TYPE: Minelayer
CLASS: Glommen class minelayers
DESIGNED IN: Norway
BUILDING SITE: Akers Mekaniske Verksted, Kristiania
LAUNCHED: 1917
HOIST COMMAND: 1917
ARMAMENT
Spoiler
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2x 76 mm Quick Firing L/50 Bofors cannons
-Picture: The picture is of the cannon on the sister ship HNoMS Laugen, the same model and configuration was used on both vessels. This model was used on Draug, Troll, Garm, Glommen and Laugen, German reuse on Staturn, Biber, Marder, Wiesel. Cannons from Draug were used as coastal artillery in Svalbard
-Placement: 1x at the bow of the ship 1x at the aft of the ship
-Barrel length in calibers: L/50
-Armor: Armored shield, curved, proably 3-10mm thickness -
120 mines
-60 kg Loddmine type 1911
TECHNICAL DATA
Displacement: 351 Metric Tons
Length: 42.0 Meter
Width: 8.5 Meter
Depth: 2.1 Meter
MACHINERY
2x triple expansion steam engines
Power: 340 Indicated Horse Powers
Speed: 9.9 Knots (18.33 Km/h)
CREW
Estimated crew: The crew varied between 39-42 Men
ARMOR
Hull material: Steel hull
CALENDAR
1932: Aspirant trip 1932 and 34
1940: surrendered to German forces without a fight in Melsomvik on 14 April
1940: changed name to NKi 01
1944: sunk by Allied aircraft in the Trondheimsfjorden on 20 October
HISTORY
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Glommen
Glommen, which at the outbreak of war in Norway belonged to the 1st minelayer division, consisting of the minelayers Glommen, Laugen, Nor and Vidar, was stationed at JERSØY in the Tønsberg section on 8 April 1940. On the morning of 10 April, the minelaying division received orders from the section commander to bring the vessel’s mines ashore in Melsomvik and prepare the vessels for use as artillery ships. On 13 April, the minelaying division was still in Melsomvik with no other order from the commander at Oslofjord fortress than to remain where it was for the time being.
Due to the lack of activity and the strain on nerves caused by the situation, there was eventually some unrest and nervousness on the division’s vessels among the privates, which resulted in not so many escaping from their vessels. On 14 April, roughly half of Laugens and a good part of Glommensmenige had escaped ashore. In the morning of the same day, the minelaying division’s temporary commander, Captain Coucheron-Aamot, also had to be brought ashore to hospital as ill. (He died a week later). After that, Lieutenant Knudtzen, as the oldest ship commander, took over command of the minelaying division. As the situation was with only three officers on the four vessels and greatly reduced crews on Glommen and Laugen, he found it hopeless to try to offer resistance to enemy fighting forces. He therefore decided to dismiss the remaining part of the crew as soon as possible. But at noon on the same day, before the decision had been put into effect, three smaller German warships arrived at Melsomvik, at the same time as German planes were circling the waters. On 14 April at 1245, the 1st mine-laying division’s vessels were handed over to the Germans without a fight in intact condition. After the surrender, commanders and crew were transferred to Horten and sent home the next day. GLOMMEN was later in German service sunk by Allied aircraft in the Trondheimsfjord on 20 October 1944.
The first actual minelayers
Next to the mines, the torpedo was also very popular from the late 19th century, and when the Navy was rearmed from 1895, it was mainly torpedo boats that were targeted, next to the four large armored ships. From 1907, submarines also entered as a competitor in the battle for resources. The strong investment in the production of mines from 1911 went beyond the production of torpedoes for a while, but initially you had to make do with the converted gunboats as minelayers. However, at the outbreak of the First World War, our two new armored ships Bjørgvin and Nidaros, which were under construction in England, were held back by the British, but still under such orderly conditions that we were reimbursed our progress payments for them. Thanks to these funds, we were able to start the construction of three new and relatively large vessels, specially designed for laying mines.
