Tre Kronor class cruiser

Class overview
HSwMS Tre Kronor
Name:	Tre Kronor class
Operators:	Swedish Navy Chilean Navy
Built:	1943–1947
In commission:	1947–1984
Planned:	2
Completed:	2
Retired:	2
General characteristics
Type:	Cruiser
Displacement:	7,400 long tons (7,519 t) standard 9,200 long tons (9,348 t) full load
Length:	174 m (570 ft 10 in) (pp) 182 m (597 ft 1 in) (oa)
Beam:	16.45 m (54 ft 0 in)
Draft:	5.94 m (19 ft 6 in)
Propulsion:	2 shaft geared turbines, 4× 4-drum boilers, 100,000 shp (75,000 kW)
Speed:	33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph)
Range:	4,350 nautical miles (8,060 km; 5,010 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement:	618
Armament:	As built : 7 × Bofors 152 mm guns 20 × 40 mm guns 7 × 25 mm guns 6 × torpedo tubes Göta Lejon: post 1958: 7 × 152 mm (6 in) guns 4 × 57 mm Bofors 11 × 40 mm guns 6 × torpedo tubes
Armour:	Belt: 70 mm (2.8 in) Deck: 30 mm (1.2 in)upper, 30 mm (1.2 in) main Turrets: 50–127 mm (2.0–5.0 in) Conning tower: 20–25 mm (0.79–0.98 in)

The Tre Kronor class (English: Three Crowns class) was a class of two cruisers built for the Swedish Navy during World War II, comprising Tre Kronor and Göta Lejon. Tre Kronor was discarded in 1968 and Göta Lejon was sold to Chile in 1971. Renamed Almirante Latorre, she remained in service until being discarded in 1986.

The outbreak of World War II caused the Swedish Navy to change its naval strategy, with it being decided to base the fleet on two squadrons of destroyers, each of which would be led by a cruiser, instead of the existing organisation of slow coastal defence ships and small torpedo boats. In 1940, therefore, the Swedish government decided that two cruisers were to be built. The cruisers were designed by the Italian shipyard CRDA in 1940–1941.

The main armament was seven Bofors 152 mm guns, with one triple turret forward and two twin turrets aft. The guns were being built by Bofors for the Eendracht-class cruisers being built in the Netherlands for the Royal Netherlands Navy but were taken over by the Swedish government when the Netherlands surrendered to Germany in May 1940. They could fire a 46-kilogram (101 lb) shell to a range of 26,000 metres (28,000 yd) at a rate of 12–15 rounds per minute, and could elevate to 70 degrees, being capable of both anti-surface and anti-aircraft use. Additional anti-aircraft armament was provided by 20 Bofors 40 mm guns in 10 twin turrets and seven 25 mm guns. Six 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes were fitted, and the ship could also carry 160 mines.

A political debate broke out about the cruisers, with this, together with rework of the design, ensured that work did not start until 1943. The ships were built by the Götaverken and Eriksberg shipyards in Gothenburg. HSwMS Tre Kronor was launched on 16 December 1944, and HSwMS Göta Lejon on 17 November 1945.

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