Ole Herman Johannes Krag
Encyclopedia
Ole Herman Johannes Krag (7 April 1837 - 9 December 1916) was a Norwegian
officer and firearms designer
.
, in Oppland
county, Norway. Krag grew up in various locations where his father, Hans Peter Schnitler Krag (1794–1855), served as pastor, including Vågå, Fredrikshald
(Halden) and Christiania
(Oslo). Krag was a student at Hartvig Nissens skole
in Oslo.
He started his military
career in January 1854. He became a Second Lieutenant
in 1857 and a full Lieutenant
in 1861. In 1866 he was ordered to Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk
, the most important Norwegian weapons factory of its day.
Ole H J Krag constructed his first repeating rifle
in 1868, which evolved into the Krag-Petersson (aided by Axel Petersson
) by 1872. This, as well as his work in the armoury
, gave him a thorough understanding of what requirements the Norwegian Army
had to a rifle, allowing him to create the successful Krag-Jørgensen with the help of his good friend Erik Jørgensen
.
He designed a wide range of firearm
s during his lifetime, but only two – the Krag-Petersson
and the Krag-Jørgensen
– were adopted by any armed forces
. Less than 1,000 Krag-Petersson rifle
s were made for the Royal Norwegian Navy
, while several hundreds of thousands Krag-Jørgensen rifles were made for the Danish, Norwegian and US armies
.
In 1880 he was named director of the armoury. After the Krag-Jørgensen was accepted as the main rifle of the Norwegian Army, he was made a Lieutenant Colonel
in 1894.
He retired in 1902. He is honored in Kongsberg
with a street named Krags gate. He died in Paris
in December 1916 and was buried in Oslo during January 1917.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
officer and firearms designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
.
Biography
Ole H. J. Krag was born in VågåVågå
Vågå is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vågåmo....
, in Oppland
Oppland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....
county, Norway. Krag grew up in various locations where his father, Hans Peter Schnitler Krag (1794–1855), served as pastor, including Vågå, Fredrikshald
Fredrikshald
Fredrikshald may refer to:* Fredrikshald Bay, Nunavut, Canada* Fredrikshald, Norway, former name of the town of Halden...
(Halden) and Christiania
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...
(Oslo). Krag was a student at Hartvig Nissens skole
Hartvig Nissen
Hartvig Nissen was a Norwegian philologist and educator. He founded Nissens Pigeskole, a school specifically for girls, in Oslo in 1849. In 1955 the school was also opened for boys and in 1963 the name changed to Hartvig Nissens Skole....
in Oslo.
He started his military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
career in January 1854. He became a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in 1857 and a full Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1861. In 1866 he was ordered to Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk
Kongsberg Gruppen
Kongsberg Gruppen is Norway's major defence contractor and maritime automation supplier, located in Kongsberg, a former mining town....
, the most important Norwegian weapons factory of its day.
Ole H J Krag constructed his first repeating rifle
Repeating rifle
A repeating rifle is a single barreled rifle containing multiple rounds of ammunition. These rounds are loaded from a magazine by means of a manual or automatic mechanism, and the action that reloads the rifle also typically recocks the firing action...
in 1868, which evolved into the Krag-Petersson (aided by Axel Petersson
Axel Petersson
Axel Petersson was a Swedish engineer who may be best known for helping Ole Herman Johannes Krag with a rifle design. The importance of his aid is best made clear by the fact that Ole H J Krag insisted on calling the finished rifle Krag-Petersson.-Source:...
) by 1872. This, as well as his work in the armoury
Armory (military)
An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
, gave him a thorough understanding of what requirements the Norwegian Army
Norwegian Army
Norway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to two major conflicts, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in the north of Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of...
had to a rifle, allowing him to create the successful Krag-Jørgensen with the help of his good friend Erik Jørgensen
Erik Jørgensen
Erik Jørgensen was a Norwegian master gunsmith, well known for his cooperation with Ole Herman Johannes Krag in developing the successful Krag-Jørgensen rifle.Erik Jørgensen was born in Asker, Norway, and grew up on the farm Solstad...
.
He designed a wide range of firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s during his lifetime, but only two – the Krag-Petersson
Krag-Petersson
The Krag-Petersson rifle was the first repeating rifle adopted by the armed forces of Norway and one of the first repeating arms used anywhere in the world. Developed by Ole Herman Johannes Krag, the action of the Krag-Petersson was uniquely actuated by an oversized hammer...
and the Krag-Jørgensen
Krag-Jørgensen
The Krag-Jørgensen is a repeating bolt action rifle designed by the Norwegians Ole Herman Johannes Krag and Erik Jørgensen in the late 19th century. It was adopted as a standard arm by Denmark, the United States of America and Norway...
– were adopted by any armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
. Less than 1,000 Krag-Petersson rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s were made for 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...
, while several hundreds of thousands Krag-Jørgensen rifles were made for the Danish, Norwegian and US armies
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
.
In 1880 he was named director of the armoury. After the Krag-Jørgensen was accepted as the main rifle of the Norwegian Army, he was made a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in 1894.
Personal life
He married in 1870 with Karen Elise Theodora Collett (1844-1926). They were the parents of a son Herman Anton John Krag (1871–1931) and were the grandparents of Norwegian architect Herman Krag (1920-1982).He retired in 1902. He is honored in Kongsberg
Kongsberg
is a town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is located at the southern end of the traditional region of Numedal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsberg....
with a street named Krags gate. He died in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in December 1916 and was buried in Oslo during January 1917.