HSwMS Aran - Guide 353

The Aran class, coastal defence ships of the Swedish Navy, are today's subject.

Read more about the ships here:
Kryssare : med svenska flottans kryssare under 75 år - Borgenstam, Insulander & Åhlund
Örlogsfartyg: Svenska maskindrivna fartyg under tretungad flagg - Karlskrona von Hofsten & Waernberg

[kpdubbs]

I almost feel like we need a Wednesday special on the history and technology of tow ropes, because seriously, what the hell?

[VultureSausage]

Manligheten, the fourth ship of the class, literally means "the manliness". As the navy abbreviation of the ship was "MA" the ship was, comically, nicknamed "Emma".

[Johndoe-jd]

A ship I would like for you to do is USS Vestal (AR-4).

She was a collier then was converted to a repair ship. She served in both WW1 and WW2. She was at Pearl Harbor literally tied up to USS Arizona when the bombs dropped. She spent so much time keeping Enterprise fighting that some sailors nicknamed her Enterprise’s shadow. She also repaired many ships after fighting and typhoons that went on to make a name for themselves.

Her fate was scrapped but she earned two battle stars during WW2 and has a memorial at Pearl Harbor.

[DiggingForFacts]

There is solemn beauty to a ship called Glory breaking its tow and sinking. Glory doesn't go quietly.

[keeroy]

the dramatic and thrilling life of a usual swedish armored ship:
during a 50-years long career a tense paint scratch on a starboard and a boiler breakdown for generations to talk about.

[tcpratt]

Aran: "I don't want to go to the breakers!"

Tow ropes: "You are going, whether you like it or not!"

HMS Warspite: "Tow rope scissors go 'snip, snip'!"

[UScarsinSweden]

Äran = The Glory
Tapperheten = The Bravery
Manligheten = The Manlyness

[TooLateForIeago]

When I hear a story of a ship on the way to the breakers slipping her tow and sinking, my imagination hears the ship saying, "No, this is unacceptable. I lived at sea, I will die at sea."

[BHuang]

At least this Vasa had twice the service life then the original Vasa!

[wlewisiii]

They were pretty ships. Pity the Aran wasn't saved but I salute her for her giving the finger to the breakers and giving action to the phrase
"better that her shattered hulk

Should sink beneath the wave"

[driptator]

Thank you for posting this on the day of celebration for our king’s 50th anniversary on the throne! 🇸🇪🇸🇪

[dartanein]

What about making playlists of those ships on a per-nation basis, ordered by commission (or design / keel laying?) date? Having it in the title would be a nice touch too.
That might be a great way to enjoy a more narrative, progressive flow of successive designs for each country!

[fhlostonparaphrase]

"Manligheten"...cracks me up every time😅Although I wasn't aware that it started out as part of a class like this.

[DanFraserUK]

I’ve never caught one in the wild so quick!

[mattblom]

Loving learning more about these coastal defense ships. As a Canadian, they seem like they would have made so much sense for our navy's coastal defence, but we never had them.

[stuartaaron]

At least this Wasa had a longer career than another ship of the same name.

[martinan]

Your pronouncing of Tapperheten improved with each iteration :) Of course, the rolling r's is beyond an Anglo speech apparatus, nothing to do about that. But except for that, it turned from mysterious sound to perfectly intelligible Swedish as the video went along.

[CorePathway]

I accidentally had the playback speed at 75% and had to wonder if Drach and Critical Drinker had gotten together before he made this vid! 😅

[AdurianJ]

Manligheten was the flagship of the Gothenburg local defence flotilla during WW2 and was essentially the heaviest warship on the west coast for the duration of WW2.
The other ships where flagships of their own regional defence flotillas.
The ships received hand me down fire control systems from the Sverige class during early WW2

[stevewixom]

I can't explain it but i really love the look of ships from that era.