Sweden was formally a non-belligerent nation throughout World War II, but saw considerable military build-up as the level of threat from the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany increased. Between 10,000 and 20,000 Swedes fought as volunteers abroad, a majority of them in service of Finland during the Winter War.
In the early stages of the war, Sweden relied on a numerous army through conscription and the use of a Total Defence policy. In 1945, the Swedish army had been modernized from the use of World War I weapons to semi-automatic rifles and high-tech firearms such as the Carl Gustav. The infantry had also been equipped with a great deal of rocket launchers for anti-tank warfare, and the availability of artillery had increased drastically with the World War II build-up.
| Name | Origin | Type | Versions | Quantity | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-automatic pistol | Pistol m/07 | Unknown | 1907-1980's | License-built FN Browning 1903. | |||
| Semi-automatic pistol | Pistol m/39 | Unknown | 1939-???? | - | |||
| Semi-automatic pistol | Pistol m/40 Pistol m/40B | 100,000 | 1940-1990s | License-built Lahti L-35, manufactured by Husqvarna | |||
| Submachine gun | m/37 m/37-39 m/37-39F | 35,000 | 1939-1980s | - | |||
| Submachine gun | Kpist m/39 | Unknown | 1940s-???? | - | |||
| Submachine gun | Kpist m/40 | 500 | 1940-1951 | M1921 Thompson submachine gun. | |||
| Submachine gun | m/45 | 300,000 | 1945–2007 | - | |||
| Bolt-action rifle | Karbin m/94 Gevär m/96 Gevär m/38 Gevär m/41 Gevär m/41B | 127,000 535,000 88,000 5,300 5,300 | 1895-1980s | - | |||
| Bolt-action rifle | m/39 m/40 | 5,000 | 1939-1970s | Modified German K98K's. | |||
| Self-loading rifle | Ag m/42 | 30,000 | 1942-1960s | - | |||
| Automatic rifle | m/21 m/37 | Unknown | 1921–1980 | Modified M1918 Browning produced under license. | |||
| Automatic rifle | Kg m/39 | Unknown | 1939-???? | - | |||
| Automatic rifle | Kg m/40 | 5,000 | 1940-???? | - | |||
| Medium machine gun | Ksp m/14 m/14-29 | Unknown | 1910s-1940s | Standard mount. Ksp m/36 mount. | |||
| Medium machine gun | Ksp m/36 | Unknown | 1910s-???? | Upgraded M1917 Browning produced under license. | |||
| Ksp m/42 | Medium machine gun | Ksp m/42 | 1942–present | License-built, modified M1919. | |||
| Anti-tank rifle | Pvkan m/39 | 1939–???? | - | ||||
| Recoilless anti-tank rifle | Pvg m/42 | 1942–???? | - | ||||
| Recoilless anti-tank weapon | Raketgevär 46 | Unknown | 1940s-1960s | License-built M1 Bazooka | |||
At the beginning of World War II, Sweden had a very low number of motorized vehicles, instead relying horses for transportation. When the war broke out in 1939, Sweden had one armoured division consisting of merely 13 light tanks, only 3 of which were considered to be modern (the remaining 10 had been in service since the 1920s). In 1945, the number of tanks serving the Swedish army had increased from 13 to more than 800.
Number of tanks pre-war: 14
Number of tanks in 1939: 29
Number of tanks in 1940: 38
Number of tanks in 1941: 135
Number of tanks in 1942: 373
Number of tanks in 1943: 544
Number of tanks in 1944: 795
Number of tanks in 1945: 795+
| Name | Origin | Type | Versions | Quantity | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armoured car | Pbil m/39 Pbil m/40 | 15 30 | 1939-1956 1939-1960s | Version with Scania-Vabis engine Version with Volvo engine. | |||
| Armoured car | Pbil m/41 | 5 | 1933–1980 | More than 50 produced, most of them sold to other countries before and during the war. | |||
| Light tank | L-120 | 1 | 1937–1940 | Prototype in active service but never mass-produced. | |||
| Light tank | m/21 m/21-29 | 10 5 former m/21 | 1922-1939 | Standard version Upgraded with new engine and electrical starter. | |||
| Light tank | Strv m/31 | 3 | 1935–1940 | Dug in as static bunkers for the Skåne Line | |||
| Light tank | Strv m/37 | 48 | 1938–1953 | License-built version of the AH-IV with Scania-Vabis engines. | |||
| Light tank | Strv m/38 Strv m/39 Strv m/40L Strv m/40K | 16 20 100 80 | 1938-1957 1940-1957 1941-1957 1943-1960 | Landsverk L-60 In Swedish service. | |||
| Light tank | Strv m/41S1 Strv m/41S2 | 116 104 | 1942-1950s | License-built, upgraded version of the LT. vz. 38. | |||
| Medium tank | Strv m/42 TM Strv m/42 TH Strv m/42 EH Strv m/42 TV | 100 125+30 former TM 57 70 former TM | 1943-???? 1943-1960 1944-1960 1944-1960 | 2 Scania-Vabis engines and electromagnetic gearboxes. 2 Scania-Vabis engines and hydraulic gearboxes. 1 Volve engine and a hydraulic gearbox. 2 Scania-Vabis engines and a mechanical gearbox. | |||
| Self-propelled artillery | Sav m/43 | 18 | 1944–1973 | - | |||
| Armoured personnel carrier | Tgbil m/42 SKP Tgbil m/42 VKP | 262 100 | 1944–2004 | Manufactured by Scania-Vabis Manufactured by Volvo | |||
Sweden's artillery corps was made to specialize in mobility and warfare in the Swedish homeland terrain, which mostly consisted of thick forests and small, remote towns. Anti-aircraft warfare was considered important even before the war began, due to Sweden's small aircraft capacity in the 1930s. The Bofors 40 mm, a Swedish auto cannon, was exported to most warring countries in thousands of examples, making it the most common anti-aircraft weapon of the war.
