Ahven-class minesweeper

The Ahven-class minesweepers (Perch) were a series of six minesweepers of the Finnish Navy. The ships were constructed in 1936–1937 at the Turun Veneveistämö Shipyard in Finland and saw service during World War II. The Ahven class was stricken in 1961.

Description
The Ahven class were a series of minesweepers that had a standard displacement of 17 LT. They measured 17.2 m long with a beam of 3.7 m and a draught of 1.3 m. The vessels were powered by a diesel engine rated at 65 bhp turning one propeller giving the minesweepers a maximum speed of 10.5 kn. The Ahven class were armed with one 20 mm gun mounted on the deck forward and had a complement of 8 officers and ratings.

Ships in class
The six Ahven-class minesweepers were:
 * FINNISH MINESWEEPER Ahven – renamed to FINNISH MINESWEEPER Ahven 1
 * FINNISH MINESWEEPER Kiiski – renamed to FINNISH MINESWEEPER Ahven 2
 * FINNISH MINESWEEPER Muikku – renamed to FINNISH MINESWEEPER Ahven 3
 * FINNISH MINESWEEPER Särki – renamed to FINNISH MINESWEEPER Ahven 4
 * FINNISH MINESWEEPER Kuore – renamed to FINNISH MINESWEEPER Ahven 5
 * FINNISH MINESWEEPER Lahna – renamed to FINNISH MINESWEEPER Ahven 6

Service history
All six vessels of the class were constructed by Turun Veneveistämö Shipyard in Finland and launched in 1936–1937. Designated a motor minesweeper, the Ahven class were later renamed and were stricken in 1961.