HNoMS Uller (1876)

HNoMS "Uller" was a "Vale" class gunboat constructed for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Karljohansverns Verft Naval Yard in Horten in 1874-1876 and had yard build number 55. [Horten municipal archive of local history: [http://www.lokalhistoriskarkiv.no/arkivet/historiske_sider/horten_verft/byggenummer Build numbers at Horten Yard] no icon] She was one of a class of five gunboats - the other ships in the class was "Vale", "Brage", "Nor" and "Vidar".

"Uller" was, in addition to the heavy, muzzle-loading main gun, armed with a small Quick Fire gun and an early automatic gun, similar to the Gatling gun.

Later "Uller" and her sisterships were rebuilt as minelayers, and she served in this role when the Germans invaded 9 April 1940.

Name

She was named after Ullr, a major god in Norse mythology.

The invasion

Capture

When the Germans attacked, "Uller" was mining the sea lanes to Bergen, and was taken by surprise by the German forces.

inking

After being pressed into Kriegsmarine service "Uller" and fellow captured minelayer HNoMS "Tyr" were mining the entrance to the still Norwegian-held Sognefjorden on 1 May 1940 when they were first bombed unsuccessfully by two Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service Høver M.F. 11 maritime reconnaissance aircraft of the Sognefjord Air Group and then attacked again later the same day by a Heinkel He 115 of the same unit. In the second attack "Uller" was hit by a bomb, beached and then scuttled by "Tyr".

ee also

* List of World War II ships of less than 1000 tons
* List of shipwrecks in 1940

Notes

Literature

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

External links

* [http://navalhistory.flixco.info/G/288023x9/8330/a0.htm Naval history via Flix: KNM Vale] , retrieved 27 Feb 2006 en icon
* [http://hem.fyristorg.com/robertm/norge/Norw_navy_ships.html Ships of the Norwegian navy] , retrieved 27 Feb 2006 en icon