The ''Pukkio''-class minelayers were class of coastal minelayers used by the

Finnish Navy The Finnish Navy ( , ) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS", short for "Finnish Navy ship", but ...

during World War II. ''Pukkio'' (1939) and ''Porkkala'' (1940) were completed in time for them to participate in the war, but ''Pansio'' (1947) was completed only after the war when the resources needed for ship construction were again available. The ships had been designed primarily to operate as coastal liaison or transport vessels, but they had full minelaying as well as minesweeping equipment installed. However, the only mines the class ever laid were 37 contact mines that ''Porkkala'' laid northwest of Tuppura on 30 August 1941. When Soviet forces had withdrawn from

Beryozovye Islands Beryozovye Islands (; ; , "Birch Island"), alternatively spelled Berezovye Islands, is an island group in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. Geography The islands are situated at the head of the Gulf of Finland, just outside the town of Primorsk on th ...

, Finnish forces moved in and constructed coastal artillery batteries in the area. While transporting supplies to these forts, ''Porkkala'' ran into a mine on 28 November 1941 and sank taking 32 men with it. The ship was refloated the following spring by submarine salvage vessel ''Mursu'' (Walrus), and the salvage crew noticed that ''Porkkala'' had deviated 500 meters from the seaway cleared by minesweepers. ''Porkkala'' was repaired and refitted and recommissioned.

References

{{WWII Finnish ships Minelayers of the Finnish Navy World War II naval ships of Finland Mine warfare vessel classes Ships built in Finland