Code - 3MNOR2

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Description - THE NORWEGIAN NAVY OF WORLD WAR 11 The Norwegian navy in World War 11 was essentially a small navy, intended only for coastal defence, in spite of the fact that it had one of the largest merchant fleets in the world. Shortly before the war, an attempt was made to increase the fleet by the addition of the minelayer Olav Tryggvason which also doubled as a cadet training ship, the Odin and Sleipner classes of coastal destroyers, and the laying down of two larger destroyers, given only the numbers I and II. All of the remaining vessels were of World War I vintage, and had been little modernised by World War II. The A class submarines were of very little value, the last member of the class which would have been A5 was taken over by the German Navy while building in 1914. The B class, built to an Electric Boat Co design, were potentially useful as coastal submarines, for defence. The Snogg class torpedo boats were too old and small for modern work, though useful as patrol class, as were the somewhat larger Draug class of Destroyers. The Coastal Battleships were all hopelessly out of date, although the Norge class were kept fully operational and in a reasonable state of repair. When war came to Norway in 1940 the results for the Norwegian Navy were catastrophic. Both the Norge class were torpedoed and sunk at Narvik, and the two Haarfagre class ships were captured at Horten. The minelayer Froya was run aground and destroyed by a torpedo and the Tryggvason surrendered at Horten. Of the modern destroyers, Aeger was sunk by bombing, and Gyller and Odin captured. Balder, Tor, I and II were taken over whilst building. Of the older vessels, Garm was bombed and Stegg sunk by gunfire from the Bremse. Snögg and Troll were abandoned to the Germans and Trygg damaged by bombing, before being taken over by the Germans. Of the submarines, A3, A4, and B3 were scuttled. A2 was damaged beyond repair and B2, B4, B5 and B6 were captured by the Germans. This left Sleipner, Draug and B1 to escape to England. While Draug was quickly broken up, Sleipner served throughout the war, and B1 was used as an Asdic training ship and target ship until 1944. Sleipner returned to Norway in 1945 and was rebuilt as frigate in 1953. Of the vessels taken over by the German Navy ,the Haarfagre class were rebuilt as the A.A. Guard ships Thetis and Nymphe with 7 x 102mm, 2 x 40mm and 9 x 20mm. Nymphe was destroyed by bombing in 195, but Thetis was returned to Norway after the war. Tryggvasson, having sunk the German Torpedo boat Albatros, was given her name by the Germans, until 1941 when she became the gunnery training vessel Brummer. She was damaged by U.S. bombing raids on Kiel, and then scuttled, in 1945. By far the most useful vessels were the Giller, Odin Balder and Tor group, which were re-named Löwe, Panther Leopard and Tiger and re-armed with 1 x 102mm, 2-4 x 20, and 2 x 21” torpedo tubes. The torpedo tubes were later removed, but all four survived the war to be returned to the Norwegian Navy, All were later converted to frigates, as Sleipner, in 1953. The Troll retained her own name, but was first disarmed, then converted to a steam supply vessel. She was returned to Norway after the war and almost immediately broken up. Snögg and Trygg became the Patrol craft V5504 and V5503, with Snogg surviving the War but being broken up in 1945. The submarines B2 and B4 were immediately discarded, but B5 and B6 became UC1 and UC2 before being broken up in 1942 and 1944 respectively. The two modern destroyers, given the numbers I and II, were both captured on the stocks and the Germans intended to complete them as ZN 4 and ZN 5 with 3 x 10.5cm, 2 x 3 cm A.A. and 6 x 2 cm A.A. with 4 x 21” torpedo tubes in one quadruple mount. In 1942 they were renumber TA7 and TA8. Construction was continually delayed by sabotage, and although TA7 was launched in 1941 she was not complete when she was sunk by sabotage, an internal explosion, in 1944. TA 8 was launched in 1943, but sunk by British aircraft while fitting out in 1945. After the war, both were raised, and it was intended to complete them, with I, becoming Aalesund, the name by which the class is usually known. However, with funds in short supply, and a ready supply of modern vessels available from the victorious allied navies, construction was abandoned. Contents:- NORGE N8F13 Coastal Battleship completed 1900. Sister Eidesvold Displacement 4,165 tons Dimensions 290’ x 50 ½‘ x 17 ¾ ‘ Armament 2 x 8.2”, 6 x 5.9” 8 x 12 pdr, 2 x 3 pdr A.A. 2 x 18” T.T. Armour 6” Belt Speed 15 knots HARALD HAARFAGRE N8F14 Coastal Battleship completed 189. Sister Tordenskjold Displacement 3,858 tons Dimensions 29’ x 4 ½ ‘ x 17 ¾’ Armament 2 x 8.2”, 6 x 4.7” 6 x 12 pdr 2 x 3” A.A. 2 x 18” T.T. Armour 7” Harvey Steel Belt Speed 14 knots OLAV TRYGGVASON N8F71 Minelayer launched 1933 Displacement 1,596 tons Speed 20 knots. Dimensions 304’ x 37‘ x 12’ Armament 4 x 4.7”, 2 x 3 pdr 1 x 3” A.A. Mines 280 FROYA N8F72 Minelayer launched 1916 Displacement 870 tons Speed 22 knots Dimensions 219 ½ ‘x 27’ x 8’ Armament 4 x 4”, 2 x 1 pdr, 1 x 3” A.A. 2 x 18” T.T. Mines AALESUND x 2 N8F52 Destroyer I laid down 1938 with her sister II. Displacement 1,220 tons Speed 32 knots Dimensions 300’ x 32 ¾ ‘ x 9’ Armament 4 x 4.7” 2 x 20mm A.A. 2 x 12.7mm A.A. 4 x 21” T.T. 160 ODIN x 3 N8F53 Coastal Destroyer completed 1940 Sisters Tor & Balder. Displacement 632 tons Dimensions 236 ¼ ‘x 25 ½ ‘ x 7’ Armament 2 x 4” 1 x 40mm A.A. 2 x 21” T.T. Speed 30 knots SLEIPNER x 3 N8F54 Coastal Destroyer completed 1937. Sisters Aeger & Gyller. Displacement 597 tons Dimensions 236 ¼‘ x 25 ½ ‘ x 7’ Armament 3 x 4” 1 x 40mm A.A. 2 x 21” T.T. Speed 30 knots DRAUG x 3 N8F55 Destroyer completed 1908. Sisters Garm & Troll Displacement 540 tons Dimensions 227’ x 23 ½ ‘ x 8 ½ ‘ Armament 6 x 3” 3 x 18” T.T. Speed 27 knots SNÖGG x 3 N8F56 Large Torpedo Boat completed 1920. Sisters Stegg & Trygg. Displacement 198 tons Dimensions 174’ x 18’ x 5 ¼ Armament 2 x 3” 4 x 18” T.T. Speed 25 knots B1 CLASS x 6 N8F62 Coastal Submarine launched 1923. Sisters B1 – B6. Displacement 420/545 tons Dimensions 167 ½‘ x 17 ’ x 11 ½‘ Armament 1 x 3” 4 x 18” T.T. Speed 14 ½ / 11 knots A2 CLASS x 3 N8F63 Coastal Submarine launched 1913 Sisters A2 – A5. Displacement 250/355 tons Dimensions 152 ½‘ x 16 ½‘ x 9 ½‘ Armament 3 x 18” T.T. Speed 14 ½ / 9 knots