Kalev class submarine

The Kalev Class consisted of two mine laying submarines built for the Estonian Navy. {| class="toc" id="toc"

Contents
[hide] *1 Development history
 * 2 Service history
 * 3 As a museum exhibit
 * 4 See also
 * 5 References
 * 6 External links
 * }

Development history
The newly independent Republic of Estonia followed the Finnish naval armament program and the common top secret defense cooperation in acquiring submarines. Unlike the German designed Finnish subs, Estonia opted for British built submarines. Both boats of the class  Kalev  and the  Lembit  were built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness, in the United Kingdom.[1]

Service history
The two subs were delivered in 1936. After the Soviet annexation of Estonia in 1940 the Estonian Navy was integrated into the Soviet Baltic Fleet. The Kalev class submarines were commissioned into the Soviet Navy on September 18, 1940. Kalev was sunk outside Hanko, Finland in 1941, but Lembit continued a successful campaign against Swedish iron ore transports to Germany. Lembit was decommissioned in 1979. She is now preserved as a museum ship at the Estonian Maritime Museum Lennusadam (Seaplane harbour/Hydroplane port), Tallinn.