World War II: Sweden--Military

Swedish draftees
Figure 1.--Sweden began drafting boys as young as 15 years of age for brief periods of basic military training. We believe this is one such group. The photograph was taken in May 1937. Sone of the boys were retained for more advanced military training. The writing on the back reads something like "Landstormspojko på pingstovning". Click on the image to see the back. We are not sure what that means.

Sweden did not have a significant military capability. It was neutral in World war I and made no efort to expand its military during the War. It did create the Lottorna (Swedish Women's Voluntary Defense Service) after World War I (1924). Sweden had an even more limited military capablity than Switzerland. It could not have resisted a German invasion. Unlike Switzerland, the terraine was no barrier. As a result of the massive German Rearmament program, Sweden had to reconsider its foreign and defense policies. Swedish foreign policy was based on neutrality and support for the League of Nations. The failure of the League in the mid-30s meant that Sweden had to adjust its thinking. This began with small increase in defense spending. The Swedes increased spending from US$37 million in 1936, to $50 million in 1937, to $59 million in 1938. After Munich the Swedes massively increased spending over fivefold to $322 million in 1939. Miltary spending during the War peaked at $528 million in 1942. While a huge increase in relative terms and for the Swedes given the size of the economy, it was not meanigful in World War II terms, especially as Swedish industry did not have the capability of producing advanced weapons. The Swedes had little advanced weaponry of any importance and made only limited efforts to acquire any during the inter-War era, even after Hitler seized power (1933). At the time the Swedes had World War I tanks (Stridsvagn mf/21s). The Swedish Government about every 5 years conducted a defense assessmnt. The 1936 Defence Resolution" (Försvarsbeslut) made a commitment to form two tank battalions. Fale Burman, Chief of Army Procurement (Arméns utrustningsdetalj) pointd out that if they opted for tanks with artillery (as opposed to machine guns), they could have at the most in 15-20 tanks--a meaningless force in World War II terms. [Linder, p. 53.] Some lighter machine-gun tanks were also purchased. At the time Hitler and Stalin launched World War II, Sweden had 48 Czech tanks with machine gun armament and about 20 Landsverk L-120 tanks armed with a 37 main gun. [Linder, p. 54.] The Swedish Army hfor decaded consisted of four divisions. The regiments stationed in northern Norrland and Gotland were organizationally separate units. This was judged to be obsolte and the Army's organization was changed (1942). [Linder, p. 52.] The war affected Sweden's ability to arm itself. Before the War, Sweden imported many manufctured goods. Onece the war broke out, the Royal Navy blockade of Germany, impaired the country's ability to import. Swedish industry had to supply previous imported products. At the me time, the Swish military incrased orders. It became virtually impossible to import arms, except for material the Germans decided to make available. Sweden annual production of armaments during the 1930s was in tens of millions of Swedish kronor (SEK), but during the war, the Swedes approved arms purchases exceeding SEK 1 billion (US$240 million). Along with increased spending in arms, the Swedes ininitated conscription The Goverment began drafting 15-yearold for short periods of milirary training. One source says concription was begun in May 1938. We notice press photographs of very young consripts a year earlir (figure 1). And a quarter of the draftees were retaind for advanced training (1938). After the war began, Sweden established a Home Guard (Hemvärnet) (1940). It was organized into small groups of retired soldiers who were equipped with small arms (rifles and machine guns). They had the option to buy additional materials such as skis, sweaters and marching boots.

Military Capability

Sweden did not have a significant military capability in World War II terms. We note posts from Sweden suggesting that Sweden maintained it neutrality because of its military capability. This is simply not correct. Sweden was not invaded because it gave Germany what the NAZI War machine most needed--iron ore. Sweden provide iron ore to Germany for almost all of the War. Without that iron ore, the Germans could not have waged the War. A german invasion would have actually disrupted iron ore deliveries as the Swedes could have sabatoged the mines and transpoort system. The Swesish military capability was no negligivle like Senmark or minimal like Norway, but it in no way deterred a German invasion. Sweden had an even more limited military capablity than Switzerland. It could not have resisted a German invasion. Unlike Switzerland, the terraine was no barrier. And not fully understood by the Swedes was German intentions after they won the war to annex Sweden to the Greater Reich, not only for the country's iron ore, but for the 'valuanle racial material' they saw in Sweden. In the end the Swedes owe their independence to the Soviet/Allied defeat of NAZI Germany and the American security umbrell after the War. The Swedes did not joint NATO, but it was NATO that stopped Soviet expansion west.

Defense Policy

Sweden was neutral in World War I and made no efort to expand its military during the War. It did create the Lottorna (Swedish Women's Voluntary Defense Service) after World War I (1924). As a result of the massive German Rearmament program, Sweden had to reconsider its foreign and defense policies. Swedish foreign policy after World war I was based on neutrality and support for the League of Nations. The failure of the League in the mid-30s meant that Sweden had to adjust its thinking. This began with small increase in defense spending. The Swedes increased spending from US$37 million in 1936, to $50 million in 1937, to $59 million in 1938. After Munich the Swedes massively increased spending over fivefold to $322 million in 1939. Miltary spending during the War peaked at $528 million in 1942. While a huge increase in relative terms and for the Swedes given the size of the economy, it was not meanigful in World War II terms. The Swedes had little advanced weaponry of any importance and made only limited efforts to acquire any during the inter-War era, even after Hitler seized power (1933).

