The West Coast Naval Command ( Swedish : Västkustens marinkommando , MKV/Fo 32) was a naval command within the Swedish Navy that operated in various forms in from 1928 to 2000. The unit was based in Gothenburg .
89-663: The West Coast Naval Command was formed as a war unit on 1 January 1928, with the name West Coast Naval District. The background was the lack of clear command conditions and a unified staff for the Swedish coastal areas in war or in danger of war. Through the Defence Act of 1925 , the territorial waters along the Swedish coast were divided into naval districts , where the West Coast Naval District constituted one of six naval districts. The naval district included
178-483: A German Congregational church . It also counted Jewish people in its population. In 1998, parts of the city, including the Karlskrona Naval Base , was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Under Danish rule, the island on which Karlskrona was built, Trossö , was used chiefly for farming and grazing. During the 16th century, it was owned by the farmer Offe Månsson. A couple of kilometers away on
267-541: A coast guard department. On 1 October 1957, the West Coast Naval District was reorganized into Naval Command West, where Gothenburg Coastal Artillery Defence was separated so that on 1 July 1958, it formed its own authority. Gothenburg Coastal Artillery Defence itself was amalgamated with Gothenburg and Bohus as well as Halland Defence District (Fo 32/31) and adopted the name Gothenburg and Bohus as well as Halland Defence District together with Gothenburg Coastal Artillery Defence (Gbk/Fo 32/31). The new organization consisted of
356-621: A command organization with staff and administration, the 5th Coastal Artillery Brigade, the 12th Coastal Artillery Group and the Bohus Group ( Bohusgruppen ). From 1960, the 2nd Helicopter Division ( 2. helikopterdivisionen ) was also added, which was initially based at Torslanda Airfield . On 1 October 1966, a new regional command was introduced within the Swedish Armed Forces. Thus, the Naval Command West adopted
445-477: A decommissioning organization, which operated until 31 March 2001. When the West Coast Naval Command was formed in 1928, the naval district commander would exercise command over all units, bodies and institutions within the naval district, which included local naval forces, naval fortifications, coastal artillery defence, naval station (or naval depot) and naval shipyards. With the expansion of
534-631: A future defence encountered multiple setbacks during its discussion in the Riksdag, but in 1925, the Social Democratic Sandler Cabinet agreed to a mainly Freeminder-backed proposal which involved a further decreased expenditure cap of 107 million crowns per year, equivalent to roughly 1,3 % of the Swedish GDP. The construction of new ships was cut which resulted in the older ships not being replaced. In 1927,
623-399: A large shipyard, the need for railway was great. The city received its first railway line in 1874, connecting it to Växjö, which itself was connected since 1865 to the main line Södra stambanan. The line then came to the north of the city center of Karlskrona. The shipyard, further south, was connected in 1888, thanks to an underground line of 2 km, but the line closed in 1990. This line
712-663: A library. The museum is also involved in research. The present museum building on Stumholmen in Karlskrona was opened in 1997 by the present king Carl XVI Gustaf. Before that the museum lay in the former cadet barracks in the naval harbour, Örlogshamnen, and until 1963 was known as the Shipyard Museum (Varvsmuseet). The museum is based on the "model room" created in 1752 by King Adolf Frederick of Sweden , in which several boat models were stored in order to test different types of structures. Nowadays, these models still form
801-792: A merge of the air forces of the Army and Navy, consisting of 57 aircraft. Many units which remained received new unit designations, i.e. the Northern Småland Regiment became I 12. The Act meant that the Swedish Army in peace time were to consist of the following units from 1 January 1928. One of the major changes was that the infantry regiments were to only consist of two battalions instead of three. Karlskrona Karlskrona ( UK : / ˈ k ɑːr l s k r oʊ n ə / , US : / k ɑːr l z ˈ k r uː n ə / , Swedish: [kaɭsˈkrûːna] )
890-403: A pure fortress. The 1694 plan by Erik Dahlberg, which was later followed, also provided space for urban development. The city grew quickly and by 1750 Karlskrona had about 10,000 inhabitants. It was then one of the biggest cities in the country and soon became the kingdom's third largest city, after Riga and Stockholm . Most of the baroque buildings from this era are still standing, which is why
979-457: A scientist with several inventions still in use). There is also a historical rope making factory, Repslagarbanan . Karlskrona developed rapidly, but in the early 18th century stagnation occurred due to war and plagues. 1701 — 1711 died about 7,000 people when the plague struck the city. In 1741 and 1789, the city was again hit by plagues, each claiming 6,000 lives. When Karlskrona, as a military-closed port city, slowly withered away in step with
