HNoMS Vidar (1878)

The HNoMS "Vidar" was a sclass|Vale|gunship built for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Horten Naval Yard in 1878. She was one of a class of five gunboats - the other ships in the class was "Vale", "Brage", "Nor" and "Uller".

"Vidar" 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 "Vidar", like her sister ships, was rebuilt as a minelayer, and she served in this role when the Germans invaded in 1940. During the Norwegian Campaign she served mainly in Sognefjorden. She was captured by German forces on 14 April 1940, and returned to Norway after the war.

The vessel was built at the Naval Yard at Horten, and had the yard number 60.

Name

She was named after Víðarr - a god associated in Norse mythology with vengeance. Víðarr is the son of Odin and the giantess Gríd.

ee also

* List of World War II ships of less than 1000 tons

External links

* [http://navalhistory.flixco.info/G/288023x9/8330/a0.htm Naval history via Flix: KNM Vale] , retrieved 27 Feb 2006
* [http://www.lokalhistoriskarkiv.no/arkivet/historiske_sider/horten_verft/byggenummer Byggenummer ved Horten verft] , retrieved 27 Feb 2006
* [http://hem.fyristorg.com/robertm/norge/Norw_navy_ships.html Ships of the Norwegian navy] , retrieved 27 Feb 2006