| Name | Origin | Type | Versions | Quantity | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light anti-tank gun | m/34 m/38 m/38F | Unknown | 1935-???? | 37mm Bofors AT gun. | |||
| Anti-aircraft autocannon | m/40 | 2,592 | 1940-???? | 20mm Bofors AA gun. | |||
| Anti-aircraft autocannon | m/36 m/36A m/36H m/36P m/38 m/39 | 924 | 1934–present | 40mm Bofors L/60 AA gun. | |||
| Anti-aircraft gun | 7.5 cm m/30 8 cm m/29 | 350[1] | 1930–present | Another 8 bought by Finland, 36 by the Netherlands and dozens by Hungary | |||
| Mountain gun | Bofors 75 mm | 74[2] | 1934-???? | - | |||
| Heavy field gun | Model 1927 | 4 in the coastal artillery, many more in the army | 1927–1945 | - | |||
| Heavy field gun | m/34 | 68 | 1942-???? | - | |||
| Towed howitzer | m/14 | Unknown | ????-???? | - | |||
| Towed howitzer | m/40 | 400 total | 1940-???? | - | |||
The Swedish government saw a strong naval defense against a possible Soviet invasion as a high priority during World War II, and like with the rest of Sweden's military the Royal Navy lived through an enormous enhancement, ending up as the second-strongest naval power of the Baltic Sea after the Soviet Union.
| Class | Origin | Type | Names | Quantity | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal defence ship | 3 | 1915-1957 | ||||
| Coastal defence ship | 1 | 1905-1950 | ||||
| Coastal defence ship | 3 | 1901-1950 | ||||
| Class | Origin | Type | Names | Quantity | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seaplane cruiser | 1 | 1933-1963 | The Swedish response to an aircraft carrier, able to carry 8 Hawker Osprey | ||||
| Cruiser | 2 | 1944-1984 | The Göta Lejon was launched on 17 November 1945, 94 days after the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II | ||||
| Armoured cruiser | 1 | 1905-1957 | The HSwMS Fylgia is the smallest armoured cruiser ever to be launched | ||||
| Mine cruiser | 1 | 1912-1960 | |||||
| Örnen class | Torpedo cruiser | HSwMS Örnen | 1 | 1897-1947 | Used as a cadet ship from 1926 | ||
Number of destroyers pre-war: 13
Number of destroyers in 1939: 14
Number of destroyers in 1940: 19
Number of destroyers in 1941: 20
Number of destroyers in 1942: 23
Number of destroyers in 1943: 27
Number of destroyers in 1944: 28
Number of destroyers in 1945: 28
| Class | Origin | Type | Names | Quantity | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destroyer | HSwMS Göteborg HSwMS Stockholm HSwMS Malmö HSwMS Karlskrona HSwMS Norrköping HSwMS Gävle | 6 | 1935-1962 1936-1965 1938-1970 1939-1979 1940-1965 1941-1968 | After World War II, all ships were rebuilt as frigates | |||
| Italy | Destroyer/torpedo boat | HSwMS Romulus | 2 | 1940-1958 | Originally torpedo boats, rebuilt as destroyers for patrolling the Baltic Sea | ||
| Italy | Destroyer | 2 | 1940-1947 | - | |||
| Destroyer | HSwMS Wale HSwMS Ragnar HSwMS Sigurd HSwMS Vidar HSwMS Wale | 4 | 1909-1947 1909-1947 1910-1947 1908-1940 | - | |||
| Destroyer | HSwMS Wachtmeister HSwMS Wrangel | 2 | 1917-1947 | - | |||
| Destroyer | 2 | 1926-1963 | - | ||||
| Destroyer | HSwMS Klas Horn HSwMS Klas Uggla | 2 | 1932-1958 1932-1942 | - | |||
| Destroyer | 4 | 1942-1966 1942-1966 1942-1970 1943-1968 | - | ||||
