Military equipment of Sweden during World War II
Sweden was formally a non-belligerent nation throughout World War II, but saw considerable military build-up as the level of threat from the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany increased. Between 10,000 and 20,000 Swedes fought as volunteers abroad, a majority of them in service of Finland during the Winter War.
Army
Small arms
In the early stages of the war, Sweden relied on a numerous army through conscription and the use of a Total Defence policy. In 1945, the Swedish army had been modernized from the use of World War I weapons to semi-automatic rifles and high-tech firearms such as the Carl Gustav. The infantry had also been equipped with a great deal of rocket launchers for anti-tank warfare, and the availability of artillery had increased drastically with the World War II build-up. Throughout World War II, Sweden held the largest infantry army of the Nordic countries with more than 1,000,000 soldiers.
| Name | Origin | Type | Versions | Quantity | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pistol m/40 |   | Semi-automatic pistol | Pistol m/40 Pistol m/40B | 100,000 | 1940-1990s | License-built Lahti L-35, manufactured by Husqvarna |
| Kpist m/37 | | Submachine gun | Kpist m/37 | 35,000 | 1939-1980s | - |
| Kpist m/45 | | Submachine gun | M/45 M/45B M/45C M/45BE M/45BET M/45S | 300,000 | 1945–2007 | Standard version Minor improvements Comes equipped with a bayonet mount Selective-fire version, used by police Comes equipped with a tear gas launcher Uses a 50-round coffin magazine |
| M39 | .svg.png){kind=small} | Submachine gun | M39 | Unknown | 1940s-???? | - |
| MP 18 | .svg.png){kind=small} | Submachine gun | MP 18 | Unknown | 1920s-???? | - |
| Gevär m/96 | | Bolt-action rifle | M/1894 M/1896 M/1938 M/1941 M/1941B | 127,000 535,000 88,000 5,300 5,300 | 1895-1980s | - |
| Karbin M40 | | Bolt-action rifle | Kar 98k | 5,000 | 1939-1970s | - |
| Ag m/42 | | Semi-automatic rifle | Ag m/42 | 30,000 | 1942-1960s | - |
| Kg m/37 |  | Light machine gun | KG m/40 | Unknown | 1937–1980 | - |
| Kg m/40 | | Light machine gun | KG m/40 | 5,000 | 1940-???? | - |
| Kulspruta m/41 | | Medium machine gun | Kulspruta m/41 | Unknown | 1910s-1940s | - |
| Kulspruta m/42 | | Medium machine gun | Kulspruta m/42 | Unknown | 1942–present | License-built, heavily modified M1919 |
| Raketgevär 46 | | Recoilless anti-tank weapon | Raketgevär 46 | Unknown | 1940s-1960s | License-built M1 Bazooka |
Armoured fighting vehicles
At the beginning of World War II, Sweden had a very low number of motorized vehicles, instead relying horses for transportation. When the war broke out in 1939, Sweden had one armoured division consisting of merely 13 light tanks, only 3 of which were considered to be modern (the remaining 10 had been in service since the 1920s). In 1945, the number of tanks serving the Swedish army had increased from 13 to more than 800.
