- References
{{Infobox ship image| Ship image= | Ship caption=
}}{{Infobox ship class overview | Name=Rautu | Builders=*Vilppula: Putilow, St. Petersburg | Operators=Finnish Navy | Class before= | Class after= | Subclasses= | Cost= | Built range=1916-1917 | In service range= | In commission range=1918-1952 | Total ships building= | Total ships planned= | Total ships completed=2 | Total ships cancelled= | Total ships active= | Total ships laid up= | Total ships lost=1 | Total ships retired=1 | Total ships preserved=
}}{{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header= | Header caption= | Ship class= | Ship type=Minesweeper | Ship tonnage= | Ship displacement=240 tons | Ship tons burthen= | Ship length=44.0 m | Ship beam=6.1 m | Ship height= | Ship draught=2.5 m | Ship draft= | Ship depth= | Ship hold depth= | Ship decks= | Ship deck clearance= | Ship ramps= | Ship ice class= | Ship power= | 450|hp|abbr=on}} | Ship sail plan= | 10|kn|km/h}} | Ship range= | Ship endurance= | Ship test depth= | Ship boats= | Ship capacity= | Ship troops= | Ship complement=32 | Ship crew= | Ship time to activate= | Ship sensors= | Ship EW= | Ship armament=*Wartime:- 1 × 75 mm gun
- 2 × machine gun
- Later:
- 1 × 20 mm Madsen AA
| Ship armour= | Ship armor= | Ship aircraft= | Ship aircraft facilities= | Ship notes=Ships in class include: Rautu, Vilppula
}} | Rautu and Vilppula were Kljuz class Minesweepers left by the Soviets to Finland in 1918 since they would not have survived the harsh sailing to the Leningrad. Ships had weak hulls and their engines were not particularly powerful. During peacetime they were used as depot and test ships. Vilppula was designated as T-2 and Zashtshitnik and Rautu as Murman before they were included to the Finnish Navy[1]In war time the ships were used as minesweepers but occasionally were assigned with more exotic tasks. On 5 December 1941 after Soviets had fled from Hanko there was urgent and pressing need to clear inshore seaways for merchants however the weak hulled minesweepers could not operate in the prevailing conditions. Rautu and Louhi were used as icebreakers breaking clearing the waters for the smaller minesweepers to operate. On 25 July 1944 Vilppula and small Finnish coastal minesweeper Merkurius (former customs boat of ~20 tons in displacement) were attached to a pier near Porkkala when a lone Boston (Douglas A-20 Havoc) type bomber torpedoed both ships. Though the ships were later re-floated they were not deemed to be worth of repairing. Rautu was decommissioned in 1952.[1] References1. ^1 {{cite book |last1=Auvinen |first1=Visa |title=Leijonalippu merellä |trans-title=Lion flag at sea |year= 1983 |publisher=Satakunnan Kirjapaino Oy |location=Pori, Finland |language=Finnish |isbn=951-95781-1-0 |pages=40–41}}
{{WWIIFINShips}}{{Finland-mil-ship-stub}} 2 : Minesweepers of the Finnish Navy|1910s ships |