“Sampo”:
Europe’s first “American-type” icebreaker

	The icebreaker “Sampo” and the passenger steamer “Arcturus” arriving at Vasa on February 25, 1918, with Finnish white troops on board. Both vessels were flying the independent Finland’s first ensign – a red flag with the heraldic lion now used in the Finnish national coat of arms. ILLUSTRATION: HÅKAN SJÖSTRÖM

More than a hundred years ago, experiences from Finland’s first icebreaker “Murtaja” showed that it was easier to go stern-first in difficult ice conditions. When the building of the second Finnish icebreaker was being prepared, both the European and the American concepts were taken into consideration. On the Great Lakes, the Americans used icebreakers with propellers both in the bow and the stern and their performance had made a great impression on the Finns.
“Sampo” was ordered in June 1897 from Armstrong, Whitworth & Co in Newcastle. She was delivered in 1898 and arrived in Finland on October 29. Today, it may seem a little bit odd that Finland, which is regarded as perhaps the number one designer and builder of icebreakers in the world, ordered an icebreaker from England! However, at that time England was building many of the world’s most famous icebreakers. At the same time as “Sampo”, the same shipyard also built the giant Arctic icebreaker “Yermak” for Russia.
Compared to the 10,000 bhp “Yermak”, “Sampo” was of quite a modest size. Her displacement was 2,050 tons and her length was 61.6 m and beam 13.1 m. Two triple expansion steam engines, one at the bow and one at the stern, developed 1,200 hp and 1,300 hp, respectively.
“Sampo” immediately turned out to be of a very good design. When the older “Murtaja” got stuck in the ice, “Sampo” could easily continue. Finland’s unprejudiced decision to introduce the American type in Europe became a success. For the next eight decades, almost all large icebreakers that were built for sea conditions in the northern Baltic were to be equipped with propellers at the bow and at the stern.

Made history
On December 6, 1917, the Finnish parliament approved the senate’s proclamation of independence. However, tragic events were to follow in the wake of the Russian revolution – a civil war became inevitable. The red side, supported by the Russian Bolsheviks, tried to create a socialistic state, while the goal for the white side, led by general C.G. Mannerheim, was a Nordic democracy.
“Sampo” was acquired by the Russian revolutionary navy in January 1918, but a few weeks later she escaped to Sweden. On February 20, “Sampo” met a small convoy in the Åland Sea, including the passenger steamer “Arcturus”. She was carrying the main force of Finnish white military troops who had been trained in Germany. “Sampo” and “Arcturus” reached the port of Vasa on February 25. Hundreds of cheering people met the small convoy on the ice.
Although “Sampo” also saw another war only two decades later, she served most of her long career in peace. Her time was running out when new icebreakers were introduced in the 1950s, and she was in service for the last time in the winter of 1960. Despite some efforts to preserve “Sampo” as a museum, she was broken up.

// Pär-Henrik Sjöström
Sources:
Seppo Laurell, Höyrymurtajien aika
Jorma Pohjanpalo, 100 vuotta Suomen talvimerenkulkua
Visa Auvinen (red.), Leijonalippu merellä

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