Russian Imperial yacht Polar Star 1890-1960s (1970s)

Scientific American Supplement dated 1 December 1888

Ordered by the Russian emperor Alexander III on 20 May 1888, launched at the Baltic Shipyard on 19 May 1890, commissioned in March 1891, during the First World War lying at Petrograd before she in begun June 1917 was transferred to Helsingfors {Helsinki, Finland] , laid up in reserve in 1920, converted into a floating submarine base in the early 1930s, commissioned on 20 August 1936, reconverted into a floating ship in 1954, target ship for testing anti ship missiles in 1961 and the same year sunk in the Gulf of Riga when struck by a missile. Could be broken up in early 1970s.

Soviet sailing training ship Utcheba lost in 1928

An item referred to the report of the American Military Attaché major G.E. Arneman dealing with the summer manoeuvres of the Russian Baltic Fleet and which was received by G/2 W.D. on 31 January 1929. Arneman wrote while using a Finnish source that in the morning of 2 September the 3-masts 800 ton training ship Utcheba [meaning of Utcheba is study/education so probably not her own name] stranded at Lavansaari [island Mosjtsniy/Moshchny Island and was abandoned by her crew when seh was wrecked.

Source

National Archive. Record Group 165: Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs Series: Security Classified Correspondence and Reports. File Unit. Russia: Navy - MID 2503-16 THRU 2503-265. Roll 1443.

Summer maneuvers of the Russian Baltic Fleet in 1929

An item referred to the report of the American Military Attaché major G.E. Arneman dealing with the summer manoeuvers of the Russian Baltic Fleet and which was received by G/2 W.D. on 31 January 1929. Arneman wrote while using a Finnish source that the final maneuvers of the Soviet Baltic Fleet found place between 31 August-2 September 19298. Started was with a battle maneuver at sea during a heavy storm causing minor damage to some ships. For instance some torpedo boats lost masts and water came via leaking gun ports to the decks and even in the ward rooms of the participating battleships. In the second phase was Kronstadt and the coastal fortifications attacked. Local Osoaviachem and proletarian organisations were mobilized to fight fires and to organize the gas defence.

Source

National Archive. Record Group 165: Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs Series: Security Classified Correspondence and Reports. File Unit. Russia: Navy - MID 2503-16 THRU 2503-265. Roll 1443.

Finnish ro-ro cargo ship Finneco I 2022-

Schelde off Vlissingen, Netherlands 26 December 2022

Finland-flagged, homeport Helsinki, Finland, IMO 9856830, MMSI 230694000 and call sign OJTO. Christened on 15 September 2022. Built in 2022. Delivered on 29 April to Finnlines.

Russian diesel-electric icebreaker Murmansk 2012-

Great Belt Bridge, Denmark 8 July 2026

Facebook group Under Broen

Russia-flagged, IMO 9658666, MMSI 273386110 and cal sign UBVN. Ordered by Aectech Helsinki Shipyard, Finland on 18 December 2012, laid down with yard number 509 on 26 December 2012, launched on 25 March 2015, completed on 25 December 2015. Project 21900M.

Russian shallow draught river icebreaker Avraamiy Zavenyagin 1984-

Great Belt Bridge, Denmark 8 July 2026

Facebook group Under Broen

Russia-flagged, IMO 8027262, MMSI 273422960 and call sign UFED. Built in 1984 by Wärtsila Helsinki Shipyard, Finland. Design to operate in the Russian Arctic. Part of Kapitan Evdokimov-class. 

Finnish ro-ro cargo ship Finneco III 2020-

Schelde off Vlissingen, Netherlands 8 June 2026

Finland-flagged, homeport Helsinki, IMO 9856854, MMSI 230700000 and and call sign OJTQ. Laid down by China Merchants H.I. (J.), Haikem, China with hull number JLZ8184009 on 23 November 1920, launched on 22 December 2021 and delivered on 6 June 2022. Owner Finnlines Plc. 