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#17327914283411068-492: A war force Sweden needed. The political right claimed that Russia represented a long-term threat to Sweden, and that Russia's political and economic troubles during the 1920s were just temporary. They also believed - due to Sweden's entry in to the League of Nations - that the risk of Sweden being dragged in to war had increased. The liberal Free-minded National Association referred to the weakened powers of Germany and Russia,
1157-481: Is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality , Blekinge County , Sweden with a population of 66,675 in 2018. It is also the capital of Blekinge County . Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's largest naval base and the headquarters of the Swedish Coast Guard . Historically, the city has been home to a German minority , thus enabling the formation of
1246-459: Is called Lövmarknaden (The Leaf Fair) and is very popular among the locals. The main square of Karlskrona is the biggest in Scandinavia. Every year in late July/early August a popular festival called The Sail takes place in the harbor of Karlskrona. Usually it is a place where families go to have something to eat and drink, and perhaps watch the sailing boats lined up at the pier. During
1335-533: Is now part of the Kust till Kust banan, linking Göteborg and Kalmar. The town received a new railway line in 1889 when the future Blekinge kustbana, linking Kristianstad to Karlskrona, was built. There is a regular ferry service from Karlskrona to Gdynia in Poland , operated by Stena Line , with an average of two return trips per day. This line carries nearly 500,000 people a year. The port of Karlskrona also serves
1424-615: Is one of the few högskolor (university colleges) in Sweden with the right to issue a doctorate, thus having a status quite similar to that of a real university. The institute employs about 600 people and hosts about 8,000 students. The following sports clubs are located in Karlskrona: In The Surgeon's Mate by Patrick O'Brian , Karlskrona is the base for the British Baltic fleet, approximately 1813, when
1513-449: Is rarely seen on Swedish churches. Karlskrona Admiralty Church (Amiralitetskyrkan) was built in 1685 in red-painted wood and is one of Sweden's largest wooden churches. Outside the church there is a well-known statue called Rosenbom . There is also a Catholic Church, Our Lady of Fatima, at Södra Kungsgatan 1, 371 30 Karlskrona The city is the main campus of Blekinge tekniska högskola, an Institute of Technology founded in 1989, which
1602-415: Is to design an Army Tactical Command , Naval Tactical Command and Air Force Tactical Command which would be co-located with the operations command. The proposal adopted by the Riksdag meant that all division and defence district staffs as well as naval commands and air commands were disbanded. On 30 June 2000, the West Coast Naval Command was disbanded. From 1 July 2000, the operations was transformed into
1691-554: Is written by Gorge Hopkins. Near the church is also the Admiralstorn Tower, dating from 1699, originally used to indicate the time for the shipyard workers but used since 1909 as the church tower Finally, the city has some more recent buildings, such as the model room, having hosted between 1780 and 1920 models of boats, Now transferred to the Marine Museum, or the town hall built after the fire of 1790. Finally,
1780-592: The Riksdag deciding that the Göta Wing would be disbanded on 30 June 1969, it was also decided that the 2nd Helicopter Division ( 2. helikopterdivisionen ) would take over parts of the wing's area at Säve Airbase. At the same time, the Recruiting Area Office, West ( Västra värnpliktskontoret ) was located at Säve. The helicopter division at Säve was transferred organizationally on 1 January 1999 to
1869-657: The South Coast Naval Base and the East Coast Naval Base . On 1 July 1986, a major reform of the Navy was carried out, when all naval bases amalgamated with the coastal artillery and formed naval commands . The new organization in Gothenburg largely reflected the previous one. At that time, Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment already had a joint staff with the command. The most obvious change
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#17327914283411958-499: The Southern Military District was formed, which took over the territorial responsibility as well as a large part of the staff from the West Coast Naval Command, which then consisted of about 50% army officers. From 1 October 1966, the unit consisted of the 1st Frigate Flotilla ( 1. fregattflottiljen ), the 6th Submarine Flotilla ( 6. ubåtsflottiljen ), the 15th Torpedo Boat Division ( 15. torpedbåtsdivisionen ),
2047-597: The Swedish Armed Forces would operate during the coming years. The Act resulted in a policy of disarmament . The Act would remain effective until the Defence Act of 1936 . The new order of battle meant that the number of Army Divisions was decreased to 4. 17 military units were disbanded and conscription time was lowered to 140 days for most conscripts. Many conscripts were transferred to the Army Reserve. The Army and Naval air powers were combined into
