The history of Vesikko, which translates to “mink” in Finnish, is tied to some of the most dramatic periods of the 20th century. After its defeat in World War I, according to the terms of Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forbidden from having a submarine fleet. In order to circumvent these regulations, German authorities employed a cunning strategy. They set up engineering front companies in neighboring countries and used them as cover for their own armament research programs. The designers of Vesikko, Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw, registered in the Netherlands, was one such…
