The ''Teplokhod'' class motor minelayer was constructed as inshore motor minelayers intended for laying ground controlled shallow water minefields. Their small size and ability to maneuver in shallow waters made them suited for this task however those same features made it dangerous to operate these ships in open sea.

History

Finnish Navy

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 ...

operated five ships of this class, ''Pommi'', ''Miina'', ''Loimu'', ''Lieska'' and ''Paukku''. They had been left into Finland when Russians withdrew in 1918. It took until 1920 to get them refitted for service. During the

Winter War The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...

they laid between 1 December and 6 December 1939 total of 352 mines to 12 different minefields. The ships continued to serve in

Continuation War The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet–Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 ...

in both minelaying as well as in transport roles. While transporting troops and supplied to

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 ship of the class ''Paukku'' foundered during a storm on 13/14 November 1941.

Estonian Navy

Estonian Navy The Estonian Navy () are the unified naval forces among the Estonian Defence Forces. With only six commissioned ships and displacement well under 10,000 tonnes, the Estonian navy is one of the smallest navies in the world. Its ship prefix is EM ...

operated several ships of this class, some of which were taken over by Soviet forces in 1940.

Soviet Navy

Soviet forces commissioned at least two ships of the class in 1940 for various tasks. One of the ships of this class was scuttled 27 August 1941.

References

{{WWII Finnish ships Minelayers of the Finnish Navy Mine warfare vessels of the Soviet Navy Minelayers of the Estonian Navy Ships of the Imperial Russian Navy Mine warfare vessel classes