World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseCostal defense ship Ilmarinen, along with sister ship Väinämöinen, were the most concentrated naval artillery ships ever built. They were designed by the Dutch firm NV Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw and were built in Finland. Designed for home waters, she was shallow and unsuited for the open sea. This was demonstrated when Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen sailed to attend the fleet parade in honor of the coronation of United Kingdom's King George VI in 1937, where Väinämöinen needed tug help from the bigger Swedish ship HMS Drottning Victoria. Upon arrival at Spithead in the UK, they were praised for their beautiful lines and their heavy armament.

ww2dbaseDuring the Winter War of 1939-1940, Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen were initially deployed to the Åland Islands to prevent landings by Russian troops, then were transferred to Turku harbor in Southern Finland as a floating anti-aircraft gun platform. During the Continuation War, she bombarded the Russian base on the Hanko Peninsula on five occasions between Jul and Nov 1941. On 13 Sep 1941, she participated in Operation Nordwind; on the return trip, she struck two naval mines and sank within seven minutes. 271 men were lost; 132 survived. The loss of Ilmarinen remains the greatest single loss of the Finnish Navy to date.

Photographs

Ilmarinen Operational Timeline