HNoMS Tyr (1887-1945)
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The gunship HNoMS Tyr. |
|
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | |
| Laid down: | Horten Naval Yard in 1884 |
| Launched: | 16 March 1887 |
| Commissioned: | 1887 |
| Fate: | Rebuilt as minelayer, decommissioned 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 273 or 294 tons (sources disagree) |
| Dimensions: | 31.27 m long |
| Armament: | As built: 1 x 26cm/30 (10.2 inch) Krupp breach loading gun 1 x 1pdr (37 mm / 1.46 inch) automatic gun[1] 2 x 1pdr (37 mm / 1.46 inch) revolving gun[2] After rebuild: 1 x 12 cm (4.72 inch) gun 1 x 57 mm (2.24 inch) QF gun 2 x 37mm (1.46 inch) guns Mines |
| Propulsion: | 420 hp (Kw), 10 knop (km/h, mph) |
| Crew: | 44 (38 after rebuild) |
The HNoMS Tyr was a gunboat built for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Horten Naval Yard in 1884. She was one of a class of two gunboats - the other ship in her class being Gor. The Gor and Tyr can be seen as improved Vale class gunboats
The main gun was a staggering 7.8m meter long[3], or about a quarter of the length of the whole vessel. In addition she was armed with three smaller, automatic guns for self defence.
Shortly before World War I, Tyr was rebuilt as a minelayer. During this rebuild, the heavy gun was replaced with a more modern 12 cm breach loader, and one of the 37 mm guns was replaced with a more potent 57 mm gun. Since the heavy gun and ammunition was removed, Tyr could carry a useful number of mines.
Tyr was kept in service until the German invasion in 1940. On 9 April 1940, she mined the approach to Bergen port, and one or two German transports was sunk or damaged as a result. Later in the campaign Tyr operated from Uskedal, where she was taken by surprise on 20 April. For the rest of the war Tyr was in German service.
After World War II, Tyr was returned to the Royal Norwegian Navy, and sold into civilian service. It was rebuilt as a car ferry, renamed "Bjørn West" and was used as such for many years. Later it was sold to a salmon farm company and today (2006) she is still in existence as a floating storage vessel.
The vessel was built at the Naval Yard at Horten, and had the yard number 64.
[edit] References
- Fjordvessels (Photos show Tyr as a car ferry and as a storage vessel)
- Naval history via Flix: KNM Gor, retrieved 1 Mar 2006
- Byggenummer ved Horten verft, retrieved 1 Mar 2006
- Ships of the Norwegian navy, retrieved 1 Mar 2006
| Norwegian gunships |
| 1. class: |
| Ellida, Sleipner, Viking and Frithjof |
| 2. class: |
| Vale class: Vale, Brage, Nor, Uller and Vidar |
| Gor class: Gor and Tyr |
| Æger |
Gunships of the Royal Norwegian Navy |
