HNoMS Tor (1939)
Encyclopedia
HNoMS Tor was a Sleipner class
destroyer of the Royal Norwegian Navy
that was launched in September 1939. She was under outfitting and testing when Nazi Germany invaded Norway
on 9 April 1940. Although scuttled by Norwegian naval personnel to prevent her from being captured by the invading forces, she was soon salvaged by the Germans and put into service with the Kriegsmarine
. Under the name Tiger she served out the war as an escort and training vessel, being recovered by the Norwegians in Denmark
after the German capitulation in 1945. After the war she was converted to a frigate
and served until 1959.
, the Royal Norwegian Navy began building a series of new destroyers. The six ships of the Sleipner class were larger than the preceding First World War
vintage Draug class
vessels. At some 735 tons the Sleipner class ships were still much smaller than the destroyers of the major navies of the time. The Royal Norwegian Navy had requested 1,000 ton destroyers, but financial constraints led to the 735-ton Sleipner class being constructed as a compromise. The Sleipner class design focussed on anti-surface
and anti-aircraft
artillery, and modern anti-submarine
equipment. The ships did however suffer from insufficient range and seaworthiness.
The construction of Tor was financed through the extraordinary appropriations to the Norwegian Armed Forces
following the outbreak of the Second World War. The funds were intended to improve the armed forces' ability to protect Norwegian neutrality against violations by the warring parties
. While all five of her sister ships were constructed at the Royal Norwegian Navy's main naval yard at Karljohansvern
in Horten
, Tor was built at Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted in Fredrikstad
. Her keel was laid in November 1938. The penultimate ship of the Sleipner class, she was launched on 7 September 1939.
The successful launch of Tor at Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted led member of parliament from the Conservative Party, naval captain Trygve Sverdrup, in a closed meeting of the Parliament of Norway on 11 March 1940, to argue for further Sleipner class ships to be rapidly constructed at the shipyard in order to improve the numbers of the Royal Norwegian Navy.
s. She had however not yet had any of her armament installed, and was still in the process of fitting out
. When it was reported on 9 April that German forces were approaching Fredrikstad, the ship's captain ordered that she was to be scuttled at the shipyard, rather than to be abandoned intact to the advancing Germans. The crew of the Tor made their way inland, joining the Norwegian 1st Division
in Østfold
and eventually following it into internment
in neutral Sweden
. The 1st Division's retreat across the border occurred on 14 April 1940, after confused fighting beginning on 12 April.
for repairs and fitting out. The work on Tor, and her sister ship Balder, was completed during the summer of 1940 at Karljohansvern naval yard in Horten. The completion of the two destroyers was the first work carried out by the state-owned Norwegian naval yard for the German occupants
during the Second World War. Tor had yard number 128 at Karljohansvern.
.
In German service Tiger was made part of the 7th Torpedo Boat Flotilla; initially carrying out escort duties in the Skagerrak
and Kattegat
. The fellow captured Norwegian Sleipner class destroyers Gyller (Löwe), Odin (Panther) and Balder (Leopard) also formed part of the same flotilla. The first German commander of Tor was Kapitänleutnant
Herbert Juttner, who commanded her until relieved in June 1941 by Oberleutnant zur See
Friedrich Nose.
From July to December 1940 Tiger functioned as a training ship with the 7th Torpedo Boat Flotilla. When that unit was disbanded she was transferred to the 27th U-boat Flotilla in Gotenhafen
as a torpedo recovery vessel. Tiger spent the rest of the war with the 27th U-boat Flotilla, being recovered in Korsør
, Denmark in May 1945 and returned to the Royal Norwegian Navy.
L.04. In the force lists provided to the Norwegian Parliament in 1946, Tor, her three sister ships, two Hunt class
ships and a vessel still under construction at Karljohansvern were listed as escort destroyer
s. In 1948 Tor and the four other Sleipner class vessels that had survived the war, were rebuilt as frigates. During the 1950s Tor was issued with the NATO pennant number F.303. In 1959 Tor and her surviving sister ships were all written off and sold for scrapping
.
Sleipner class destroyer
The Sleipner class was a class of six destroyers built for the Royal Norwegian Navy from 1936 until the German invasion in 1940. The design was considered advanced for its time, and it was the first class of vessels for the Norwegian Navy that used aluminium in the construction of the bridge, the...
destroyer of the Royal Norwegian Navy
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...
that was launched in September 1939. She was under outfitting and testing when Nazi Germany invaded 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...
on 9 April 1940. Although scuttled by Norwegian naval personnel to prevent her from being captured by the invading forces, she was soon salvaged by the Germans and put into service with the 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...
. Under the name Tiger she served out the war as an escort and training vessel, being recovered by the Norwegians in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
after the German capitulation in 1945. After the war she was converted to a frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
and served until 1959.
Construction
As part of the Norwegian rearmament scheme in the last years leading up to the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Royal Norwegian Navy began building a series of new destroyers. The six ships of the Sleipner class were larger than the preceding First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
vintage Draug class
Draug class destroyer
The Draug class was the first multi-vessel class of destroyers built for the Royal Norwegian Navy, the first destroyer to be built for the RNoN being the Valkyrjen, commissioned 17 May 1896. As the single Valkyrjen was not enough to fulfil the need for destroyers, the Draug class was ordered and...
vessels. At some 735 tons the Sleipner class ships were still much smaller than the destroyers of the major navies of the time. The Royal Norwegian Navy had requested 1,000 ton destroyers, but financial constraints led to the 735-ton Sleipner class being constructed as a compromise. The Sleipner class design focussed on anti-surface
Anti-Surface Warfare
Anti-surface warfare is a type of naval warfare directed against surface combatants. More generally, it is any weapons, sensors, or operations intended to attack or limit the effectiveness of an adversary's surface ships....
and anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
artillery, and modern anti-submarine
Anti-submarine weapon
An anti-submarine weapon is any one of a range of devices that are intended to act against a submarine, and its crew, to destroy the vessel or to destroy or reduce its capability as a weapon of war...
equipment. The ships did however suffer from insufficient range and seaworthiness.
The construction of Tor was financed through the extraordinary appropriations to the Norwegian Armed Forces
Norwegian Armed Forces
The Norwegian Armed Forces numbers about 23,000 personnel, including civilian employees. According to mobilisation plans , the strength during full mobilisation would be approximately 83,000 combatant personnel. Norway has mandatory military service for men and voluntary service for women...
following the outbreak of the Second World War. The funds were intended to improve the armed forces' ability to protect Norwegian neutrality against violations by the warring parties
Participants in World War II
The participants in World War II were those nations who either participated directly in or were affected by any of the theaters or events of World War II....
. While all five of her sister ships were constructed at the Royal Norwegian Navy's main naval yard at Karljohansvern
Karljohansvern
Karjohansvern in Horten was the main base for the Royal Norwegian Navy from 1819 to 1963.It was first called Hortens verft, and later Marinens Hovedværft until King Oscar I named it Carljohansværn værft in 1854...
in Horten
Horten
is a town and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the villages of Borre, Åsgårdstrand, Skoppum, and Nykirke....
, Tor was built at Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted in Fredrikstad
Fredrikstad
is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad....
. Her keel was laid in November 1938. The penultimate ship of the Sleipner class, she was launched on 7 September 1939.
The successful launch of Tor at Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted led member of parliament from the Conservative Party, naval captain Trygve Sverdrup, in a closed meeting of the Parliament of Norway on 11 March 1940, to argue for further Sleipner class ships to be rapidly constructed at the shipyard in order to improve the numbers of the Royal Norwegian Navy.
German invasion and scuttling
By the time of the 9 April 1940 German invasion of Norway, Tor had received her crew and begun her trials and shakedown cruiseShakedown cruise
Shakedown cruise is a nautical term in which the performance of a ship is tested. Shakedown cruises are also used to familiarize the ship's crew with operation of the craft....
s. She had however not yet had any of her armament installed, and was still in the process of fitting out
Fitting-out
Fitting-out, or "outfitting”, is the process in modern shipbuilding that follows the float-out of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her owners...
