HMS Småland
The largest destroyer ship in Scandinavia preserved in a museum, HMS Småland was launched in 1952 at Eriksberg’s Mekaniska Verkstad in Göteborg, and delivered to the Royal Swedish Navy in 1956. Before the destroyer was decommissioned in 1979, she had been modernized three times. On delivery, she and her sister vessel, HMS Halland were the first destroyers armed with surface to surface marine missiles. Her propulsion machinery comprises 29,000 hp steam turbines, each driving a propeller. She may be said to be the result of the 80-year development of destroyers.
ARMAMENTS
8 53-cm torpedoes
4 12-cm gun in two twin turrets
2 57-mm guns in a twin turret
6 40- mm anti-aircraft guns
2 ASW rocket launchers
Depth charges
Missiles
Mines
Crew: 272 men
Maritiman: The Gotenburg Center of Maritime Experiences
Packhusplatsen 12
S- 411 13 Gothenburg
SWEDEN
(+46) 31 105950
info@maritiman.se
http://www.maritiman.se
Per Karnman, Managing Director
46 31-10 59 66
Per.karnman@maritiman.se
Frida Svensson, Dir., Services and Facilities
Frida.svensson@maritiman.se
RT90:
X: 6404780, Y: 1270899
WGS84: Lat N 57° 42′ 33″ Lon E 11° 57′ 38″
Decimal: 57.7093, 11.9607
A visit to Maritiman is a journey both forward and backward in time. From the time when King Gustav II Adolf founded Gothenburg in 1621, the port became a vibrant hub and an important gateway to the west. For several decades the cityscape was characterised by the large port cranes, and the people of Gothenburg could proudly look on as ship after ship left the slipways to sail all the world’s trading routes. When the shipping crisis struck in the 1970s, however, the inner port became empty and deserted, and in an attempt to recreate a vanished era from Gothenburg’s maritime past, a group of enthusiasts decided to try to rescue some ships of historical maritime interest from the scrap yard.
The Gothenburg Maritime Centre Foundation was established in 1985 with the aim of creating the world’s biggest and best maritime centre. The business concept was to bring together enough ships in one place to create an attraction. Many made a contribution: large and small companies, foundations, authorities, organisations and private individuals. Nevertheless, the first years were quite laborious with stretched finances. In the darkest hours the municipality came to the rescue and the Gothenburg Maritime Centre could finally open its gates to the public in summer 1987, at the time located at Lilla Bommen. The fleet of ships gradually grew and the operation moved to our current location on Packhuskajen, and on 20 August 1994 King Carl XVI Gustaf opened the new Gothenburg Maritime Centre. Today we have established the Maritiman brand – Gothenburg’s maritime experience centre, which comprises a unique collection of ships, boats and barges with both military and civilian ties. In addition to the standard museum operation, the Foundation also organises conferences and functions. The aim is to be an attractive experience centre and help develop Gothenburg as a tourist city.
Maritiman is run as a private foundation, with the City of Gothenburg as the main stakeholder. In addition to the Foundation’s board, there is a board of trustees which is convened once a year. The operation is led by an employed Managing Director and comprises 11 permanent employees who work with sales, events and maintenance of the facilities. Six of the employees receive unemployment allowance. In addition, a work team of 10 people employed by the City of Gothenburg’s Parks and Landscape Committee is hired to maintain the ships. The regular personnel are supplemented with seasonal staff. Maritiman is also supported by five voluntary ship associations, which are co-ordinated through the Gothenburg Maritime Centre Association.