HNoMS Bjerk (FY-1712) - A requisitioned Whaler, armed as a minesweeper during WW2

Til_Dovre_Faller · September 1, 2024, 2:18pm

HNoMS BJERK (FY-1712)

TYPE: ex whaler/guard boat/Minesweeper
OLD NAME: Bjerk
BUILDING SITE: Akers Mekaniske Verksted, Kristiania, Ship nr 344
LAUNCHED: August 1912
IN COMMAND: 1939 - 20.11.1944
WAR OPERATIONAL: 27.10.1940 In Great Britain

ARMAMENT

Spoiler

1x 20mm Oerlikon Cannon
-Placement: on a platform in the aft of the ship
2x1 12.7x99mm Colt MG/52 Machineguns
-Placement: 1x on each brigde wing
Minesweep
-SA Hammer
-LL Sweep

TECHNICAL DATA
Displacement: 182 Gross tonnage
Length: 32.43 Meter
Width: 6.55 Meter
Depth: 3.74 Meter

MACHINERY
1x Triple expansion steam eigne
3 cylinders diameter: 13.5"-22.0"-37.5"
Machinery built by: Akers mek.Verksted.Kristiania.Boilers same.
Power: (cant find) Indicated Horse Powers
Speed: 10 knots (18.52 Km/h)

CREW
Estimated crew: 18 Men

TIMELINE OF IMPORTANT EVENTS
08/1912: Delivered as BJERK to Hvalf. etc. Norge A/S (Chr. Nielsen & Co) Larvik
08/1922: Transferred to Hvalf. etc. Norge A/S (Chr. Nielsen & Co A/S) Larvik
04/1935: Sold to A/S Norsk Hvalfangst, Oslo
03/1939: Sold for NOK. Gjølberg, Oslo
03/1940: Requisitioned on 2 March by the Norwegian Navy FY 1712
05/1940: Arrived in Shetland. Converted to minesweeper.
06/1940: Inducted 30/6-1940 in the Rosyth department as FY-1712
11/1944: Command canceled 20/11 and in circulation due to manpower shortage.
10/1945: Returned to Kr. Gjølberg, Oslo.
00/1949: Sold to Arnt & Simon Midtgaard, Måløy.
00/1951: Sold to Kaspar Nilsen, Sand i Ryfylke, Stavanger
00/1953: New engine: Vølund BHK 300 Speed: 10 knots.
00/1955: Sold to Tørres Vesterheim et al, Vedavågen, Kopervik
00/1956: Transferred to Tørres Vesterheim P/R, Vedavågen, Kopervik
00/1959: Sold to Ths. Sørensen P/R, Vedavågen, Kopervik
00/1969: Sold to Jørgen J.Botn P/R, Starheim, Kopervik
00/1972: Sold to Ansgar Kjørslevik, Deknepollen, Måløy
00/1975: Sold to Julius Solnes, Borkenes, Måløy
08/1989: Sold to England, either for scrapping or pleasure boat
00/1992: If Lloyds existence is questionable

HISTORY
The Norwegian Navy’s previous experience in demining was only neutralizing drift mines during and after the First World War. These were isolated cases, because no minefields had been laid out in Norwegian territory. It was not until the early thirties that it was realized that this could become relevant. It was therefore decided to equip six decommissioned Class 2 torpedo boats as combined guard boats and minesweepers. The torpedo guns of these vessels were taken ashore, and on a platform aft an arrangement was set up for Oropesa sweep. Incidentally, there is very little information about the equipment on these vessels. The Oropesa sweep was developed by the Royal Navy during the First World War and was named after the trawler Oropesa which first tried this type of sweep.

The Oropesa sweep, or O sweep as it is also called, consists of a cable or wire that the vessel releases. An otter is attached to the end of the cable, which causes the cable to pull outwards from the vessel. To mark where the otter is, there is a float on the surface, called a Paravan. Along the cable there are knives that will cut the anchoring of any mines so that they float up and can be neutralized. Another otter is attached to the inner side of the vessel, so that the sweep cable cuts into the water. The system is the same as on a trawl. The O-sweep, which is operated by one vessel, was a necessary further development of the English A-sweep. This consisted of a cable, pulled between two or more vessels. During an attack, it was very difficult to maneuver with the A-sweep in the sea. The growing threat of war and thus the danger of minelaying in Norwegian waters meant that, in addition to the rebuilding of the 2. kl. torpedo boats, it was decided to build two minesweepers. These, OTRA and RAUMA, were built at Akers mech. Workshop and were completely new and fully equipped when Great Britain announced that they had laid mines at Stad, Hustadvika and Landegode north of Bodø in April 1940. OTRA and RAUMA were in Horten and had received orders to go to Western Norway to clear the minefields, but was instead involved in the fighting at Horten harbor after the German attack on 9 April. OTRA was, following reports of foreign warships in the Oslofjord, sent out to observe and was able to 04.10 report that these vessels were German. RAUMA joined OLAV TRYGGVASON in battle with the German Raumboot R.17 and R.27 at Horten harbour. R.27 fired at RAUMA and badly damaged the vessel. The Chief, Itn. I. K. Winsnes, and one deckhand was killed and six others wounded, OTRA became the Germans’ prey at the quay at Filtvet, was named TOGO and was used as a guard boat until the navy got it back in 1947. Then OTRA was converted into a training vessel for minelaying.

It was after the rebuilding of the guard boats Bjerk, Syrian, Børtind, Nordhav II, Thorodd and Hval V that the navy got to try its hand at minesweeping duty in Great Britain. These were the vessels that made it over to Great Britain after the fighting in Norway ceased in June 1940. In addition to these, the navy took over its first vessel from the Roy Navy. It was the trawler ALCMARIA, equipped as a minesweeper and under Norwegian command from 15 October 1940 to 28 November 1944. The next minesweeper taken over from the Royal Navy was actually Norwegian. The whaleboat POLAR VI was requisitioned by the Royal Navy as early as March 1940 and transferred to the navy in February 1941. The minesweepers were first stationed in harbor towns on the east and north coast of Scotland. Later, it became most practical to gather the Norwegian minesweepers in a separate Norwegian minesweeper division, which had its station in Dundee.

GENERAL ARRANGEMENT OF THE VESSEL (Shows weapon placement and internals)