HNoMS Frøya

The minelayer HNoMS "Frøya" was built for the Royal Norwegian Navy by the naval shipyard in Horten during World War I, with build number 108. [Horten municipal archive of local history: [http://www.lokalhistoriskarkiv.no/arkivet/historiske_sider/horten_verft/byggenummer Build numbers at Horten Yard] no icon] A fast ship for her time, she was kept in service until the German invasion of Norway in 1940. At some point between her commissioning and 1940, a 76 mm gun was added to her armaments. "Frøya" was the first purpose-built minelayer commissioned into the RNoN. [The Royal Norwegian Navy in the month of July: [http://www.mil.no/sjo/start/fakta/historie/dagfordag/jul/#1 1 July 1918] no icon]

Name

"Frøya" was named after Freyja, the goddess of fertility in Norse mythology.

"Frøya" and the invasion

At the time the Germans invaded Norway "Frøya" was underway from Finnmark to Horten naval base in the Oslofjord, and on April 8 she anchored at Brekstad harbour at Ørland at the mouth of the Trondheimsfjord. Due to bad weather Captain T. Schrøder-Nielsen was reluctant to cross Hustadvika bay on with the ship's full load of mines and had sought shelter at Brekstad overnight. When, on the morning of 9 April, the German assault came, the crew of the "Frøya" observed the intruding German warships making their way to Trondheim. Trapped in the fjord, the decision was made to move the minelayer into the nearby Stjørnfjord. In the Stjørnfjord "Frøya" repeatedly came under attack from both land based artillery and Luftwaffe bombers. On April 13 Captain Schrøder-Nielsen decided all hope was lost and, refusing to let his ship fall into German hands, he ordered her scuttled. After removing some equipment and Frøya's load of mines for possible later use the crew of the "Frøya" rammed their ship at great speed ashore at Søtvika, openened the ship's valves and at 1230 hrs fired explosive charges, demolishing her. Shortly after being scuttled the wreck of "Frøya" was discovered by Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Rollmann of the German u-boat "U-34". As the submarine captain believed her still to be salvageable for the Norwegians the u-boat torpedoed the "Frøya", ripping the stern off the already wrecked minelayer.

The wreck today

After she was scuttled, it was still possible to explore the wreck. [Vrakdykking.com: [http://www.vrakdykking.com/knm_froya.htm Minelayer Frøya] no icon] Even today enough remains to make "Frøya" an interesting wreck to dive on. [Vrakdykking.com: [http://www.vrakdykking.com/knm_froya,_side_2_.htm The wreck of the minelayer Frøya] no icon]

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

External links

* [http://navalhistory.flixco.info/G/288284x9/8330/a0.htm Naval history via FLIX: "Frøya"] , retrieved 14 March 2006 en icon
* [http://hem.fyristorg.com/robertm/norge/Norw_navy_ships.html Ships of the Norwegian navy] , retrieved 14 March 2006 en icon
* [http://www.lokalhistoriskarkiv.no/arkivet/historiske_sider/horten_verft/byggenummer Byggenummer ved Horten verft] , retrieved 14 March 2006 no icon
* [http://www.mil.no/sjo/start/fakta/historie/dagfordag/jul/ Sjøforsvaret dag for dag, Juli] , retrieved 14 March 2006 no icon
* [http://www.vrakdykking.com/knm_froya.htm The story of two young boys exploring the wreck shortly after scuttling, with some amazing photos] no icon
* [http://www.vrakdykking.com/knm_froya,_side_2_.htm Photos from a dive on the wreck] no icon
* [http://warships.web4u.cz/lode.php?language=E&stat=NOR&typ=MNN&trida=Fr%26oslash%3Bya Drawing of Frøya] en icon