View source for Hildur-class monitor

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMS Hildur scale 1to50 model.jpg
|Ship caption=Model of ''Hildur'', the [[lead ship]] of the class
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Builders=
|Operators=*{{navy|Sweden|1844}}
|Class before={{sclass|John Ericsson|monitor|4}}
|Class after=None
|Subclasses=
|Built range=1870–1875?
|In commission range=
|Total ships completed=7
|Total ships scrapped=6
|Total ships preserved=1
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=(as built)
|Ship type=[[Monitor (warship)|Monitor]]
|Ship displacement={{cvt|460|t|LT|lk=on}} ([[deep load]])
|Ship length={{convert|39.78|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|8.72|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|2.7|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=2 [[Scotch marine boiler|cylindrical boilers]]; {{cvt|133|or|155|ihp|lk=on}}
|Ship propulsion=2 shafts, 2 [[Marine steam engine#Back acting|horizontal-return connecting-rod steam engines]]
|Ship speed={{convert|8|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range=
|Ship complement=42 or 48
|Ship armament=*1 × {{convert|240|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} gun
|Ship armor=*[[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{cvt|76|or|95|mm|in|0}}
*[[Gun turret]]: {{convert|356|-|418|mm|in|abbr=on}}
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{convert|19|mm|in|abbr=on|1}}
*[[Conning tower]]: {{convert|254|mm|in|abbr=on|0}}
}}
|}
The '''''Hildur''-class monitors''' consisted of seven [[Monitor (warship)|monitors]] built for the [[Swedish Navy]] in the 1870s. They were sold in 1919 and most were converted into [[fuel oil]] [[barge]]s. One such ship, {{HSwMS|Sölve}}, has been converted into a [[museum ship]].

==Design and description==
The ''Hildur''-class monitors were designed by Lieutenant John Christian d'Ailly, from a proposal by [[John Ericsson]], for the defense of Lake [[Mälaren]] and the [[Stockholm archipelago]]. The ships were {{convert|39.78|m|ftin|sp=us}} [[length overall|long overall]] and had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|8.72|m|ftin|sp=us}}. They had a [[draft (ship)|draft]] of {{convert|2.7|m|ftin|sp=us}} and [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|460|t|LT|sp=us|lk=on}}. The crew of the first two monitors, ''Hildur'' and ''Gerda'', numbered 42 officers and men, the others had 48-man crews. ''Hildur'' and ''Gerda'' only had a stern [[rudder]], the other had rudders at bow and stern. Bow rudders were fitted to the older ships when they were reconstructed.<ref name=h3>Harris, pp. 30–32</ref>

The ''Hildur''s had a pair of two-cylinder [[Marine steam engine#Back acting|horizontal-return connecting-rod steam engines]], each driving a single propeller using steam from two [[Scotch marine boiler|cylindrical boilers]]. The engines produced a total of {{convert|133|ihp|lk=on}} in the first two ships and {{cvt|155|ihp}} in the later ones which gave the monitors a maximum speed of {{convert|8|kn|lk=in}}.<ref name=h1>Harris, pp. 30–31</ref> The ships carried {{convert|23|-|25|t|LT|sp=us}} of coal.<ref name=g2>Campbell, p. 362</ref>

The monitors were equipped with one {{convert|240|mm|in|sp=us|1|adj=on}} M/69 [[rifled breech loader]], mounted in a long, fixed, oval-shaped [[gun turret]]. The gun weighed {{convert|14670|kg|sp=us}} and fired projectiles at a [[muzzle velocity]] of {{convert|397|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}}. At its maximum elevation of 7.5° it had a range of {{convert|3500|m|yd|sp=us}}.<ref>Bojerud, p. 177</ref> The gun and its turret in ''Folke'' were oriented to the rear. ''Hildur'' and ''Gerda'' were rearmed with a {{convert|120|mm|in|1|sp=us|adj=on}} [[quick-firing gun]] as well as three {{convert|57|mm|in|sp=us|1|adj=on}} quick-firing guns 1890; the other were similarly rearmed later in the 1890s or the early 1900s.<ref name=h3/>

Most of the ships of the ''Hildur'' class had a complete [[waterline]] [[Belt armor|armor belt]] of [[wrought iron]] that was {{convert|76|mm|in|0|sp=us}} thick with a {{convert|19|mm|in|1|sp=us|adj=on}} [[Deck (ship)|deck]]. ''Bjorn'' and ''Ulf'' had a {{cvt|95|mm|adj=on|sp=us}} belt while ''Folke''{{'}}s belt ranged from {{cvt|48|mm}} forward to 76&nbsp;mm aft. The face of the [[gun turret]] was protected by {{convert|418|mm|in|1|sp=us}} of armor, while its sides were {{convert|356|mm|in|sp=us|0}} thick. The [[conning tower]] protruded from the top of the turret and was protected by {{convert|254|mm|in|0|sp=us}} of armor.<ref name=h32>Harris, pp. 31–32</ref>

==Construction==
{|class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
!Ship
!Builder<ref name=h1/>
![[Laid down]]<ref name=h1/>
![[Ceremonial ship launching|Launched]]<ref name=g2/>
!Reconstructed<ref name=h3/>
!Fate<ref>Harris, pp. 30, 32</ref>
|-
|{{HSwMS|Hildur}}
|align=center rowspan=2|Bergsund and Lindbergs
|align=center rowspan=2|late 1870
|align=center rowspan=2|1872
|align=center rowspan=2|1890 and 1907
|align=center|Sold and converted into an oil barge, 1919
|-
|{{HSwMS|Gerda}}
|align=center|Converted into a torpedo-monitoring station, 1919
|-
|{{HSwMS|Ulf}}
|align=center rowspan=5|[[Motala Verkstad]], [[Norrköping]]
|align=center rowspan=5|Unknown
|align=center|1873
|align=center rowspan=5|1890s–early 1900s
|align=center rowspan=4|Sold and converted into oil barges, 1919
|-
|{{HSwMS|Berserk}}
|align=center rowspan=2|1874
|-
|{{HSwMS|Björn}}
|-
|{{HSwMS|Sölve}}
|align=center rowspan=2|1875
|-
|{{HSwMS|Folke}}
|align=center|Discarded, 1919; converted into a heating plant for [[submarine]]s before being sold in 1942
|}

==Service==
During ''Hildur''{{'}}s gunnery [[sea trials|trials]] in 1872, her shells penetrated the walls of [[Vaxholm Fortress]] in three shots.<ref>Harris, p. 31</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of ironclads]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite journal|last=Bojerud|first=Stellan|author-link=Stellan Bojerud|year=1986|title=Monitors and Armored Gunboats of the Royal Swedish Navy, Part 1 |journal=Warship International|volume=XXIII|issue=2|pages=167–180|issn=0043-0374}}
*{{cite book |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905 |editor1-last=Chesneau |editor1-first=Roger |editor2-last=Kolesnik |editor2-first=Eugene M. |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=Greenwich |year=1979 |isbn=0-8317-0302-4 |name-list-style=amp |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2|chapter=Sweden|author1-last=Campbell|author1-first=N. J. M.|pages=360–363}}
* {{cite book|title=Warship 1994|editor=Roberts, John|chapter=The Swedish Monitors|author=Harris, Daniel G.|authorlink=Daniel Gibson Harris |pages=22–34 |publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1994|isbn=1-55750-903-4}}

{{Hildur class monitors}}

[[Category:Hildur-class monitors| ]]