KOBBEN CLASS SUBMARINE

The HNoMs ''Utstein'' is now a museum ship
Career	Norwegian naval flag Danish naval flag Polish naval flag
Ordered:
Laid down:	1963
Launched:	1964
Commissioned:	1964
General Characteristics
Length	47.2m
Beam	4.7m
Draft	3.8m
Displacement	435t surfaced 485t submerged
Propulsion	Diesel-electric 2×MTU 1100hp diesel engines 1× 1700hp electric motor
Complement	24 officers and men
Armament:	8 533mm torpedo tubes capable of carrying the following torpedo types: T-1, MK 37 Mod I/II, TP 61, TP 612, TP 613
Speed	10 knots surfaced 17 knots submerged
Maximum Depth	180m in peacetime
Range	141nm at 6 knots 14nm at 17 knots

The '''Kobben'' class' or ''Type 207'' is a version of the German ''Type 205'' submarine customized for use by the Royal Norwegian Navy.

Contents

History

Vessels

External links

References

History

Along with the rest of the Royal Norwegian Navy, the submarine fleet was to be modernized according to the ''Fleet plan of 1960''. After the war, Norway needed a navy more suited for coastal operations rather than large, seagoing vessels. This made the choice of a new type of submarines rather slim, not many NATO submarines were suited for this type of operations. A German ''Type 205'' submarine was lent to the RNoN for evaluation and adaptation. The result was the ''Type 207'', of which 15 vessels were delivered to Norway in the period 1964 - 67. All ''Kobben'' class submarines were built by Rheinstahl Nordseewerke GmbH in Emden. During 1985 - 93, six boats were lengthened and modernized. During that period, four of them were sold to the Royal Danish Navy (known there as the ''Tumleren'' class), three operational and one for spare parts.
In 2001, the ''Kobben'' class was completely phased out in Norwegian service, now replaced by the newer ''Ula'' class. Five vessels were given to the Polish Navy, four as operational units and one for spare parts.[1] Before they were transferred, the Polish crews were trained and the boats were overhauled.
During 2004, all of the operational Danish boats (''Tumleren'', ''Sælen'' and ''Springeren'') were decommissioned. They were mothballed as of 2005, waiting to be scrapped or handed over to another nation.

Vessels

''Kobben'' class — significant dates

#	Name	Commissioned	Notes
'S-315'	HNoMS ''Kaura''	1965	Transferred to Denmark in 1991 for spare parts
'S-316'	HNoMS ''Kinn''	April 8, 1964	Sunk in the Bjørna fjord in 1990 (deliberately)
'S-317'	HNoMS ''Kya''	June 15, 1964	Transferred to Denmark in 1991 as the HDMS ''Springeren''
'S-318'	HNoMS ''Kobben	August 15, 1964	Transferred to Poland in 2001 for spare parts
'S-319'	HNoMS ''Kunna''	October 29, 1964	Transferred to Poland in 2004 as the ORP ''Kondor''
'S-300'	HNoMS ''Ula''	1965	Name changed to ''Kinn'' in 1988, scrapped in 1998
'S-301'	HNoMS ''Utsira''	1965	Scrapped in 1998
'S-302'	HNoMS ''Utstein''	1965	Transferred to the naval museum in Horten in 1998, now on land as a museum ship
'S-303'	HNoMS ''Utvær''	1965	Transferred to Denmark in 1989 as the HDMS ''Tumleren'' (S322)
'S-304'	HNoMS ''Uthaug''	1965	Transferred to Denmark in 1990 as the HDMS ''Sælen'' (S323)
'S-305'	HNoMS ''Sklinna'	1966	Reconditioned in 1989, scrapped in 2001
'S-306'	HNoMS ''Skolpen''	1966	Transferred to Poland in 2002 as the ORP ''Sep''
'S-307'	HNoMS ''Stadt''	1966	Scrapped in 1989
'S-308'	HNoMS ''Stord''	1967	Transferred to Poland in 2002 as the ORP ''Sokół''
'S-309'	HNoMS ''Svenner''	1967	Transferred to Poland in 2003 as the ORP ''Bielik''

External links

Sites with information about the ''Kobben'' class.

★ Nordseewerke - manufacturer's website

★ Polish Navy - with Polish commission dates, pictures and information

★ Danish Naval History - information about Danish use (1989-2004)

References

★ 'Marinemuseet', the Norwegian naval museum [2] [3]