HNoMS Rauma (1940-1963)

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Career

Ordered:
Laid down:
Launched:	26 September 1939
Commissioned:	January 1940
Fate:	Scrapped 1963
General characteristics
Displacement:	355 tons
Dimensions:	51.0 m m x 7.0 m x 1.8 m
Armament:	1 x 76 mm gun
Propulsion:	2 x Triple expansion steam engines, 900 shp, 15 knop
Crew:	25

As the threat of war in Europe became ever more clear the decision was made to improve the Royal Norwegian Navy's mine warfare capabilities. At first a number of 2. class gunboats were rebuilt into minelayers and minesweepers, but it soon became clear that more capable vessels were required. Thus, two new purpose-built minesweepers were constructed at Akers Mek. Verksted in Oslo; the Otra and the Rauma. Both ships were completed and commisioned only a short time before the German invasion of Norway. The Otra class vessels used the Oropesa system of minesweeping.

1 The invasion
2 German service as the Kamerun
3 Post-war service
4 Name
5 See also
6 Source

[edit] The invasion

[edit] Prelude

Shortly before the German invasion the UK announced that the Royal Navy had laid out a number of minefields along the coast of Norway to interfere with the German import of Swedish iron ore through the north Norwegian port of Narvik. The British government claimed to have mined three areas; off Stad, Hustadvika, and Landegode north of Bodø. In response to this report, the Norwegian government ordered the minesweepers Otra and Rauma to sail north from their base in Horten and sweep the minefields on 9 April 1940.

[edit] The invasion force is spotted

Before the order to go north could be carried out, however, the German invasion of Norway began in the early hours of 9 April. As reports of intruding warships startedcoming in the Otra was sent out to investigate and at 0410 hrs report that the intruders were Germans. The invasion flotilla blocked the Otra's return to Horten.

[edit] Battle in Horten harbour

An important part of the Germans' plan to invade Norway was the seizure of the Royal Norwegian Navy's main naval base at Horten in the Oslofjord. A force consisting of the minesweepers R.17 and R.27 and the torpedoboats Albatros and Kondor entered the Horten harbour at 0435 hrs, shortly after the invasion was identified by Otra. Defending the naval base was the Rauma and the minelayer HNoMS Olav Tryggvason. The Rauma charged the enemy vessels with her single 76 mm gun and succeded in helping the Olav Tryggvason in sinking the R.17 and forcing a severly damaged Albatros to flee the area. However, despite the intense fire from the two Norwegian warships, the R.27 mangaged to land a small force of infantry in the harbour before blowing up after repeated hits. While running the gauntlet between the Norwegian ships the R.27 returned fire and hit the Rauma repeatedly, severly damaging the minesweeper and killing her commander, lieutenant I. K. Winsnes, and a sailor as well as wounding six others. At 07:35, after treats of aerial bombardment of the naval base and the city right next to it, as well as a misguided impression of the size of the German landing force, the Norwegian forces surrendered.

[edit] German service as the Kamerun

After the German capture of Horten the surrendered Norwegian vessels were pressed into Kriegsmarine service. The Rauma was repaired and renamed Kamerun. The Kamerun first served as a guardship in the Hafenschutzflotille Oslo, later being converted into a minelayer. Kamerun spent her entire war in Norway and was part of GM-SA (German Mine Sweeping Admin.) after the German surrender in 1945.

[edit] Post-war service

After the war the Rauma was recommisioned in 1947 and in 1949 was rebuilt as a minelayer training ship. She was decommisioned in Horten 21 Aug, 1959 and laid up until put out of service and sold in April 1963.