| Destroyer | HSwMS Hälsingborg HSwMS Kalmar HSwMS Sundsvall HSwMS Visby | 4 | 1943-1978 1944-1978 1943-1982 1943-1982 | - | |||
| Class | Origin | Type | Names | Quantity | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submarine tender | 1 | 1940-1971 | Passenger ship purchased by the Swedish navy and converted to a submarine tender. Transported Swedish crew members for sailing the four Italian destroyers purchased by the Swedish navy home to Sweden. | ||||
| Seaplane tender | 1 | 1900-1947 | 40 | An improved Oden-class coastal defence ship and sole member of her class. Converted to a depot ship/seaplane tender in 1927 | |||
| HSwMS Jacob Bagge | Training ship | 1 | 1898-1947 | 40 | Originally an Örnen-class torpedo cruiser. Converted to a seaplane tender (1927-1935) then to a training ship from 1941 and onwards. | ||
| Hjkr 3 Drottning Victoria | Support cruiser | Hjkr 3 Drottning Victoria | 1 | 1939-1945 | 40 | Passenger liner called in to service by the Royal Swedish Navy. Converted to a minelaying cruiser as there was a shortage of minelayers in 1939 because minelayer HSwMS Clas Fleming was undergoing modernization. | |
| Hjkr 4 Waria | Support cruiser | Hjkr 4 Waria | 1 | 1939-1945 | 40 | Civilian cargo ship called in to service by the Royal Swedish Navy. Waria was called in to service due to the Soviet Union's attack on Finland. Rebuilt at Finnboda shipyard and completed on April 5, 1940 to suit her new role. She was used mainly as an escort ship. She was returned to Sveabolaget for civil duties in 1945. | |
| Hjkr 5 Warun | Support cruiser | Hjkr 5 Warun | 1 | 1939-1945 | 40 | Civilian cargo ship called in to service by the Royal Swedish Navy. Warun was called into service because of the outbreak of the Finnish Winter War on November 30. In 1939 she was rebuilt at Finnboda Shipyard to suit her new role in the navy. The ship was mainly used in escort duties. She was returned to Sveabolaget for civil duties in 1945. | |
| Hjkr 10 Fidra | Support cruiser | Hjkr 10 Fidra | 1 | 1939-1945 | 40 | Civilian cargo ship called in to service by the Royal Swedish Navy. Fidra was rebuilt at Götaverken shipyards in Gothenburg to suit her new role and was completed on April 2, 1940. She replaced the auxiliary cruiser Drottning Viktoria (Hjkr 3) as a minelayer. She was returned to Sveabolaget in for civil duties 1945. | |
| Hjkr 14 Wiros | Support cruiser | Hjkr 14 Wiros | 1 | 1939-1945 | 40 | Civilian cargo ship called in to service by the Royal Swedish Navy. Wiros was called in as an auxiliary cannon boat due to the outbreak of World War II in September 1939 and was rebuilt at Gävle shipyard. During the rebuilding she was classified as an auxiliary cruiser and was mainly used for escort duties. She was returned to Sveabolaget for civil duties in 1945. | |
Sweden's air force at the beginning of World War II was relatively small and lacked modern radar systems, engines, or weaponry. This changed during the build-up in the 1940s, though, eventually providing Sweden with an aircraft storage that was both numerous and of high quality, in preparation for the Cold War.
Just as the rest of the Swedish Armed Forces, the number of fighter aircraft increased drastically from 98 before the war to almost 600 in 1945. 239 additional aircraft were manufactured immediately after the war.
