HSwMS U3

HSwMS U3 is a Swedish submarine that was commissioned on June 11, 1942. It is preserved at Teknikens och sjöfartens hus in Malmö. HMS Uboat U3 was part of the series of coastal submarines, U1-U9. The final appearance of the coastal submarines was established by the Royal Court on March 17, 1939. The contract for building the first submarine U1 was signed with Kockums on September 20, 1939. HMS Uboat U3 was keel-laid on May 6, 1941 and commissioned on June 11, 1942. During the war, U3 was primarily used for training new crews for the 18 submarines delivered during the war. After the war, the submarines were depotted with reduced crews, with one crew alternately running 3-4 submarines. Technical experiences from the war and information from abroad, particularly from Germany, inspired a modernization phase for all Swedish submarines with sufficient remaining service life.

Modifications performed on U3 at Kockums yard in Malmö between August 1952 and April 1953 included the installation of a snorkel and various other improvements. Equipment removed included the forward deck torpedo tube, the air defense gun, the net sawn, the turbine, and a periscope. In 1954, U3 received a new hydrophone, instruments for torpedo guidance and a more modern radio equipment. After a period, the ballast tanks were removed and tests with automatic weight regulation and one-man steering equipment were performed.

Radar warning systems were installed on the snorkel. Six of the nine coastal submarines, U4-U9, were modernized between 1962-64 to the type Abborren II, replacing the entire aft compartment with a new one containing an electric motor for propulsion and a torpedo magazine for anti-submarine torpedoes in ballast tank three. All electronics were replaced. An advanced sonar system was installed and as a result, the bow shape was changed. Unfortunately, the modernization did not improve living conditions for the crew.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons