HNoMS Alversund - Requisitioned steamboat served both the Norwegian navy and the German navy

Til_Dovre_Faller · September 15, 2024, 10:21am

HNoMS ALVERSUND

TYPE: Steamboat/patrol vessel
NAMES:
In Norwegian service: D/S Alversund, S/S Alversund
In German service: Biene II
BUILDING SITE: Mjellem & Karlsen, Bergen
LAUNCHED: July 1906
REQUISITIONED: Autumn 1939
IN COMMAND: 1939 - 08.04.1940
UNIT: 2. Sjøforsvarsdistrikt 12.Bevokningsdivisjon
OWNERS: Alversund & Manger Dampbåtlag A/S

ARMAMENT Norwegian service

Spoiler

1x 65mm M/II Hotckiss rapid firing cannon
-Caliber: 65mm L/45
-Manufacturer: Hotchkiss
-Model: M/II
-Shell: 65x307R
-Reload time: 2.4 Secounds
-Rounds per minute: 25
-Ammunition types
–Armour Piercing (AP)
–High Explosive (HE)
–Muzzle velocity: ca 700-715 mps
-Armored shield: I am quite certain the cannon in the picture is the 65mm cannon, i will try to be 100% certain about it, but it looks simlar in design. it has a armored shield, proably 3-10mm

ARMAMENT German service

Spoiler

1x 65mm M/II Hotckiss rapid firing cannon
-Caliber: 65mm L/45
-Manufacturer: Hotchkiss
-Model: M/II
-Shell: 65x307R
-Reload time: 2.4 Secounds
-Rounds per minute: 25
-Ammunition types
–Armour Piercing (AP)
–High Explosive (HE)
–Muzzle velocity: ca 700-715 mps
-Armored shield: I am quite certain the cannon in the picture is the 65mm cannon, i will try to be 100% certain about it, but it looks simlar in design. it has a armored shield, proably 3-10mm
German sea mines
-As seen in the picture, they had sea mines with them. there is at least 6x on the side that we can see and i guess that the same amount were on the other side as well for weight distrobution. i do not know model or make

TECHNICAL DATA
Displacement: 178 Gross tonnage
Length: 35.69 Meter
Width: 6.15 Meter
Depth: 3.20 Meter

MACHINERY
1x triple expansion steam eigne
cylinder diameter: 11.5"-18.5"-30"
Boilers and engine built by: Kjellem & Karlsen, Bergen
Power: 53 NHP
Speed: 11 knots (20.37 Km/h)

CREW
Estimated crew: 18 Men

TIMELINE OF IMPORTANT EVENTS
1926: Alversund & Mangers Dampskibsselskab, Bergen - ALVERSUND
1927: Alversund & Mangers Dampbåtlag A/S, Bergen - ALVERSUND
1939: Requisitioned by the Royal Norwegian Navy as a guard boat
1940: Sunk by own crew on 25/4 in Valvatnevågen
1940: Raised and taken to Sagvåg for repairs
1940: Req. by Die Deutsche Kriegsmarine Launched for Hafenschutzflotille Bergen - NB 15 BIENE II
1945: Alversund & Mangers Dambåtlag A/S, Bergen (Omb) - ALVERSUND
1948: Alversund & Mangers Steam Boat Team L/L, Bergen - ALVERSUND
1950: Alversund & Mangers Dambåtlag A/S, Bergen - ALVERSUND
1951: A/S Bergen Nordhordland Traffic Association, Bergen - ALVERSUND
1966: Ivar Matre, Bergen (Converted to cargo boat) - ALVERSTRÖMMEN
1968: Remeasured: BRT:187 t. NET:86 t.Dim:38.19m-6.15m-3.20m
1968: new engine: General Motors BHK 240
1974: Bertin Solsvik, Bergen - KILORAN
1987: Birger Steinsland, Steinsland, Bergen - KILORAN
1990: Nordhordland Veteran boat team, Vikanes, Bergen - KILORAN
1999: Deleted on 23.8 as scrapped

HISTORY
This vessel was built at the Mjellem & Karlsen shipyaard located in Bergen, it was then delivered to Alversund & Mangers Dampskibsselskab and given the name Alversund. it served this companyfor many years, until it in 1939 was requisitioned by the Royal Norwegian Navy to serve as a guard vessel after the breakout of the second world war. The vessel recieved a 65mm quick firing cannon.

Before the Second World War, half of the people in Hordaland, Norway had only the sea as their means of communication with the outside world. In other large parts of the county, the road standard was actually so poor that the sea route was the most used route. and it therefore had very serious consequences when six steamboats were requisitioned by the Royal Norwegian Navy and which were later hijacked by the Germans during the war

Cannons on Steamships
In September 1939, the navy requisitioned six steamships. These steamships were to do guard duty for the Royal Norwegian Navy, and cannons were therefore mounted on the steamships. The steamships that were requisitioned were; “Lindaas” from Lindaas-Masfjorden, “Haus” and “Oster” from Indre Nordhordland, “Øygar” from Hjelma and Herdla, and “Alversund” and “Manger” from Alversund and Manger.

When Norway was invaded by Germany on 9 April 1940, these ships were on post. These then reported enemy attacks, and some of the ships, such as “Haus” and “Øygar”, later took part in battles, and “Øygar” was nearly sunk in one of these battles. “Alversund” was sunk by its own crew in an attempt to avoid it falling into the hands of the enemy, but was soon raised by the Germans. The Germans eventually confiscated all these boats during the war.

These ships were the glue between village and town in these areas, as both people, cattle, foodstuffs, dairy products and much else were transported via these ships, and they were also the biggest collective travel offer at that time here. The route offer was seriously weakened in 1939 when they were requisitioned, and weakened even more when the Germans took these ships in addition to a number of others during the war. this was the case for a long time after the war as well, because the Germans damaged the ships so much that they had to be repaired and modernized at the same time.

HNoMS Alversund/D/S Alversund were one of the many vessels that laid at the harbor in Uskedalen a couple day safter the Germans invaded, the 65mm cannon on this vessel was available for soilders to take and mount on trucks, or for other uses, and this cannon was given to a company in Haugesund, but i do not know in what way it was used.

The vessel were later sunk by its own crew in Valvatnevågen to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Germans, but they later retrieved the vessel and put it in service of the Die Deutsche Kriegsmarine and transferred it to Hafenschutzflotille in occupied Bergen with the name BIENE II NB-15. looking at the picture of Alversund, it seems like the Germans made some modifications to the vessel, as we can see, they have put sea mines on the deck, those would be manually dropped with the crane onboard. The cannon seems to be the 65mm it received in 1939, comparing it to other vessels i have understood the Germans kept those cannons.

By the end of the war in 1945 when the Germans capitulated, this vessel was also returned but in bad condition, so many repairs and modifications had to be done in the following years.

IN GAME
Well, the speed is not great but the maneuverability should be better, and the armament is now the worst. I would believe this would work in a regular techtree.