Number of fighters pre-war: 98
Number of fighters in 1939: 158
Number of fighters in 1940: 290
Number of fighters in 1941: 290
Number of fighters in 1942: 485
Number of fighters in 1943: 485
Number of fighters in 1944: 485
Number of fighters in 1945: 593
Number of fighters post-war: 832
| Name | Origin | Type | Versions | Quantity | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Biplane fighter aircraft | J 3B | 7 | 1930-1945 | Another 8 aircraft were in use prior to the war | ||
| Biplane fighter aircraft | J 6 J 6A J 6B | 7 3 7 | 1929–1941 | 3 donated to Finland for the Winter War | |||
| Biplane reconnaissance aircraft | J 7 | 11 | 1930–1940 | 2 donated to Finland for the Winter War | |||
| Biplane reconnaissance aircraft | J 8 J 8A | 37 18 | 1937-1942 1938-1945 | Some used in Finland | |||
| Fighter aircraft | J 9 | 60 | 1940–1951 | Sweden's first monoplane aircraft | |||
| Italy | Biplane fighter aircraft | J 11 | 72 | 1940–1946 | - | ||
| Italy | Fighter aircraft | J 12 | 60 | 1939–1945 | - | ||
| Fighter and attack aircraft | J 21A-1 | 54 | 1945–1949 | Another 128 aircraft were built immediately after the war | |||
| Fighter aircraft | J 22A J 22B | 143 55 | 1942–1952 | Numbers may not be correct for the World War II era; some may have been built in 1946 | |||
| Fighter aircraft | P-51B P-51D | 2 52 | 1945–1954 | Originally P-51 Mustang, another 111 aircraft purchased immediately after the war | |||
During World War II the Swedish government maintained a neutral (alternatively, defensive) stance and thus saw no priority in adding offensive aircraft to the air force. Despite this, a fairly large number of bombers and ground-attack aircraft served in the Swedish air force during World War II and after, possibly for intimidation purposes - in fact, after 1940, Sweden had more bombers than fighter aircraft. These offensive aircraft may have been meant to attack Soviet naval bases in the Baltic Sea, and some of the later designs could even reach Moscow with full payload.
Number of bombers pre-war: 88
Number of bombers in 1939: 116
Number of bombers in 1940: 276
Number of bombers in 1941: 346
Number of bombers in 1942: 534
Number of bombers in 1943: 743
Number of bombers in 1944: 775
Number of bombers in 1945: 879
| Name | Origin | Type | Versions | Quantity | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Bomber aircraft | B 3 B 3A B 3B B 3C B 3D | 3 35 2 16 16 | 1936-1948 1937-1958 1937-1958 1939-1944 1941-1958 | 72 total | ||
| Biplane bomber | B 4 B 4A | 3 42 | 1937–1947 | 5 used in the Winter War | |||
| Ground attack aircraft | B 5A B 5B B 5C | 1 64 38 | 1938-1942 1940-1950 1941-1950 | 103 total | |||
| Ground attack aircraft | B 6 | 2 | 1940-1953 | More were ordered but never entered service | |||
| Italy | Light bomber Reconnaissance aircraft Reconnaissance aircraft Torpedo bomber Light transport | B 16A S 16A S 16B T 16A Tp 16A | 30 66 14 14 2 | 1940-1943 1940-1945 1942-1945 1941-1942 1941-1946 | 126 total | ||
| Bomber and reconnaissance aircraft | B 17 B 17B B 17C S 17BL S 17BS | 132 54 77 64 56 | 1943-1948 1942-1945 1943-1947 1942-1949 1942-1949 | 383 total | |||
| Bomber and reconnaissance aircraft | B 18A B 18B | 62 120 | 1944-1947 1945-1958 | - | |||
| Germany | Torpedo bomber | T 1 | 2 | 1928–1939 | - | ||
| Germany | Torpedo bomber seaplane | T 2 | 12 | 1939–1948 | - | ||
| Name | Origin | Type | Versions | Quantity | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Small passenger transport aircraft | Trp 1 | 3 | 1928-1946 | The world's first all-metal transport aircraft | ||
| Germany | Passenger and transport aircraft | Trp 2 Trp 2A | 0 2 | 1933-1945 | One Trp 2 was in use until 1935 | ||
| Light transport aircraft | Trp 3 | 1 | 1936-1942 | - | |||
| Trainer and utility aircraft | Trp 4 | 1 | 1940-1953 | - | |||
| Germany | Transport aircraft | Tp 5 | 5 | 1940-1945 | - | ||
| STOL aircraft | Tp 6 | 1 | 1940-1941 | - | |||
| Transport and trainer aircraft | Tp 7 | 1 | 1940-1944 | Still preserved in flying condition | |||
| Biplane transport aircraft | Tp 8 Tp 8A | 3 1 | 1940-???? | - | |||
| Germany | Bomber, reconnaissance and airliner | Tp 9 | 1 | 1940-???? | - | ||
| Netherlands | Airliner | Tp 10 | 1 | 1942-1944 | - | ||
| Reconnaissance aircraft | Tp 11 | 1 | 1939-1951 | - | |||
| Reconnaissance aircraft | GV 38 | 6 | 1941-1945 | - | |||