HDMS Sælen, Military submarine museum in Nyholm, Denmark
HDMS Sælen is a Kobben-class submarine preserved as a museum vessel at Nyholm, in Copenhagen. The boat can be explored from the inside, with the control room, engine compartment, crew quarters, and galley all open to visitors.
The boat was built in 1965 for the Norwegian Navy under the name Uthaug and transferred to Denmark in 1990. During transport it sank near Hesselø, but was recovered, repaired, and returned to service in 1993.
The name Sælen means seal in Danish, a nod to the navy's connection with the sea. On board, visitors can see how crew members slept in narrow bunks and worked at tightly packed instrument panels, with almost no personal space.
The boat is open mainly during summer and autumn school holidays, and group visits can be arranged through the Maritime History Museum. The passages and spaces on board are very tight, so flat, comfortable shoes are a good idea.
The boat sank while being transported from Norway to Denmark and had to be raised before it could enter service. That accident is now the most talked-about episode of its entire career.
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