View source for Rautu-class minesweeper

{{Short description|Finnish navy vessels}}
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{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=Rautu
|Builders=*'''Vilppula''': Putilow, [[St. Petersburg]]
*''Rautu'': Varkaus
|Operators=[[Finnish Navy]]
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|Built range=1916-1917
|In service range=   
|In commission range=1918-1952  
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|Total ships completed=2
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|Total ships lost=1
|Total ships retired=1
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship type=[[Minesweeper (ship)|Minesweeper]]
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement=240 tons
|Ship length=44.0 m
|Ship beam=6.1 m
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|Ship draught=2.5 m
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|Ship propulsion={{convert|450|hp|abbr=on}}
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|Ship complement=32
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|Ship armament=*'''Wartime:'''
*1 × [[75mm 50 caliber Pattern 1892|75 mm gun]]
*2 × machine gun
*'''Later:'''
*1 × [[Madsen 20 mm anti-aircraft cannon|20 mm Madsen]] AA
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|Ship notes=Ships in class include: ''Rautu'', ''Vilppula''
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''Rautu'' and ''Vilppula'' were Kljuz class Minesweepers left by the [[Soviets]] to Finland in 1918 since they would not have survived the harsh sailing to the Leningrad. Ships had weak hulls and their engines were not particularly powerful. During peacetime they were used as depot and test ships. ''Vilppula'' was designated as ''T-2'' and ''Zashtshitnik'' and ''Rautu'' as ''Murman'' before they were included to the [[Finnish Navy]]<ref name="auv">{{cite book |last1=Auvinen |first1=Visa |title=Leijonalippu merellä |trans-title=Lion flag at sea |year= 1983 |publisher=Satakunnan Kirjapaino Oy |location=Pori, Finland |language=Finnish |isbn=951-95781-1-0 |pages=40–41}}</ref>

In war time the ships were used as minesweepers but occasionally were assigned with more exotic tasks. On 5 December 1941 after Soviets had fled from Hanko there was urgent and pressing need to clear inshore seaways for merchants however the weak hulled minesweepers could not operate in the prevailing conditions. ''Rautu'' and [[Finnish minelayer Louhi|''Louhi'']] were used as icebreakers breaking clearing the waters for the smaller minesweepers to operate. On 25 July 1944 ''Vilppula'' and small Finnish coastal minesweeper ''Merkurius'' (former customs boat of ~20 tons in displacement) were attached to a pier near [[Porkkala]] when a lone [[Douglas A-20 Havoc|Boston (Douglas A-20 Havoc)]] type bomber torpedoed both ships. Though the ships were later re-floated they were not deemed to be worth of repairing. ''Rautu'' was decommissioned in 1952.<ref name="auv"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{WWII Finnish ships}}

[[Category:Minesweepers of the Finnish Navy]]
[[Category:Mine warfare vessel classes]]


{{Finland-mil-ship-stub}}