Arms Industry

Swedish industry did not have the capability of producing many advanced weapons. Swedden was a small country and while its indutry could compete in international markets, it was not oriented toward arms production. As a result much of its advanced weaponry had to be imported, including tanks and ships. Aircraft built in Sweden was largely onsolete and not nearky as capable as Luftwaffe aircraft. A major exception to Sweden's limited limited industrial military capability was Bofors. They produced guns for the Swedish Navy. The 40mm Bofors gun is highly reegarded as is perhaps the most famous anti-aircraft gun of its type. It was most notably used on surface ships for anti-aircraft protection. It was thus used by the British Royal Navy, the U.S. Navy, and the German Kriegsmarine. As far as we know, the only important weapon used by both Allied and Axis navies. The Kriegsmarine surface units did not play an important role in the War. And the Royal Navy's primary role was in defeating the German U-boat threat. The U.S. Navy was a very diffetent matter. Bofors guns played a ceitical role in the Pacific war. The U.S. Navy through Midway fought the Japanese with anti-aircraft guns of limited capability. After Midway, the U.S. Navy began reflacing its anti-aircraft guns with Bofors guns. Thge guns of course were not imported from Sweden, only the technology. Chrysler built 60,000 of the guns and 120,000 barrels. This meant that the ships pouring out of American shipyards steaming west to join the Pacific Fleet had much more effective anti-aircraft capability. And older ships like Enterprise were requippped with the Bofors guns. This had amajor impact in the subsequent naval fighting, especially when the Japanese in desperation turned to Kamikazee attacks. The U.S. Navy was so impressed with its Bofors guns that they cabeled Chrysler Corporation with the serial numbers of guns when they shot down attacking Japanese aircraft. [Zatz]

Army

As NAZI Germany began to rearm, the Swedish Army still had obsolete World War I-era tanks (Stridsvagn mf/21s). The Swedish Government about every 5 years conducted a defense assessmnt. The 1936 Defence Resolution" (Försvarsbeslut) made a commitment to form two tank battalions. Fale Burman, Chief of Army Procurement (Arméns utrustningsdetalj) pointd out that if they opted for tanks with artillery (as opposed to machine guns), they could have at the most in 15-20 tanks--a meaningless force in World War II terms. [Linder, p. 53.] Some lighter machine-gun tanks were also purchased. At the time Hitler and Stalin launched World War II, Sweden had 48 Czech tanks with machine gun armament and about 20 Landsverk L-120 tanks armed with a 37 main gun. [Linder, p. 54.] The Swedish Army hfor decaded consisted of four divisions. The regiments stationed in northern Norrland and Gotland were organizationally separate units. This was judged to be obsolte and the Army's organization was changed (1942). [Linder, p. 52.] The war affected Sweden's ability to arm itself. Before the War, Sweden imported many manufctured goods. Onece the war broke out, the Royal Navy blockade of Germany, impaired the country's ability to import. Swedish industry had to supply previous imported products. At the me time, the Swish military incrased orders. It became virtually impossible to import arms, except for material the Germans decided to make available. Sweden annual production of armaments during the 1930s was in tens of millions of Swedish kronor (SEK), but during the war, the Swedes approved arms purchases exceeding SEK 1 billion (US$240 million). Along with increased spending in arms, the Swedes ininitated conscription The Goverment began drafting 15-yearold for short periods of milirary training. One source says concription was begun in May 1938. We notice press photographs of very young consripts a year earlier (figure 1). And a quarter of the draftees were retaind for advanced training (1938). After the war began, Sweden established a Home Guard (Hemvärnet) (1940). It was organized into small groups of retired soldiers who were equipped with small arms (rifles and machine guns). They had the option to buy additional materials such as skis, sweaters and marching boots.

Navy

The Kungliga Flottan (Swedish Navy) at the time of World War I was the strongest permanent force in the Baltic. After the War, Sweden relying on the Versailles Peace Treaty and the League of Nations allowed its naval forces to decline. Even so, the Swedish Navy of the three services at the time of the War was the best equipped. The Swedes had four aging costal defense ships with big guns, an aging armored cruiser, and a mine criser. The newest ship was the Gotland, a seaplne cruiser. There were also 19 destroyers. Two modern cruisers were built, but not commissioned until after the War. The destroyer fleet was expanded to 28 ships by the end of the War. The Soviets in contrast built up a powerful naval force, although it was not a major Soviet priority. And the Germans also after the NAZIs seized power built up a substantial naval force. Swedish attitudes toward defense changed with the outbreak of World War II and the Winter War. The Goverment initiated a crash naval building program. They ordered ship designs from Italy which they finally concluded were inadequate for the conditions in northern waters. The Swedish Navy had some substantial ships including heavily armored cruisers and destroyers. The problem for the Swedes besides having a limited industrial base was the enclosed Baltic waters. All of the Baltic was covered by German or Soviet aircraft and the obsolete Swedish airforce was totlly incapable of providing needed air cover. Nor did the Swedish Navy have modern ASW sonar or radar. The limited ASW capability probably resulted in the disaster at the Musko Naval Base (1943).

Air Force

The Swedish Air Force was larger than the Danish and Norwegian air forces combined. But it was composed of basically obsolete aircraft. Sweden did not have a modern avition industry. Military aircraft had to be imported. Sweden had some 40 British Gloster Gladiator bi-plane fighters and different largely obsolete bombers. Older bi-plane fighters by the time of the War were used for training. Sweden obtained 60 J-9 fighters fron Seversky (North American) Aircraft Compny in the United States, but American authorities impounded a second order. The American designation was the P-35. They were a great improvement over Sweden's esisting planes, but totlly outclassed by the German Me-109. The J-9 bears a passing similarity in apearance but much smaller than the legendary American P-47 Thunderbolt that would be built by North American later in the War.

Sources

Linder, Jan. (2006).

Zatz. David. "Chrysler, Gun Maker: Bofors Guns of World War II".













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Created: 11:08 AM 1/17/2017
Last updated: 8:28 PM 1/21/2017