- Yes
- No
HNoMS Rauma - minesweeper/minelayer - Otra class
DESIGNED IN: Norway
BUILDING SITE: Nylands Verksted Oslo
LAUNCHED: 26 September 1939
HOIST COMMAND: 1939
ARMAMENT
1939-1949 minelayer
1x 40mm automatic cannon
2x 12.7mm machineguns
Mines (unknown amount yet)
1949-1963 Minesweeper
1x 76mm cannon
2x 20mm anti air cannons oerlikon (1x2)
2x 12.7mm machineguns
Oropesa-sveip/sweep device
TECHNICAL DATA
Displacement: 360 Ton
Hull: Steel
Length: 51.3m
Width: 7.0m
Depth: 1.8m
Crew: 23 men men
MACHINERY
2x triple expansion steam engine
Power: 1.000 IHK
Speed: 14 Knots
CALENDAR
1940: Surrendered to German forces without a fight in Horten on 17 April
1940: Changed name to Cameroon and converted to minelayer
1945: Returned, new name Rauma
1946: New name KNM Rauma
1949: Converted to minesweeper with pennant number N 33
1959: Command deleted
1963: Sold for scrapping in Stavanger
Here you see the mines loaded on the vessel!
RAUMA
RAUMA was fully equipped in January 1940. On 8 April 1940, the vessel was at Karljohansvern in Horten when, late in the evening, it was ordered to go out and guard the entrances to the harbour, as word had arrived that foreign vessels were intruding into Ytre Oslo Fjord. RAUMA, which had special orders to guard Vealøsgapet, was not fired up and ready for departure until about 0415. The vessel was therefore still alongside the quay when two darkened vessels entered Vealøsgapet.
OLAV TRYGGVASON, which was also in the inner harbor, opened fire on the intruders, who turned out to be the German vessels R 17 and R 27. After setting fire to R 17, OLAV TRYGGVASON opened fire on R 27, which now steered clear the harbor in the direction of Løvøysund. RAUMA followed R 27 towards øvøysund and opened fire with its guns. R 27 returned fire and wounded the gun crew on RAUMA so that the gun could not be serviced. R 27 then steered towards a bay where the vessel ran aground and turned over on its side. RAUMA steered back to Karljohansvern to bring the wounded ashore. One man was already dead, while one man died on arrival at hospital. After the Germans had threatened to bomb Horten, it was decided to give up all resistance and on 17 April the Germans took over the Norwegian warships at Karljohansvern. RAUMA was given the name KAMERUN by the Germans and converted into a minelayer. At the end of the war in 1945, the vessel was returned to the navy and regained its original name. The vessel left command for the last time in Horten in 1959, and on 14 August 1963 RAUMA was sold to Brødrene Anda in Stavanger for scrapping.
THE OTRA CLASS
In the revised fleet plan of 1936, the danger was assessed that Germany might want to secure support points on the Norwegian south-west coast. Thus, a British pre-emptive attack to prevent this could not be disregarded either. For the first time, six new minesweepers were therefore included in the newbuild fleet of 31 vessels. At this time, it was not appropriate to give the Navy such a large amount of resources, but in 1938 a contract was nevertheless entered into with Nylands Verksted for the construction of two new, clean minesweepers, at a price of NOK 679,500 per vessel.
That the minesweepers were prioritized after all clearly shows the concern that mines would once again become an important weapon in a new conflict. The vessels weighed 360 tons, went at 14 knots and had a crew of 23 men. They were fully equipped in September 1939, but as far as we know, they remained at the main base in Horten.
Due to the declared British minefield on 8 April, both vessels were ordered to Bergen. However, they had not had time to leave before the German attack on the night of 9 April. They were therefore ordered out to guard the entrance to Horten. Otra, who was first out, observed the German vessels and reported this. They were prevented from returning to Horten and therefore went to Filtvedt before leaving the vessel. Here the Germans took over the vessel the next day, and it was soon put into German service under the name Togo. The sister ship Rauma did not manage to get out of the Inner Harbor before the German boats came in. They followed, and opened fire on the German R27 (Räumboot). The fire was returned and the captain and a deckhand on the Rauma were killed and six others were wounded. At Rauma, they chose to ground the ship and save the crew. The Germans took over the ship and named it Kamerun.
After the war, the vessels were returned to the Norwegian Navy where they were given their old names again. They were somewhat rebuilt in 1949 and for the next 10 years served as minelaying training vessels.
Oropesa sweep or O sweep is a type of sweep on minesweepers. The Oropesa sweep consists of a cable that the vessel releases. At the end of the cable is attached an otter which causes the cable to pull out from the vessel, as well as an otter attached closest to the vessel.shown in the picture below
PICTURES AND IMPORTANT DETAILS
SOURCES
Spoiler
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
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2347286451/media
HNoMS Rauma (1939) - Wikipedia
This post was made by
Til_Dovre_Faller
Warthunder_Norway