2136-640: The Swedish Armed Forces Helicopter Wing , where it, together with the 13th Helicopter Division ( 13. helikopterdivisionen ) and three air rescue groups from the Swedish Air Force , formed the Göta Helicopter Battalion ( Göta helikopterbataljon ). The West Coast Naval Command celebrated several dates, including 15 April, 6 June, and 14 November. The 15 April was commemorated for the dead crew of
2225-559: The county residence (Länsresidenset) built between 1909 and 1911. The most visited museum of the city is the Naval Museum , with around 250,000 visitors a year. About half of those visitors are Swedish, the other half from other countries. The Naval Museum is Sweden's national museum for the history of the Swedish Navy. Along with exhibitions, the museum contains object collections, a drawings archive, photographic archive and
2314-468: The 3rd Minelayer Flotilla ( 3. minfartygsflottiljen ), the 6th Mine-Sweeping Detachment ( 6. minröjningsavdelningen ), the 2nd Helicopter Division ( 2. helikopterdivisionen ), the 52nd Air Reconnaissance Group ( 52. flygspaningsgruppen ) (from the Swedish Air Force ) and the 145th HQ Battalion ( 145. basbataljonen ) and 147th HQ Battalion ( 147. basbataljonen ) from the Swedish Army . From 1 July 1986,
2403-489: The Bohus Group ( Bohusgruppen ) and the Gothenburg Group ( Göteborgsgruppen ). From 1 July 1995, the unit organization consisted of staff with naval surveillance and radio station, 18th Patrol Boat Division, 6th Mine Warfare Division, 12th Helicopter Division, Gothenburg Marine Regiment , four defence district infantry groups ( försvarsområdesstridsgrupper ), two city infantry battalions ( stadsskyttebataljoner ) and
2492-459: The Defence Act of 1996, the command was given two new tasks, to support or participate in international operations and to support society in the event of severe strains. The new support to society was noticed in 1999, for example, when a fire occurred on MS Scandinavian Star and in the 2000 floods in Sweden, which affected Dalsland , among other places. Through the Defence Act of 2000,
2581-488: The Government Bill 1978/79:96, the Swedish government proposed to the Riksdag that the three authorities West Coast Naval Base (ÖrlB V), Gothenburg Coastal Artillery Defence with Gothenburg and Bohus Defence District (GbK/Fo 32) and Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment (KA 4) be amalgamated into one authority in the peace organization. The background to the proposal for a amalgamation was due to savings reasons, where
2670-550: The Naval Command West was directly subordinate to the Chief of the Navy regarding the operational command of the naval forces. On 1 October 1966, a new regional leadership was introduced throughout the Swedish Armed Forces, which meant that the operational responsibility was transferred to the military commander of the Western Military District . With the new organization, the protection of maritime import traffic
2759-403: The Navy was starting to focus on lighter units in order to outnumber the heavier armoured cruisers. The inner lines at Vaxholm Fortress , Älvsborg Fortress and Hemsö Fortress were returned to storage and the Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment (KA 3), Hörningsholm Fortress and Luleå Coastal Position were dissolved. The Swedish Air Force is formed as a separate military branch, through
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2848-637: The Riksdag in its Bill 1981/82:102 new savings within the Swedish Armed Forces. Among other things, that the basic training at the West Coast Military Command with Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment would be reduced to a greater extent than what the Supreme Commander had proposed. The remaining basic training would then be limited to mainly radar and naval mine training. Furthermore, the government proposed that and that Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment should be separated from
2937-510: The Soviet Union. While the submarine's grounding was inadvertent, and likely the result of inebriation among the crew, the submarine almost certainly was engaged in an unspecified covert mission at the time. The city of Karlskrona is spread over 30 islands in the eastern part of Blekinge archipelago , Trossö being the main one. Other populated mentionable islands are Saltö , Sturkö , Hästö , Långö and Aspö . The islet of Stumholmen
3026-535: The Swedish Air Force. The Edén Cabinet had in 1919 started an investigation into the Swedish Armed Forces in order to lower the high defence expenditure the Defence Act of 1914 had resulted in. The investigation concluded in 1923 and the right-wing majority had decided on an expenditure cap of 120 million Swedish crowns per year, 62 million less than the Defence Act of 1914 stipulated. The political parties all made differing judgements on how large of