Number of tanks pre-war: 14
Number of tanks in 1939: 29
Number of tanks in 1940: 38
Number of tanks in 1941: 135
Number of tanks in 1942: 373
Number of tanks in 1943: 544
Number of tanks in 1944: 795
Number of tanks in 1945: 795+
| Name | Origin | Type | Versions | Quantity | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pbil m/39 | | Armoured car | Pbil m/39 Pbil m/40 | 15 30 | 1939-1956 1939-1960s | Standard version Powered by a Volvo engine |
| Pbil m/41 | | Armoured car | L-180 L-181 L-182 | 5 0 (18) 0 (1) | 1933–1980 | More than 50 produced, most of them sold to other countries before and during the war. |
| KP-bil | | Armoured personnel carrier | SKP VKP | 262 100 | 1944–2004 | Manufactured by Scania-Vabis Manufactured by Volvo |
| Strv m/37 |  | Tankette | Strv m/37 | 48 | 1938–1953 | License-built version of the AH-IV |
| Landsverk L-120 | | Light tank | L-120 | 1 | 1937–1940 | Prototype in active service but never mass-produced |
| Strv m/21-29 | | Light tank | M/21 M/21-29 | 5 5 | ????-1939 | Standard version Enhanced engine and armour |
| Strv m/31 | | Light tank | Strv m/31 | 3 | 1935–1940 | Dug in as static bunkers for the Skåne Line |
| Strv L-60 | | Light tank | Strv m/38 Strv m/39 Strv m/40 Strv m/40L Strv m/40K | 15 20 ? 100 80 | 1939-???? 1940-???? ????-???? 1941-???? 1944-???? | - |
| Strv m/41 | | Medium tank | Strv m/41 | 238 | 1942-1950s | License-built, slightly upgraded version of the Panzer 38(t) |
| Strv m/42 | | Medium tank | Lago I (Strv m/42) Lago II (Strv m/42 TM) Lago III (Strv m/42 TH) Lago IV (Strv m/42 EH) | 342 total | 1943-???? 1943-???? 1944-???? 1944-???? | Standard version Two engines and electromagnetic gearbox Two engines and two hydraulic gearboxes One engine and a hydraulic gearbox |
Artillery
Sweden's artillery corps was made to specialize in mobility and warfare in the Swedish homeland terrain, which mostly consisted of thick forests and small, remote towns. Anti-aircraft warfare was considered important even before the war began, due to Sweden's small aircraft capacity in the 1930s. The Bofors 40 mm, a Swedish auto cannon, was exported to most warring countries in thousands of examples, making it the most common anti-aircraft weapon of the war.
| Name | Origin | Type | Versions | Quantity | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bofors 37 mm | | Light anti-tank gun | Bofors 37 mm | Unknown | 1935-???? | - |
| Bofors 20 mm | | Anti-aircraft auto cannon | Bofors 20 mm | 2,592[1] | 1940-???? | - |
| Bofors 40 mm | | Anti-aircraft auto cannon | L/60 L/70 | 924[2] | 1934–present | Standard version Greatly improved version for combat against jet aircraft |
| Bofors 75 mm Model 1929 | | Anti-aircraft gun | 7.5 cm m/30 8 cm m/29 | 350[2] | 1930–present | Another 8 bought by Finland, 36 by the Netherlands and dozens by Hungary |
| Bofors 75 mm Model 1934 | | Mountain gun | Bofors 75 mm | 74[1] | 1934-???? | - |
| 10.5 cm kanon modell 1927 | | Heavy field gun | Model 1927 | 4 in the coastal artillery, many more in the army | 1927–1945 | - |
| Kanon m/34 | | Heavy field gun | M/34 | 68 | 1942-???? | - |
| Bofors 12 cm M. 14 | | Towed howitzer | M.14 | Unknown | ????-???? | - |
| Haubits m/40 | | Towed howitzer | M/40 | 400 total | 1940-???? | - |
| Sav m/43 | | Self-propelled artillery | M/43 | 36 | 1943–1973 | - |
| L-62 | | Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun | L-62 Anti L-62 Anti II | 136 6 | 1938-???? 1942-???? | Most in Hungarian service All served the Swedish corps in the Winter War |
In addition to these weapons, Sweden also possessed 9 unspecified heavy anti-aircraft guns with a caliber of 105 mm.[2]
Navy
The Swedish government saw a strong naval defense against a possible Soviet invasion as a high priority during World War II, and like with the rest of Sweden's military the Royal Navy lived through an enormous enhancement, ending up as the second-strongest naval power of the Baltic Sea after the Soviet Union.
