HMS Västervik is a ship that played a big part in Swedish contemporary history. In October 1981, when the Soviet submarine U 137 ran aground in the Karlskrona archipelago, its commander Anatolij Michailovitj Gusjtjin was interrogated on board Västervik.
From our collection: Steering weel
From torpedo boat to missile ship
Built in Karlskrona, HMS Västervik was launched in September 1974. She was one of twelve torpedo boats of the Norrköping class built between 1973 and 1976. Originally, the ship was armed with a 57-millimetre cannon and six 53-centimeter torpedo tubes. Västervik has a top speed of 40 knots, is 43.6 meters long, and weighs 240 tonnes. She is powered by three gas turbines with 4.300 horsepower each, and, in active service, had a crew of 30 people.
In 1981, when U 137's commander Gustjin was interrogated on board, the ship was still a torpedo boat. In 1982, she was rebuilt into a guided-missile boat and was equipped with eight marine missiles.
A frozen moment in history
Now moored at the dock of the Naval Museum, Västervik invites visitors to go on a fascinating tour on board. When Västervik's service was over, the crew received an order to leave behind all of their equipment and inventories, as well as their personal belongings.
Going on board the Västervik for a guided tour is like embarking on a time journey and entering a frozen moment in history.