The command sign of Sælen was hoisted the 10th of October 1990 and was named by His Royal Highness Prince Joakim
Sælen, former name was Uthaug, was a German built submarine from the mid sixties. it was - together with two other submarines Tumleren and Springeren bougth in 1990 in Norway, where they were a part of the Koppen class.
When the cold war ended Sælen was a part of the anti terror operations in the Mediterranean, where it hidden in the ocean followed suspicious ships. Sælen continued wuth the operations in the Gulf during the war against Saddam Hussein and his dictatorship in 2003.
With a political agreement in 2004 the era of the submarine ended, after nearly 100 years and the 21st of December 2004 SÆLEN ended its days in the Danish Navy.
During towing fram Copenhagen to Aarhus it sank at Hesselø the 4th of December 1990.
The submarine was raised from the buttom of the Kattegat by the German floating crane ROLAND and towed to Aarhus for reparation the 17th of December 1990.
With new permissions for sailing and diving it was back in operations again 10th of August 1992.
Above is an article from a Danish news paper.
Here we see a glimpse of an oil rig in the Northern Sea through the periscope of Sælen while it had dived during its way south.
This became the longest patrol in Danish Naval history (12 months).
Sælen also was the first Danish submarine sent into war operations and during these operations, the first Danish submarine passing the Suez channel. (Photo the Navy)
Manama, Bahrain (Jun. 11, 2003) -- The Royal Danish Navy submarine HDMS SÆLEN gets underway in preparation for being lifted aboard the German contract vessel Grietje. The submarine will be transported from Bahrain to Denmark inside the Grietje in the Danish Navy's first cost-saving trial.
U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Kevin H. Tierney. (RELEASED)
The Danish submarine is lifted aboard the German "heavy-lift skib Grietje" to be transported home from Bahrain to Frederikshavn
Sælen is placed at the Museum at Bradbænken the 21st of December 2004 (Photo: The Danish Navy)