdyk 64/65

Löjtnant Pelle Wide and Styrman Dan AnderssonSkipper & Navigator (Respectively), HMS Spiggen 1965-66

Photo Courtesy Kurt Bergkrantz

RSN LiutenantBjörn Mohlin (1966)

Nils Dacke Björn Mohlin Nils WahlbergYngve Gotlow Allan Mann Pelle Wide

The Last HMS Spiggen Navy Attack Diver Class (1967)HMS Spiggen in foreground. Allan Mann was 45 at the time. Peter “Pelle” Wide served as FC(fartygschef, Skipper) during my last year as Attack Diver (1966). Photo courtesy Nils “Dacke” Dahlgren)

Captain Allan Mann (* 1921-05-05 † 2005-12-05)

Close combat instructor for the Attack Divers, Allan Mann endured the last HMS Spiggen class (1966) aged 45! Always “Toppberedd,” Captain Mann was the most decorated Swede during WWII (as a British commando, on

missions in occupied Norway. Note the paratrooper wings, earned in the Royal British Air Force during WWII).

Coastal Ranger (Kustjägare) “Attack Divers”

HMS Spiggen II (July 1990)

CREW 6 ENDURANCE 14 daysUSAGE Target for anti-submarine training.

DISPLACEMENT 14 ton (submerged)DIMENSIONS 11×1.7×1.4 m PROPULSION 1 Volvo Penta diesel; 1 shaft SPEED 5 knots submerged

HMS Spiggen II (July 1990)

HMS Spiggen II (view from astern)

HMS Spiggen II (frontal view)

HMS Spiggen II (cockpit)

HMS Spiggen II on a Mission

HMS Spiggen II(During military show at Swedish War Academy, Karlberg)

HMS Stickleback (X51)Painting commissioned by

Submariners Association,Barrow-in-Furness Branch

Stickleback

Shrimp

Minnow

Sprat

Contributors (in order of name size), Thank you all!

Jan Fält (Attack Diver)Björn Kihl (Attack Diver)

Nisse Planck (Attack Diver)Leif Ehnemark (Attack Diver)

Hasse Carlsson (Attack Diver)Kurre Bergkrantz (Attack Diver)Jan-Olov Norman (Attack Diver)

Bengt Hermansson (Attack Diver)Nils “Dacke” Dahlgren (Attack Diver)William “Billy” Newell (SCUBA Diver)

And with many special thanks to my commanding officers from 1964 to 1966:

Liutenant Jan T-son Sundlöf (Commander, HMS Spiggen 1964/65 (†1998))Liutenant Peter “Pelle” Wide (Commander, HMS Spiggen 1965/67)

Most text and pictures of the British X-craft included with kind permission from:

Geoff Chalcraft, email chalcraft@ukonline.co.ukGeoff’s website home.cogeco.ca/~gchalcraft/sm is a treasure trove of submarine history!

Thanks also to these indirect (Internet) contributors:Försvarsmaktens Bildarkiv

Several Internet Websites…Ulf Peterson (Försvarets Forum)

Barrow Museum Service Image ArchivesSvante Lidén (Aftonbladet (Allan Mann biography))

Lars Gyllenhaal & Lennart Westberg (Authors of “Swedes at War”)

Compiled and edited by Henry Norman (Swedish Navy Attack Diver 1964/65), Tagaytay City, Philippines