3115-417: The Swedish Armed Forces and the government considered that the naval activities on the west coast could be coordinated under a joint command. On 15 February 1979, the Riksdag adopted the Government Bill. On 1 January 1981, the new organization came into force, under the name West Coast Naval Command with Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment (MKV/KA 4). Prior to the Defence Act of 1982, the government proposed to
3204-407: The Swedish great power, the growth slowed, with the city losing much of its former glory, but it has nevertheless retained its position as a strong naval base . That Karlskrona was intended as a future capital of a great power is noticeable mainly in its central parts where Stortorget follows the ideals of the time for what Europe's great power cities would look like. With its large open piazza where
3293-637: The West Coast Military Command, and instead form an independent unit. The government also proposed, for regional policy reasons, that the Swedish Navy Officer College in Gothenburg ( Marinens officershögskola i Göteborg , MOHS G) and the main part of the Swedish Navy Medical School ( Marinens sjukvårdsskola , MSjukvS) be located in Karlskrona . The background to the savings and the restructuring in Gothenburg,
3382-723: The West Coast Naval Command was disbanded on 30 June 2000. Before the command was disbanded, a handover ceremony was held on 20 June 2000 at Muskö Naval Base . Where the naval operational responsibility was handed over to the commander of the Naval Tactical Command , at the same time as the commander of the West Coast Naval Command received the ground territorial responsibility for Scania Defence District ( Skåne försvarsområde , Fo 14), Blekinge Defence District ( Blekinge försvarsområde , Fo 15), Småland Defence District ( Smålands försvarsområde , Fo 17) and Halland Defence District ( Hallands försvarsområde , Fo 31). From 1 July 2000,
3471-404: The West Coast Naval District was formed as a peace unit, its permanent organization was relocated to Nya Varvet in western Gothenburg . In addition to the construction work that was going on from 1937, buildings were taken over from the commandant of Älvsborg Fortress . The port was dredged and new quays, barracks, storage and housing were built. In 1944, the naval district's chancellery building
3560-540: The Western Naval Command Maintenance Battalion. The 12th Helicopter Division ( 12. helikopterdivisionen , 12. hkpdiv) was a helicopter division that operated from 1959 to 1997. The division was from 1959 to 1969 based at Torslanda Airfield and from 1969 to 1997 at Säve Depot . From 1998, the division was part of the Swedish Armed Forces Helicopter Wing . The 18th Patrol Boat Division ( 18. patrullbåtsdivisionen , 18.ptrbdiv)
3649-481: The archipelago of Blekinge. The nearest airport to the city is Ronneby Airport, near Ronneby, with scheduled flights to Stockholm (Bromma and Arlanda). 191,168 people transited through this airport in 2009. There are three important churches in Karlskrona. Fredrikskyrkan (The Frederick church) was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger , who was influenced by Italian architecture. The foundation of that church
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3738-434: The church, town hall and state administration are located in the outer edges of the square, it follows the baroque pattern. The number of churches and state administration castles also shows the city's intended task. The large military area and the shipyard show that Karlskrona, as the kingdom's southern gate, was long considered a very important city to defend. Even today, operations are conducted at Karlskronavarvet. Karlskrona
3827-496: The city centre is architecturally uniform. The shipyard in Karlskrona was established almost at the same time as the city. It was a necessity because of the heavy losses the Swedish navy had suffered in 1659. In 1711, the shipyard was Sweden's largest industrial employer with 1,100 workers. The oldest dock, the Polhem dock, is cut in the cliff itself and is still in use. It got its name from Christopher Polhem ("The Swedish da Vinci",
3916-777: The city is the Fredrikskyrkan church, built in the 1690s, On the main square, which is also the highest point of the island. Several other churches are located in the city, such as the Church of the Holy Trinity, built for the Germans of the city in 1709, or the Amiralitetskyrkan, consecrated in 1685 In front of the Amiralitetskyrkan church is the statue of Rosenbom, made famous by the children's book of Selma Lagerlöf, The Wonderful Adventures of Nils , in which
4005-499: The city was founded in 1680, it was primarily thought of as a military city, with many defenses and fortifications exploiting the particular topography of the city. Some fortifications were located on the main island (Trossö) such as the Bastion Aurora, built at the beginning of the 18th century, but much of it was located on the nearby islands (Ljungskär, Mjölnareholmen, Godnatt, Koholmen and Kurrholmen) or more distant, such as
