HNoMS Tordenskjold

"Tordenskjold", known locally as Panserskipet Tordenskjold, was a Norwegian coastal battleship. She, her sistership "Harald Haarfagre" and the slightly newer "Eidsvold" class were built as a part as the general rearmament in the time leading up to the events in 1905. "Tordenskjold" remained an important vessel in the Royal Norwegian Navy until she was considered unfit for war in the mid 1930s.

Description

battleship on a small scale, she carried guns of a wide range of calibers.

ervice history and fate

A vital part of the Royal Norwegian Navy, "Tordenskjold" performed ordinary duties until 1918, when she was turned into a cadet ship. She performed well in this role, carrying out eighteen training cruises until considered "unfit for war" in the mid 1930s. After the German invasion of Norway, she was seized by the Germans and rebuilt as a floating flak battery with 10.5 cm AA guns and renamed "Nymphe". After the war "Tordenskjold" was used briefly as a floating barracks before she was sold for scrapping in 1948.It was intended to augment the Norwegian battleship fleet with the two ships of the "Bjørgvin" class, ordered in 1912, but after these were confiscated by the Royal Navy at the outbreak of World War I the "Tordenskjold" class and the slightly newer, two ship strong, "Eidsvold" class were forced to soldier on long after they were obsolete.

Today

Today the name KNM "Tordenskjold" is used on the Norwegian Naval Training Establishment (NORNAVTRAINEST) at Haakonsvern, Bergen.

Footnotes

Literature

* Abelsen, Frank: "Norwegian naval ships 1939-1945", Sem & Stenersen AS, Oslo 1986 ISBN 82-7046-050-8 no icon&en icon

ee also

* List of World War II ships

References

* [http://www.mil.no/sjo/start/fakta/historie/dagfordag/mar/#17 Forsvarsnett, Sjøforsvaret dag for dag 1814-2000 : Mars] Royal Noregian Navy website, some information on the history of Tordenskjold, retrieved 13 December 2005.