Finnish ro-ro cargo ship Finneco II 2022-

Schelde off Vlissingen, Netherlands 22 May 2026

Finland-flagged, homeport Hlesinki, IMO 9856842, MMSI 230697000 and call sign OJTP. Built by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard, Jiangsu, China in 2022. Owner/manager Finnlines Pic, Helsinki, Finland. 

Finnish ro-ro cargo ship Mistral 1999-

Entrance Nieuwe Waterweg, Netherlands 31 March 2026

Finland-flagged, homeport Braendoe, IMO 9183788, MMSI 230925000 and call sign OJIX. Owner Trailer Link AB, manager Godby Shipping AB, both Mariehamn, Aland Islands, Finland. Built by JJ Sietas Schiffswerft, Hamburg, Germany in 1999. 

Dutch cargo ship Colytto 1925-1950 ( Kemiö 1950-1954, Gunn 1954-1959)

Exhibition Varen voor Vrijheid. Museum Katwijk

©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Laid down by De Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij N.V., Rotterdam, Netherlands with yard number 1833 on 11 May 1925, launched on 10 April 1926, delivered to manager Firma Hudig & Veder (ca. 1951 N.V.), owner N.V. Maatschappij Zeevaart, both at Rotterdam, on 27 April 1926, sold to manager Paul Eriksson,owner Kouran Laiva O/Y., both at Wasa, Finland and renamed Kemiö in March 1950, later manager Alf Korhonen, owner Vaasan Laiva O/Y., both at Helsinki, Finland, sold to manager/owner Wallem&Co. Ltd., Hong Kong in 1954 and renamed Gunn and broken there in 1959

Finnish cargo ship Mercator sunk by German submarine U-31 on 1 December 1939

An item reported that the Finnish 4,260 tons cargo ship ss Mercator loaded with general cargo strike a German mine or possible torpedoed and sunk underway from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Helsinki, Finland via Leith, Scotland south east of Buchan Ness. The chief officer with his wife and 33 crewmembers were landed, one man was missing.(1)

Note

1. Torpedoed and unk south east of Aberdeen by the German submarine U-31 on 1 December.

Sources

The National Archives, Kew Gardens, England CAB-66-4-1 Weekly Résumé (No. 14) of the naval, military and air situation from 12 noon 30 November to 12 noon 7 December 1939.

Lloyd’s Register 1939-1940. 

Finnish coastal battery at Koivisto battling with Russian warships in December 1939

Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Marat. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

An item reported that the Finnish coastal battery at Koivisto [Fort Saarenpäär, Koivisto archipelago, now Russian territory Viipuri Bay] battled with Russian warships and after an explosion at sea the Finnish believed that a Russian ship was damaged.(1)

Note

1. Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union between 30 November 1939-13 March 1940. The battery seemed to have damaged a Russian ship. The Russian battleship Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya was involved in attacking the Saarenpää fort; apparently also the Marat.

Source

The National Archives, Kew Gardens, England CAB-66-4-13 Weekly Résumé (No. 15) of the naval, military and air situation from 0700 7 December to 0700 14 December 1939. 

Germany detenting Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish merchant ships in December 1939

An item reported that end November at the Control Station at Kiel, Germany 40 Swedish, 27 Finnish and 13 Norwegian merchant ships were detented. German trawlers and destroyers operated against Danish food ships. Between 6-9 December were three Danish ships loaded with food bound for England halted south west of Denmark and forced to enter a German harbor.

Source

The National Archives, Kew Gardens, England CAB-66-4-13 Weekly Résumé (No. 15) of the naval, military and air situation from 0700 7 December to 0700 14 December 1939. 

Finnish cargo ship (ex-Kirsten 1995, Aros News 1995-196, Kirsten 1996-2013, Lady Kirsten 2013-2015, Prima Lady 2015-2019) Marilie 2019-

Schelde off Vlissingen, Netherlands 20-11-2025

Finland-flagged, homeport Mariehamn, IMO 9086605, MMSI 230649000 and call sign OJQV. Built by Niestern Sander Delfzijl, Delfzijl, Netherlands in 1995.Owner/manager Rederi AB Nathalie, Turku, Finland. Netherlands-flagged 2010, Russia-flagged 2010-2013, Netherlands-flagged 2013-2015, since then Finland-flagged. 