4094-637: The city. Parts of the city (mainly the Naval Port) have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site . In October 1981 the Whiskey-class Soviet submarine S-363 (known as "U137" in Sweden) ran aground in the archipelago near Sturkö just outside Karlskrona. The media characterized it as the "Whiskey on the Rocks" affair. The incident caused a temporary rise in tensions between Sweden and
4183-533: The core of the museum's collection, but the museum also traces the history of the Royal Swedish Navy. The city is also home to the Blekinge Museum, with 82,443 visitors in 2008. Some of the biggest employers in Karlskrona are Telenor Sverige , Ericsson , NKT A/S and Roxtec . The city has an overall strong presence in information technology based industries. The city is positioned at
4272-797: The creation of the League of Nations and the war exhaustion that many nations were suffering through as a result of the First World War. The Free-minded had major hopes for international treaties regarding disarmament. The Social Democrats predicted a sustained and stable period of peace, which did not motivate a strong defence in order to counter surprise attacks. A war in Europe would be preceded by worsened international relations and thus give time for necessary rearmament. The Social Democrats believed that Sweden only needed to maintain neutrality in order to deflect foreign aggression. The proposition on
4361-471: The decommissioning organization, and no operational or territorial responsibility. The position of deputy commander was introduced in 1981 in connection with the formation of the West Coast Military Command. Defence Act of 1925 (Sweden) The Defence Act of 1925 was a defence act passed by the Swedish Riksdag on 26 May 1925 and came into force on 1 January 1928. The Act specified how
4450-593: The government's budget bill 1997/98:1, the government also proposed that the defence district staff in Skövde should be disbanded. This is against the background that Västra Götaland County would form a defence district with a defence district staff in Gothenburg at the West Coast Naval Command. In its place for the two former defence district staffs in Borås and Skövde, the Skaraborg Group ( Skaraborgsgruppen ) and
4539-445: The islands closing the bay, with in particular the important fortress of Kungsholmen and its circular port. But the civil part of the city was also carefully planned. It has a rectangular grid plan, with however some diagonal streets, created because of the relief of the city center. Nicodème Tessin l'Ancien was responsible for the design of the buildings, and he gave the city a very uniform baroque style. The central building of
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#17327914283414628-554: The mainland there was another, older town called Lyckeby or Lyckå (today a city district of Karlskrona). In 1599, King Christian IV of Denmark founded a new town, Kristianopel , a little further away. Lyckeby lost its town privileges which were transferred to the new town, and Lyckeby Castle was torn down. At the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658 during the Second Northern War , Blekinge fell under Swedish rule. In
4717-572: The name of the older city of Landskrona in Scania . The nearby town of Ronneby was dissolved as a town and its population forced to move to Karlskrona which benefited from several years of customs freedom. Shipbuilders for the shipyards of the new naval base were brought in from Ostrobothnia and Stockholm. In 1682, bridges were built that connected the city center with the mainland. The first city plan, drawn up in 1683 by Erik Dahlbergh , Hans Wachtmeister and Carl Magnus Stuart, shows Karlskrona as
4806-460: The naval base. Until 1679, the island and the nearby islets were owned by the farmer Vittus Andersson; he was now forced to sell his properties to the Swedish crown. The same year work on relocating the navy from the Stockholm area to Trossö begun. The city itself was founded on 10 August 1680. The city's name means Karl's Crown in honour of King Karl XI of Sweden , the name being inspired by
4895-466: The new authority's war headquarters came to operate from a mountain facility in Mölndal . In Mölndal, the facility was shared with parts of the defence district staff, the county administrative board of Gothenburg and Bohus County and the air defence center Svalan (W2). With the amalgamation, operations at Nya Varvet gradually began to move to Käringberget . On 26 January 1986, the Swedish naval ensign
4984-405: The new name West Coast Naval Base. The West Coast Naval Base was in turn directly subordinate to the military commander of the Western Military District , from having previously been directly subordinate to the Chief of the Navy . The West Coast Naval Base in turn consisted of staff and administration, as well as Älvsborg Radio, the coast guard organization and ships and helicopter units. Prior to
5073-474: The newly conquered province, which also offered a very strategic position against Denmark, and with short sailing distances to Sweden's German and Baltic provinces. It was decided to base most of the kingdom's fleet on Trossö where a new naval base and city was to be constructed. The location was strategically advantageous on an island in the archipelago with control over the link to the mainland and surrounded by islets where fortifications were erected to protect
