The Kobben class (also known as Type 207) is a customized version of the German Type 205 submarine. Fifteen vessels of this class were built for use by the Royal Norwegian Navy in the 1960s. The class later saw service with Denmark and Poland. The boats have since been withdrawn from service in the Norwegian and Danish navies. The Polish Navy operated two Kobben-class submarines (Bielik, Sęp) until 2021.
History Along with the rest of the Royal Norwegian Navy, the submarine fleet was to be modernized according to the Fleet plan of 1960. After the war, Norway needed a navy more suited for coastal operations rather than large, seagoing vessels. This made the choice of a new type of submarines rather slim, not many NATO submarines being suited for this type of operations. A German Type 201 submarine U-3 was lent to the Royal Norwegian Navy for evaluation and adaptation between 10 July 1962 and 20 June 1964, with the name HNoMS Kobben. The result was the Type 207, of which 15 vessels were delivered to Norway in the period 1964 – 67. All Kobben-class submarines were built by Rheinstahl Nordseewerke GmbH in Emden. Between 1985 – 93, six boats were lengthened by and modernized, most notably with new sonar equipment.
On 24 November 1972, the Kobben-class submarine of the Royal Norwegian Navy had "contact" with what they presumed was a , after 14 days of "hunt" in Sognefjord. Military documents released in 2009 confirm this episode.
During that period, four others were sold to the Royal Danish Navy (known there as the Tumleren class), three operational (modernized) and one for spare parts. served in the 2003 invasion of Iraq from May 2002 until June 2003.
In 2001, the Kobben class was completely phased out in Norwegian service, replaced by the newer . Five modernized vessels were given to the Polish Navy, four as operational units and one for spare parts. Before they were transferred, the Polish crews were trained and the boats were overhauled.
During 2004, all of the operational Danish boats (Tumleren, Sælen and Springeren) were decommissioned. They were mothballed , waiting to be scrapped or transferred to another nation.
Vessels +Kobben class — significant datesPennantNameCommissionedNotesS315Kaura1965Transferred to Denmark in 1991 for spare partsS316Kinn8 April 1964Scuttled in Bjørnafjord in 1990S317Kya15 June 1964Transferred to Denmark in 1991 as . Preserved as a museum ship in Langeland. S318Kobben15 August 1964Transferred to Poland in 2002 for spare parts and as of 17 December 2011 moved to Maritime Academy in Gdynia (Akademia Marynarki Wojennej) for crew training.S319Kunna29 October 1964Transferred to Poland in 2003 as ORP Kondor. Decommissioned as of 20 December 2017.S300Ula1965Renamed Kinn (S316) in 1987, scrapped in 1998. Co-operated in the Anglo Netherlands Norwegian Cooperation Program (ANNCP) program regarding research on stealth properties of submarines. S301Utsira1965Scrapped in 1998S302Utstein1965Transferred to the naval museum in Horten in 1998 as a museum shipS303Utvær1965Transferred to Denmark in 1989 as S304Uthaug1965Transferred to Denmark in 1990 as , now a museum ship in Copenhagen. S305Sklinna1966Reconditioned in 1989, scrapped in 2001S306Skolpen1966Transferred to Poland in 2002 as . Retired on 14 December 2021 S307Stadt1966Scrapped in 1989S308Stord1967Transferred to Poland in 2002 as . Decommissioned in Poland in 2018 and being sent to Naval Museum, Gdynia.S309Svenner1967Transferred to Poland in 2003 as . Retired on 14 December 2021
Notes
References
Marinemuseet, the Norwegian naval museum
External links Nordseewerke - manufacturer's website Polish Navy - with Polish commission dates, pictures and information Danish Naval History - information about Danish use (1989–2004)