Major surface combatants
| Class | Origin | Type | Names | Quantity | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gotland class | | Seaplane cruiser | HSwMS Gotland | 1 | 1933-1963 | The Swedish response to an aircraft carrier, able to carry 8 Hawker Osprey |
| Tre Kronor class | | Cruiser | HSwMS Göta Lejon HSwMS Tre Kronor | 2 | 1944-1984 | The Göta Lejon was launched on 17 November 1945, 94 days after the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II |
| Fylgia class | | Armoured cruiser | HSwMS Fylgia | 1 | 1905-1957 | The HSwMS Fylgia is the smallest armoured cruiser ever to be launched |
| Clas Fleming class | | Mine cruiser | HSwMS Clas Fleming | 1 | 1912-1960 | |
| Älvsnabben class | | Mine layer | HSwMS Älvsnabben | 1 | 1943-1982 | - |
| Dristigheten class | | Coastal defence ship | HSwMS Dristigheten | 1 | 1900-1947 | - |
| Sverige class | | Coastal defence ship | HSwMS Drottning Victoria HSwMS Gustav V HSwMS Sverige | 3 | 1915-1957 | - |
Destroyers
Number of destroyers pre-war: 13
Number of destroyers in 1939: 14
Number of destroyers in 1940: 19
Number of destroyers in 1941: 20
Number of destroyers in 1942: 23
Number of destroyers in 1943: 27
Number of destroyers in 1944: 28
Number of destroyers in 1945: 28
| Class | Origin | Type | Names | Quantity | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Göteborg class | | Destroyer | HSwMS Göteborg HSwMS Stockholm HSwMS Malmö HSwMS Karlskrona HSwMS Norrköping HSwMS Gävle | 6 | 1935-1962 1936-1965 1938-1970 1939-1979 1940-1965 1941-1968 | After World War II, all ships were rebuilt as frigates |
| Romulus class | _crowned.svg.png){kind=small} | Destroyer/torpedo boat | HSwMS Romulus HSwMS Remus | 2 | 1940-1958 | Originally torpedo boats, rebuilt as destroyers for patrolling the Baltic Sea |
| Psilander class | | Destroyer | HSwMS Psilander HSwMS Puke | 2 | 1940-1947 | - |
| Vidar class | | Destroyer | HSwMS Wale HSwMS Ragnar HSwMS Sigurd HSwMS Vidar HSwMS Wale | 4 | 1909-1947 1909-1947 1910-1947 1908-1940 | - |
| Wrangel class | | Destroyer | HSwMS Wachtmeister HSwMS Wrangel | 2 | 1917-1947 | - |
| Ehrensköld class | | Destroyer | HSwMS Ehrensköld HSwMS Nordenskjöld | 2 | 1926-1963 | - |
| Klas class | | Destroyer | HSwMS Klas Horn HSwMS Klas Uggla | 2 | 1932-1958 1932-1942 | - |
| Mode class | | Destroyer | HSwMS Magne HSwMS Mjölner HSwMS Mode HSwMS Munin | 4 | 1942-1966 1942-1966 1942-1970 1943-1968 | - |
| Visby class | | Destroyer | HSwMS Hälsingborg HSwMS Kalmar HSwMS Sundsvall HSwMS Visby | 4 | 1943-1978 1944-1978 1943-1982 1943-1982 | - |
Air force
Sweden's air force at the beginning of World War II was relatively small and lacked modern radar systems, engines, or weaponry. This changed during the build-up in the 1940s, though, eventually providing Sweden with an aircraft storage that was both numerous and of high quality, in preparation for the Cold War.
Fighter aircraft
Just as the rest of the Swedish Armed Forces, the number of fighter aircraft increased drastically from 98 before the war to almost 600 in 1945. 239 additional aircraft were manufactured immediately after the war.
Number of fighters pre-war: 98
Number of fighters in 1939: 158
Number of fighters in 1940: 290
Number of fighters in 1941: 290
Number of fighters in 1942: 485
Number of fighters in 1943: 485
Number of fighters in 1944: 485
Number of fighters in 1945: 593
Number of fighters post-war: 832
| Name | Origin | Type | Versions | Quantity | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J 3 | | Biplane fighter aircraft | J 3B | 7 | 1930-1945 | Another 8 aircraft were in use prior to the war |
| J 6 | | Biplane fighter aircraft | J 6 J 6A J 6B | 7 3 7 | 1929–1941 | 3 donated to Finland for the Winter War |
| J 7 |  | Biplane reconnaissance aircraft | J 7 | 11 | 1930–1940 | 2 donated to Finland for the Winter War |
| J 8 | | Biplane reconnaissance aircraft | J 8 J 8A | 37 18 | 1937-1942 1938-1945 | Some used in Finland |
| J 9 | | Fighter aircraft | J 9 | 60 | 1940–1951 | Sweden's first monoplane aircraft |
| J 11 | | Biplane fighter aircraft | J 11 | 72 | 1940–1946 | - |
| J 12 | | Fighter aircraft | J 12 | 60 | 1939–1945 | - |
| J 21 | | Fighter and attack aircraft | J 21A-1 | 54 | 1945–1949 | Another 128 aircraft were built immediately after the war |
| J 22 | | Fighter aircraft | J 22A J 22B | 143 55 | 1942–1952 | Numbers may not be correct for the World War II era; some may have been built in 1946 |
| J 26 | | Fighter aircraft | P-51B P-51D | 2 52 | 1945–1954 | Originally P-51 Mustang, another 111 aircraft purchased immediately after the war |
Bomber aircraft
During World War II the Swedish government maintained a neutral (alternatively, defensive) stance and thus saw no priority in adding offensive aircraft to the air force. Despite this, a fairly large number of bombers and ground-attack aircraft served in the Swedish air force during World War II and after, possibly for intimidation purposes - in fact, after 1940, Sweden had more bombers than fighter aircraft. These offensive aircraft may have been meant to attack Soviet naval bases in the Baltic Sea, and some of the later designs could even reach Moscow with full payload.