5162-854: The organization was expanded in the form of the Gothenburg Department for the ship units, the Gothenburg Coastal Artillery Defence and Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment , and in 1943 with the Gothenburg Naval Station ( Göteborgs örlogsstation ) and the Gothenburg Naval Yard ( Göteborgs örlogsvarv ). In the years 1939–1945, the naval district also consisted of the Väner Department ( Väneravdelningen ) with associated ship detachment, fish distribution center and
5251-526: The sail, the sea scouts of Karlskrona will row a boat carrying torches along the docks while playing the national anthems for the visiting ships. Lately The Sail has been replaced with a festival called Skärgårdsfest . The old architecture together with the naval installations comprise the major tourist attractions of Karlskrona. The city has a pleasant atmosphere and is one of the highlights of south-east Sweden. Karlskrona has preserved its buildings and its layout virtually intact since its foundation. When
5340-543: The south east corner of Sweden with excellent connections to the other side of the Baltic Sea. There is a ferry line to Gdynia in Poland transporting both goods and passengers provided by the ferry operator Stena Line . Most of the islands of Karlskrona are connected by roads. One of the bigger populated Islands Aspö is connected with a small road ferry. Boats also travel between the archipelago's various islands during
5429-470: The staff was co-located with other operations at Käringberget . In connection with the Defence Act of 2000, the defence district group was reorganized into a military district group ( militärdistriktsgrupp ) and was transferred organizationally to the Southern Military District on 1 July 2000. The Skaraborg Group ( Skaraborgsgruppen ) was formed on 1 January 1998 in connection with the disbandment of Skaraborg Defence District ( Skaraborgs försvarsområde ) and
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#17327914283415518-440: The staff was co-located with the navy at Gullmars Base ( Gullmarsbasen ). In connection with the Defence Act of 2000, the defence district group was reorganized into a military district group ( militärdistriktsgrupp ) and was transferred organizationally to the Southern Military District on 1 July 2000. The Gothenburg Group ( Göteborgsgruppen ) was formed on 1 January 1986, and had its staff initially located at Kviberg. From 1994,
5607-469: The staff was moved to Gothenburg in 1981, Älvsborg Radio also left the facility in 1987. From 1 January 1953, the then West Coast Naval District had the naval base Gullmars Base in Skredsvik , where, among other things, the 6th Minehunter Department was based. After the West Coast Naval Command was disbanded, the base and detachment were transferred to the 4th Naval Warfare Flotilla . In connection with
5696-545: The statue tells the story of the church. The man is seen holding some text in Swedish. The English translation of that text is "I humbly beg of you, even though my voice may be weak, come and put a penny in but first lift my hat. Blessed are those that care for the poor." (The last sentence being adapted from the Bible.) Nearby, there is paper with the translation of that text, the translated languages are English, German, Polish, Danish, Norwegian, and Finnish. The English translation
5785-459: The submarine HSwMS Ulven . The memorial service was held annually until 1986, thereafter every five years. The West Coast Naval Command commemorated the sinking for the last time in 1998. On 6 June, the victims of the naval war were honored at Sjömanstorget, a tradition taken over by the Seamen's Church in Gothenburg. On 14 November, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at Kviberg's cemetery where
5874-640: The subsequent years, the Swedish government developed plans to relocate most of the Royal Swedish Navy from the Stockholm area to a more southerly location. At the time Sweden was the dominant military power in the Baltic Sea region , but needed a better strategic location for its navy, as the Swedish fleet tended to get stuck in the ice during winter while located close to Stockholm. It was therefore decided to move it to an ice-free location in
5963-540: The summer months. The city is close to the European Highway 22, connected by a small section of highway, part of the national road 28. The E22 connects the main cities of southern Sweden such as Malmö, Lund, Kristianstad, then climbs along the east coast towards Kalmar and Norrköping. The national road 28 connects the Karlstad to Emmaboda. The city being one of the most important in Sweden, with in particular