Frøya was built at the Navy’s main shipyard as the only new construction during the war, a period when the shipyard was mainly busy with preparing and repairing ships for neutrality service. With its 870 tonnes, it was a relatively large vessel, designed to be able to operate on the open sea. Frøya had a capacity for 180 mines, which were laid out from the open aft deck. This was quickly tested when Frøya laid most of the mines in the Karmøysperringen. With 4 x 10 cm guns and a double torpedo tube, it had both good self-protection and qualities that could be compared to a small escort vessel. Later, it also had an anti-aircraft cannon retrofitted.
The other two minesweepers, the sister ships Glommen and Laugen, were built at Akers mek. Workshop and launched in 1917 and 1918. These were significantly smaller and were therefore intended for a more limited role as pure minelayers in shallower waters. They were shaped like future minelayers, with storage of up to 120 mines on an underlying deck and with four gates for simultaneous laying. In the interwar period, Glommen and Laugen practiced together with the small minesweepers, while Frøya most often practiced with the torpedo boats.
1st Minelayer Division
At the outbreak of the war, Glommen and Laugen together with Nor and Vidar formed the 1st Minelayer Division stationed at Jersøy outside Tønsberg. Because it had been experienced throughout the winter that the cold and ice meant that the mines could have functional problems, it had been decided that the mines should be stored at Vestre Bolærne and only taken on board in case of increased readiness. After the sinking of Rio de Janeiro, the minelayers already received orders at 14:30 on 8 April to load mines, with the aim of laying the planned fjord barrier between Rauøy and Bolærne. Such mine loading was known to take around 12 hours. The general order for heightened preparedness expired at 19.35, and after this the events in the Oslo Fjord are characterized by uncertainty as to whether it was British or German vessels that entered the fjord. At 00.12 the commanding admiral gave the order that the minesweeper should be laid out, but at this time the mine loading was not finished. KI 01.00 the admiral chief of staff was visited by the British defense attaché who wanted to know if mines had been laid in the Oslofjord, which he was informed that there had not been. Based on his opinion that British vessels could be expected in the Oslo Fjord, the admiral stopped the order for the laying of mines. The minesweepers, which were ready for mission at 03.00, were ordered to go to Jersøy and lie ready. The planned mine line marks on Rauøy and Bolærne which were to serve as sailing links were ready at 05.00, but no new orders were given. Because of German vessels, it was soon thought that it would be too dangerous to lay the mines. As the mines therefore only posed a risk, the minesweepers were ordered to Melsomvik the next day to unload the mines, considering that they could still serve as artillery ships with their guns. Here, however, they remained inactive and without new orders. In the nervous situation, parts of the crew from Glommen and Laugen escaped ashore, and in addition the division commander became seriously ill. The new division commander considered further fighting hopeless and he planned to discharge the rest of the crew. But before he got that far, three smaller German vessels entered the harbor, at the same time as planes circled above them. The vessels were therefore surrendered to the enemy without a fight and they were soon put into German service. After the war, the Guild was returned, but soon scrapped. The Glommen, which in German service was named NKi 01, was long thought to have been sunk by Allied aircraft in the Trondheimsfjord. Based on new information, we now know that it was sunk by its own crew at Neiden bro in Sør-Varanger on 26 October 1944, at a time when the distance to the Russian forces was very small.
One fact! One of these vessels were used as target during testing of the norwegian developed NSM anti ship missiles
MINELAYER SYSTEM
Spoiler
In this picture, you see how the mines are stored and how they will be launched. the 4 hatches in the back will be opened and 120 mines can be laid as shown in the pictures below! pretty cool design in my opinion
PICTURES AND IMPORTANT DETAILS
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SOURCES
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https://www.antikvariat.net/sv/ada18406-90-ar-under-rent-norsk-orlogsflagg-thomassen-marius-adamstuen-antikvariat
Norske marinefartøy - samtlige norske marinefartøy 1814-2008 og marinens flygevåpen 1912-1944 | ARK Bokhandel
Fylkesbaatane – Om saluttkanoner - Kulturhistorisk leksikon
90 år under rent norsk orlogsflagg - Deichman.no
Redirecting...
- Yes
- No