. When it was reported on 9 April that German forces were approaching Fredrikstad, the ship's captain ordered that she was to be scuttled at the shipyard, rather than to be abandoned intact to the advancing Germans. The crew of the Tor made their way inland, joining the Norwegian 1st Division
1st Division (Norway)
The Norwegian 1st Division is a former unit in the Norwegian Army, responsible for the defence of Eastern Norway along with 2nd Division.Following the German invasion of Norway in 1940 the Norwegian 1st Division, commanded by Major General Carl Johan Erichsen, was responsible for defending the land...
in Østfold
Østfold
is a county in southeastern Norway, bordering Akershus and southwestern Sweden , while Buskerud and Vestfold is on the other side of the bay. The seat of the county administration is Sarpsborg, and Fredrikstad is the largest city.Many manufacturing facilities are situated here. Moss and...
and eventually following it into internment
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
in neutral Sweden
Sweden during World War II
Sweden during World War II maintained a policy of neutrality. When the Second World War began on September 1, 1939, the fate of Sweden was unclear...
. The 1st Division's retreat across the border occurred on 14 April 1940, after confused fighting beginning on 12 April.
Salvage
After their capture of Fredrikstad, the Germans immediately began work on salvaging the scuttled Norwegian warship. On 16 April, a week after her scuttling, Tor was raised from the harbour. Six days later, on 22 April, the Germans moved her to DrammenDrammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
for repairs and fitting out. The work on Tor, and her sister ship Balder, was completed during the summer of 1940 at Karljohansvern naval yard in Horten. The completion of the two destroyers was the first work carried out by the state-owned Norwegian naval yard for the German occupants
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
during the Second World War. Tor had yard number 128 at Karljohansvern.
As Tiger
On 13 June 1940 the Germans commissioned Tor into the Kriegsmarine, renaming her Tiger, and re-designating her as a torpedo boatTorpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
.
In German service Tiger was made part of the 7th Torpedo Boat Flotilla; initially carrying out escort duties in the Skagerrak
Skagerrak
The Skagerrak is a strait running between Norway and the southwest coast of Sweden and the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area, which leads to the Baltic Sea.-Name:...
and Kattegat
Kattegat
The Kattegat , or Kattegatt is a sea area bounded by the Jutland peninsula and the Straits islands of Denmark on the west and south, and the provinces of Västergötland, Scania, Halland and Bohuslän in Sweden on the east. The Baltic Sea drains into the Kattegat through the Øresund and the Danish...
. The fellow captured Norwegian Sleipner class destroyers Gyller (Löwe), Odin (Panther) and Balder (Leopard) also formed part of the same flotilla. The first German commander of Tor was Kapitänleutnant
Captain Lieutenant
Captain lieutenant or captain-lieutenant is a military rank, used in a number of different navies worldwide.It is generally equivalent to the Commonwealth or US rank of lieutenant, and has the NATO rank code of OF-2, though this can vary....
Herbert Juttner, who commanded her until relieved in June 1941 by Oberleutnant zur See
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
Friedrich Nose.
From July to December 1940 Tiger functioned as a training ship with the 7th Torpedo Boat Flotilla. When that unit was disbanded she was transferred to the 27th U-boat Flotilla in Gotenhafen
Gdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
as a torpedo recovery vessel. Tiger spent the rest of the war with the 27th U-boat Flotilla, being recovered in Korsør
Korsør
Korsør is a Danish town and port. It is out on the Great Belt, on the Zealand side, just south of where the Great Belt Bridge lands. It was the site of the municipal council of Korsør municipality - today it is part of Slagelse municipality...
, Denmark in May 1945 and returned to the Royal Norwegian Navy.
Post-war service
After she rejoined the Royal Norwegian Navy Tor was given her old name back, and on 19 September 1946 was allocated the pennant numberPennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
L.04. In the force lists provided to the Norwegian Parliament in 1946, Tor, her three sister ships, two Hunt class
Hunt class destroyer
The Hunt class was a class of Destroyer escort of the Royal Navy. The first vessels were ordered early in 1939, and the class saw extensive service in World War II, particularly on the British East Coast and Mediterranean convoys. They were named after British fox hunts...
ships and a vessel still under construction at Karljohansvern were listed as escort destroyer
Escort destroyer
A Escort Destroyer is a US Navy post World War II classification for destroyers modified for and assigned to a fleet escort role. These destroyers retained their original hull numbers...
s. In 1948 Tor and the four other Sleipner class vessels that had survived the war, were rebuilt as frigates. During the 1950s Tor was issued with the NATO pennant number F.303. In 1959 Tor and her surviving sister ships were all written off and sold for scrapping
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
.