HNoMS Harald Haarfagre

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

Description

, known as Harald Fairhair in English, the semi-mythical first king of a united Norway.Built as a typical pre-dreadnought battleship on a smaller scale, she carried guns of a wide range of calibers.

ervice history and fate

A vital part of the Royal Norwegian Navy, "Harald Haarfagre" performed ordinary duties until she was considered "unfit for war" in the mid 1930's. After the German invasion of Norway, she was seized by the Germans and rebuilt as a floating Flak battery under the name "Tethis". After the war "Harald Haarfagre" was used briefly as a floating barracks, and for transporting German POWs, before she was sold for scrapping in 1948.

It was intended to augment the Norwegian Panserskip fleet with the two ships of the Bjørgvin class, ordered in 1912, but after these were confiscated by the British Navy at the outbreak of World War I the Tordenskjold class and the slightly newer, two ship strong, "Eidsvold" class was forced to soldier on long after they were obsolete

Today the name KNM Harald Haarfagre is used on the Royal Norwegian Navy Basic Training Establishment, located in Madla, Stavanger.

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