Number of bombers pre-war: 88
Number of bombers in 1939: 116
Number of bombers in 1940: 276
Number of bombers in 1941: 346
Number of bombers in 1942: 534
Number of bombers in 1943: 743
Number of bombers in 1944: 775
Number of bombers in 1945: 879
| Name | Origin | Type | Versions | Quantity | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B 3 | | Bomber aircraft | B 3 B 3A B 3B B 3C B 3D | 3 35 2 16 16 | 1936-1948 1937-1958 1937-1958 1939-1944 1941-1958 | 72 total |
| B 4 | | Biplane bomber | B 4 B 4A | 3 42 | 1937–1947 | 5 used in the Winter War |
| B 5 | | Ground attack aircraft | B 5A B 5B B 5C | 1 64 38 | 1938-1942 1940-1950 1941-1950 | 103 total |
| B 6 | | Ground attack aircraft | B 6 | 2 | 1940-1953 | More were ordered but never entered service |
| S 16 | | Light bomber Reconnaissance aircraft Reconnaissance aircraft Torpedo bomber Light transport | B 16A S 16A S 16B T 16A Tp 16A | 30 66 14 14 2 | 1940-1943 1940-1945 1942-1945 1941-1942 1941-1946 | 126 total |
| Saab 17 | | Bomber and reconnaissance aircraft | B 17 B 17B B 17C S 17BL S 17BS | 132 54 77 64 56 | 1943-1948 1942-1945 1943-1947 1942-1949 1942-1949 | 383 total |
| Saab 18 | | Bomber and reconnaissance aircraft | B 18A B 18B | 62 120 | 1944-1947 1945-1958 | - |
| T 1 | | Torpedo bomber | T 1 | 2 | 1928–1939 | - |
| T 2 | | Torpedo bomber seaplane | T 2 | 12 | 1939–1948 | - |
Auxiliary aircraft
| Name | Origin | Type | Versions | Quantity | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trp 1 | | Small passenger transport aircraft | Trp 1 | 3 | 1928-1946 | The world's first all-metal transport aircraft |
| Trp 2 | | Passenger and transport aircraft | Trp 2 Trp 2A | 0 2 | 1933-1945 | One Trp 2 was in use until 1935 |
| Trp 3 | | Light transport aircraft | Trp 3 | 1 | 1936-1942 | - |
| Trp 4 | | Trainer and utility aircraft | Trp 4 | 1 | 1940-1953 | - |
| Tp 5 | | Transport aircraft | Tp 5 | 5 | 1940-1945 | - |
| Tp 6 | | STOL aircraft | Tp 6 | 1 | 1940-1941 | - |
| Tp 7 | | Transport and trainer aircraft | Tp 7 | 1 | 1940-1944 | Still preserved in flying condition |
| Tp 8 | | Biplane transport aircraft | Tp 8 Tp 8A | 3 1 | 1940-???? | - |
| Tp 9 | | Bomber, reconnaissance and airliner | Tp 9 | 1 | 1940-???? | - |
| Tp 10 | | Airliner | Tp 10 | 1 | 1942-1944 | - |
| Tp 11 |  | Reconnaissance aircraft | Tp 11 | 1 | 1939-1951 | - |
| Tp 12 | | Reconnaissance aircraft | GV 38 | 6 | 1941-1945 | - |
References
- http://www.smhs.eu/gallery_116.html
- Militärhistoria issue 10, 2015
Sources and further reading
Off-site sources
Fellow Wikipedia articles used as sources
- List of military aircraft of sweden
- Sweden during World War II