Finnish navy trying to protect merchant shipping in the Gulf of Bothnia in December 1939

An item reported that if the Finnish navy was not driven off by Russian heavy naval ships she should be able to prevent Russian light forces to attack the merchant shipping in the Gulf of Bothnia.(1)

Note

1. Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union between 30 November 1939-13 March 1940. 

Source

The National Archives, Kew Gardens, England CAB-66-4-13 Weekly Résumé (No. 15) of the naval, military and air situation from 0700 7 December to 0700 14 December 1939. 

Finnish four-masted cargo barque (ex-l’Avenir 1908-1937) Admiral Karpfannger 1937-1938

Maritime Museum Hamburg, Germany

Ordered by the Association Maritime Belge by the Rickmers Shipyard in 1908 and named L’Avenir registered at Antwerp. Bought by the Finnish shipsowner Gustav Erikson in 1932, registered at Mariehamn, Aland, sold to the Hapag in 1937. Fitted out as training ship and renamed Admiral Karpfanger during a training voyage lost south of Cape Horn with last radio contact on 12 March 1938 at 6.05. Dimensions 84.80 (between perpendiculars) x 13.71x 7.7  metres. Gross tonnage 2,738 tons. Sail area 3,100 square metres. 

Finnish and Russian navies battling for control the Gulf of Bothnia and Aaland Archipelago in December 1939

An item reported that the Finnish naval forces seemed to gather at the south west of the Aaland Islands to control the mined entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia. The entrance to the eastward of the Aaland Archipelago was full of skerries making it impossible to navigate excluded the local coastal vessels. Russian minelayers seemed to lay mines in the waters west of the Aaland Islands and four Russian submarines were sighted north of the Islands past the recently laid mines.(1)

Note

1.  Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union between 30 November 1939-13 March 1940.

Source

The National Archives, Kew Gardens, England CAB-66-4-13 Weekly Résumé (No. 15) of the naval, military and air situation from 0700 7 December to 0700 14 December 1939. 

German shipboard reconnaissance floatplane Arado AR 196 1938-

Maritiem Museum Hamburg, Germany

Designed by Walter Blume for replacing the Heinkel He 60 biplane while the succesor He 114 was a failure. Totally 541 built between 1938-1944 and used by the German Kriegsmarine, Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service, Bulgarian and Finnish air forces and by the Soviet Border Guard until 1955. Two aircraft were active at Penang, Malaysia, which was in Japanese hands, in 1944 in Japanese livery painting with Luftwaffe pilots. 

Swedish fruit juice tanker (ex-Cielo di Tocopilla 2014-2019-) Atlantic Orchard 2019-

Schelde off Vlissingen, Netherlands 29 October 2025

Liberia-flagged, IMO 9638159, MMSI 63601892 and call sign D5QK4. As bulk carrier Cielo do Tocopilla built by Zhoushan Shipyard, Zhoushan, China in 2014, owner Eco Shipping, Valletta, Malta, manager D’amico di Navigazione, Rome , Italy, IMO 9638159, MMSI 636018592 and call sign 9HA3502, Malta-flagged, homeport Valletta, since 2018 Liberia-flagged. Converted B.Delta37/bu carrier acquired by Wisby Tankers AB, Sweden into a juice tanker in 2019 by Deltamarin, Turku, Finland. 

Lot of work done in Finnish harbours in the Gulf of Bothnia in August 1945

An item reported the considerable work done in the Finnish harbours east of the Aland Islands in the Gulf of Bothnia.  

Source

The National Archives, Kew Gardens, England CAB-129-1-20. Weekly Résumé (No. 311) of the naval, military and air situation from 0700 9th August to 0700 16th August 1945.