6052-514: The territorial waters, the naval defence district and the part that constituted land territory. By the Defence Act of 1936 , it was decided that all naval districts would be peace-organized from 1 July 1937. With the new organization, the naval district came to include staff, personnel department, quartermaster administration, health care administration, kameralkontor , and from 1 August 1939 ship depots were added, as well as naval depots and Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Detachment . From 1 October 1942,
6141-574: The unit during World War II , large parts of the naval defence on the west coast were demobilized. However, the mine sweeping units remained, which cleared naval mines along the west coast until 1976, when all Swedish waters were declared free of mines. From 1 October 1958, the Naval Command's primary mission was to protect maritime import traffic from enemy submarines, aircraft, and mines. The coastal artillery defence had by this time been separated and formed an independent authority. The commander of
6230-461: The unit organization consisted of staff with a production, personnel and fortification unit. The units within the command consisted of Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment , the 6th Mine Warfare Division ( 6. minkrigsavdelningen ), the 12th Helicopter Division ( 12. helikopterdivisionen ), the 18th Patrol Boat Division ( 18. patrullbåtsdivisionen ), and the Western Naval Command Maintenance Battalion ( Västra marinkommandounderhållsbataljonen ), as well as
6319-623: The war victims from the Battle of Jutland were honored. The unit coat of the arms was used by the West Coast Naval Base from 1966 to 1981 and by the West Coast Naval Command from 1981 to 2000. Blazon : "Per pale azure and or charged with an anchor erect surmounted two gunbarrels of older pattern in saltire counterchanged". In 2000, the Västra marinkommandots (MKV) minnesmedalj (MKVMM) ("West Coast Naval Command Commemorative Medal")
6408-437: The Älvsborg Group ( Älvsborgsgruppen ) were formed. As a further decision in the Defence Act of 1996, Öresund Naval District ( Öresunds marindistrikt ) was also proposed to be included in the West Coast Naval Command. The new organization, which the Riksdag adopted on two occasions, came into force on 1 January 1998, and where the West Coast Naval Command was given the somewhat unusually long name "West Coast Naval Command including
6497-610: The Öresund Naval District and Västra Götaland Defence District (MKV/Fo 32)". In everyday speech, however, the West Coast Naval Command was used. Prior to the Defence District, the Swedish Armed Forces proposed to the government that training activities at the Gothenburg Marine Brigade should cease, however, the government considered in its bill that, given the importance of the Gothenburg area, training of amphibious units would be maintained. However, there
6586-536: Was a Swedish surface combat division that operated from 1976 to 2001. The division from 1976 to 1986 based at Nya Varvet , and from 1986 to 2001 at Tångudden. After the Western Naval Command was disbanded, the division was transferred organizationally to the 3rd Surface Warfare Flotilla until it was disbanded on 1 June 2001. The Bohus Group ( Bohusgruppen ) was formed on 1 July 1958, and had its staff initially located in central Uddevalla . From 1992,
6675-578: Was a change in the Defence Act regarding the coastal artillery, that the production responsibility for the Gothenburg Marine Brigade ceased on 31 December 1997, as well as the production responsibility for the 12th Helicopter Division ( 12. helikopterdivisionen ). Prior to the Defence Act of 2000 , the government proposed in its bill to the Riksdag that the tactical level should be reduced by phasing out division and defence district staffs as well as naval commands and air commands . This
6764-588: Was amalgamated into the Västra Götaland Defence District . The Skaraborg Group's unit command was co-located with other operations within the Skövde Garrison. In connection with the Defence Act of 2000, the defence district group was reorganized into a military district group ( militärdistriktsgrupp ) and was transferred organizationally to the Southern Military District on 1 July 2000. The Älvsborg Group ( Älvsborgsgruppen )
6853-521: Was completed, however, its war headquarters was blasted into a mountain facility at Nya Varvet. During the 1950s and 1960s, the unit command and parts of the ship portfolio were relocated to Munkedal and Gullmars Base in Skredsvik . After the West Coast Naval Base (ÖrlB V), the Gothenburg Coastal Artillery Defence with the Gothenburg and Bohus Defence District (GbK/Fo 32) and Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment (KA 4) amalgamated into one authority,
6942-408: Was disbanded together with the regiment on 30 June 2000. The Öresund Naval District ( Öresunds marindistrikt , MDÖ) was formed on 1 January 1928 as a military unit. From 1936, the unit was also organized as a peace unit. In connection with the Defence Act of 1996, Öresund Naval District was disbanded as an independent unit, when it amalgamated on 1 January 1998 into the West Coast Naval Command. When
