HNoMS Pol III
Encyclopedia
Pol III was a patrol boat of the Royal Norwegian Navy
, used for guarding the inlet of the Oslofjord
in early April 1940. She was a small vessel, originally a whaler
, of 214 tons. She is best known for being the first Norwegian unit to engage the German invasion forces during the 1940 Operation Weserübung
.
Late on 8 April 1940 the guard vessel spotted the German
Kampfgruppe
5 heading north as part of the German invasion of Norway
. Despite being seriously outnumbered - the Kampfgruppe consisted of the heavy cruiser Blücher
, the heavy cruiser Lützow
, the light cruiser Emden
, three torpedo boats and eight minesweeper
s carrying 2,000 troops to Oslo
- Pol III engaged the German forces. After firing a warning shot, Pol III closed with the German torpedo boat
Albatros. Realising that the enemy would not turn away, but was going to violate Norwegian neutrality
, Pol III fired flares to alert Norwegian coastal batteries
and rammed the Albatros in the side. From the Albatros it was clear that the guns on Pol III were manned, and that the Norwegians intended to fight. The Albatros hit the small Norwegian vessel with anti aircraft fire, wounding the captain, Leif Welding-Olsen
, and starting several fires. As Pol III was burning, her crew abandoned the vessel and was captured. Leif Welding-Olsen, weakened by blood loss, did not manage to enter the lifeboat
and drowned, becoming the first Norwegian fatality in open war between Norway and Nazi Germany.
Kampfgruppe 5 was temporarily turned back by Oscarsborg Fortress
a few hours later, with the loss of the heavy cruiser Blücher.
The next day, 9 April, Pol III was towed to Tønsberg. The German Kriegsmarine
captured her on 14 April, and after repairs utilised the vessel as a Vorpostenboot
under several names (NO-05 Samoa, V-6105 and NH-05).
After the war, Pol III became part of the Norwegian mine sweeping fleet before she was sold off. Later Pol III had several different owners and names, the engines replaced and her structure rebuilt. In 1949 she was sold to Hareid
where she was rebuilt as a fishing vessel and given the name Johan E. In 1978 she was sold to Ørnes
and rebuilt as a fish transport vessel and named Odd Oscar. Five years later she was sold to Bodø
and given the name Fisktrans. Although in essence a different vessel than in 1940, the hull of Pol III is still afloat and in use. Today she is owned in Salten
and has the name Arnøytrans. She runs as a fish transport vessel along the Norwegian coast.
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...
, used for guarding the inlet of the Oslofjord
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord is a bay in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the Torbjørnskjær and Færder lighthouses and down to Langesund in the south to Oslo in the north....
in early April 1940. She was a small vessel, originally a whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
, of 214 tons. She is best known for being the first Norwegian unit to engage the German invasion forces during the 1940 Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
.
Operational history
Pol III was built by Akers mekaniske verksted as build no. 429 in 1926. At the outbreak of World War II the ship was engaged as a guard vessel in the Oslofjord.Late on 8 April 1940 the guard vessel spotted the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
5 heading north as part of the German invasion of Norway
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
. Despite being seriously outnumbered - the Kampfgruppe consisted of the heavy cruiser Blücher
German cruiser Blücher
Blücher was the second of five heavy cruisers of the German Kriegsmarine, built after the rise of the Nazi Party and the repudiation of the Treaty of Versailles. Named for Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, the victor of the Battle of Waterloo, the ship was laid down in August 1936 and launched in...
, the heavy cruiser Lützow
German pocket battleship Deutschland
Deutschland was the lead ship of her class of heavy cruisers which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. Ordered by the Weimar government for the Reichsmarine, she was laid down at the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel in February 1929 and completed by April 1933...
, the light cruiser Emden
German cruiser Emden
The German light cruiser Emden was the only ship of its class. The third cruiser to bear the name Emden was the first new warship built in Germany after World War I....
, three torpedo boats and eight minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
s carrying 2,000 troops to Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
- Pol III engaged the German forces. After firing a warning shot, Pol III closed with the German torpedo boat
German torpedoboats of World War II
The German torpedoboats of World War II were armed principally, if not exclusively, with torpedoes and varied widely in size. They should not be confused with the larger destroyers, nor with the smaller, torpedo-armed Schnellboote .-Raubvogel and Raubtier :The six Raubvogel class torpedo boats were...
Albatros. Realising that the enemy would not turn away, but was going to violate Norwegian neutrality
Neutral country
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
, Pol III fired flares to alert Norwegian coastal batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
and rammed the Albatros in the side. From the Albatros it was clear that the guns on Pol III were manned, and that the Norwegians intended to fight. The Albatros hit the small Norwegian vessel with anti aircraft fire, wounding the captain, Leif Welding-Olsen
Leif Welding-Olsen
Leif Welding-Olsen was the commander of the Royal Norwegian Navy patrol boat HNoMS Pol III. He was killed on 8 April 1940, becoming the first Norwegian to be killed during the German invasion of Norway.-Biography:...
, and starting several fires. As Pol III was burning, her crew abandoned the vessel and was captured. Leif Welding-Olsen, weakened by blood loss, did not manage to enter the lifeboat
Lifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
and drowned, becoming the first Norwegian fatality in open war between Norway and Nazi Germany.
Kampfgruppe 5 was temporarily turned back by Oscarsborg Fortress
Oscarsborg Fortress
Oscarsborg Fortress is a coastal fortress in the Oslofjord, close to the small town of Drøbak. The fortress is situated on two small islets, and on the mainland to the west and east, in the fjord and was military territory until 2003 when it was made a publicly available resort island...
a few hours later, with the loss of the heavy cruiser Blücher.
The next day, 9 April, Pol III was towed to Tønsberg. The German Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
captured her on 14 April, and after repairs utilised the vessel as a Vorpostenboot
Vorpostenboot
Vorpostenboots were German patrol boats which served during both World Wars...
under several names (NO-05 Samoa, V-6105 and NH-05).
After the war, Pol III became part of the Norwegian mine sweeping fleet before she was sold off. Later Pol III had several different owners and names, the engines replaced and her structure rebuilt. In 1949 she was sold to Hareid
Hareid
Hareid is a village and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Hareid...
where she was rebuilt as a fishing vessel and given the name Johan E. In 1978 she was sold to Ørnes
Ørnes
Ørnes is a small village in the municipality of Meløy, Norway. Its population is 1,538. It is a station on Hurtigruten between Nesna and Bodø.The place can be traced back hundreds of years, but the year 1794 is recognized as the beginning of Ørnes as we know it, when Elling Pedersen was allowed to...
and rebuilt as a fish transport vessel and named Odd Oscar. Five years later she was sold to Bodø
Bodø
is a city and a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region.The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Bodin was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005...
and given the name Fisktrans. Although in essence a different vessel than in 1940, the hull of Pol III is still afloat and in use. Today she is owned in Salten
Salten
Salten is a district in Nordland in North Norway, consisting of the municipalities Meløy, Gildeskål, Bodø, Beiarn, Saltdal, Fauske, Sørfold, Steigen and Hamarøy. The district borders Helgeland in the south , Ofoten in the north, Sweden in the east and Vestfjorden in the west...
and has the name Arnøytrans. She runs as a fish transport vessel along the Norwegian coast.