The history of Vesikko, which translates to “mink” in Finnish, is tied to some of the most dramatic periods of the 20th century.
After its defeat in World War I, according to the terms of Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forbidden from having a submarine fleet. In order to circumvent these regulations, German authorities employed a cunning strategy. They set up engineering front companies in neighboring countries and used them as cover for their own armament research programs.
The designers of Vesikko, Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw, registered in the Netherlands, was one such company. In order to further cover their tracks, Germany used the Crichton-Vulcan shipyard in Turku, Finland, to produce their prototypes. Vessiko was constructed between 1933 and 1936 as one such prototype under the codename CV 707.
Shortly before the outbreak of World War II this submarine was sold to the government of Finland. As part of the Finnish Navy it saw service in both the Winter War and Continuation War, both satellite conflicts of World War II involving Finland and the Soviet Union.
Unfortunately, Finland didn't fare well in these conflicts. The consequences of World War II were harsh for the country. Under the provisions of the Treaty of Paris from 1947, Finland was forbidden from ever having a submarine fleet.
Vessiko was decommissioned after the war, along with the rest of the Finnish submarine fleet. However, it avoided the fate of Vetehinen, Vesihiisi, Iku-Turso, and Saukko, the other Finnish submarines, which were transported to Belgium and turned into scrap metal.
The sub was restored in 1973, transported to the current location at Suomenlinna, and converted into a museum. It remains the sole surviver of this chapter of Finnish naval history.
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