7031-439: Was downgraded in favor of strengthening the invasion defense. In connection with the formation of Naval Command West on 1 July 1986, the command was organized into two parts, tactical command for land and sea and division into sections. In addition to the commander of the Naval Command, the position of deputy commander of the Naval Command was established, and where the role of cief of staff was dedicated to an army officer. Through
7120-546: Was due to the fact that the government wanted to keep the basic training at Härnösand Coastal Artillery Regiment (KA 5). The activities that remained at the West Coast Military Command in Gothenburg were concentrated to Västerberget and Käringberget . Through Government Bill 1983/84:112 the Riksdag decided on 15 March 1984 that Nya Varvet would be left, and that the basic training battalion at Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment would be disbanded, and that rear maintenance and major inspections of naval ships would be concentrated at
7209-540: Was established. It consists of a Maltese cross of blue enamel. The medal ribbon is of green moiré with broad blue edges followed by a broad yellow stripe. The traditions of the East Coast Naval Base and its predecessors are kept by the Naval Base . From 1981, the unit commander also held the role of Defence District Commander . In the years 2000–2001, the commander held only responsibility for
7298-433: Was formed on 1 January 1998 in connection with the disbandment of Älvsborg Defence District ( Älvsborgs försvarsområde ) which amalgamated into the Västra Götaland Defence District . The Älvsborg Group's unit command was located within the Älvsborg Regiment 's former barracks area. In connection with the Defence Act of 2000, the defence district group was reorganized into a military district group ( militärdistriktsgrupp ) and
7387-748: Was formed on 1 October 1942, and had its staff initially located in central Gothenburg. From 1958, the staff was co-located with the Gothenburg Coastal Artillery Defence (GbK). In connection with the OLLI reform ( OLLI-reformen ), the Gothenburg and Bohus Defence District (Fo 32) was formed on 1 July 1975, which amalgamated into and got a joint staff with Gothenburg Coastal Artillery Defence. On 1 January 1998, Skaraborg Defence District ( Skaraborgs försvarsområde , Fo 34) and Älvsborg Defence District ( Älvsborgs försvarsområde , Fo 35) were added, which together with Gothenburg and Bohus Defence District (Fo 32) formed Västra Götaland Defence District (Fo 32). The defence district
7476-493: Was formerly property of the Navy and today it houses the National Naval Museum ( Marinmuseum ). Outside the city lies the archipelago of Karlskrona, the most southern of the Swedish archipelagos. Several islands are connected to the city by ferries. The most important day in Karlskrona is the day before midsummer's eve. On that day a big fair takes place and attracts tens of thousands to visit Karlskrona. The fair
7565-571: Was hoisted for the last time at Nya Varvet, and in October 1986, materiels management was organized at Käringberget. The naval port at Nya Varvet was moved to Tångudden. In 1962, a mountain facility in Munkedal was completed as a war headquarters to be used by the naval command. The naval command operated in the mountain facility together with Älvsborg Radio and the command of the 12th Coastal Artillery Group and an air surveillance group center. After
7654-456: Was laid in 1720, and it was inaugurated in 1744. It differs from usual Swedish churches in its orange color, adornment and its two towers despite not being a bishop's church. Trefaldighetskyrkan (Church of Holy Trinity), also called The German Church , was built between 1697–1709, following Tessin's drawings. It is likewise located at the market square in the centre core. The dome-shaped roof also takes its influence from Italian architecture and
7743-501: Was that the command changed its name to the West Coast Naval Command, and where Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment became a training unit within the command but with its own regimental staff. Prior to the Defence Act of 1996, stage 2, the government proposed to the Riksdag to reduce the number of defence district staffs from 24 to 16 staffs. Among other things, it was proposed that the defence district staff in Borås should be disbanded. In
7832-408: Was thus intended to take over Stockholm's place as the kingdom's capital, but these plans were never realized. During the years 1910 — 1949, there was electric tram traffic from Amiralitetsgatan in the south to Bergåsa in the north. The city has kept its street structure since its foundation. Since the streets all follow a grid pattern the winds can blow freely from the sea right into the heart of
7921-438: Was transferred organizationally to the Southern Military District on 1 July 2000. The Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment (KA 4) was a Swedish coastal artillery unit that operated from 1942 to 2000. From 1981 to 1997, the regiment was part of the West Coast Naval Command. The unit command was located at Käringberget . The Västra Götaland Defence District (Fo 32), originally the Gothenburg and Bohus Defence District (F 32),
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