HNoMS Uller (1876-1940)

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Career (Norway) Norwegian State Flag
Name: Uller
Builder: Karljohansverns Verft Naval Yard in Horten
Laid down: 1874
Launched: 21 July 1876
Commissioned: 1876
Decommissioned: 1 May 1940
Fate: Bombed and damaged by Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service Heinkel He 115, then scuttled by Tyr
General characteristics
Class and type: Vale class
Displacement: 250 tons
Length: 27.3 metres (89.57 ft)
Beam: 7.9 metres (25.92 ft)
Draft: 2.2 metres (7.22 ft)
Propulsion: Two Compound steam engines with 200 hps
Speed: knots (14.82 km/h)
Complement: As built: 41 men
After rebuild: 31 men
Armament: As built:
1 × 21 cm (10.5 inch) Armstrong RML gun
1 × 1pdr (cm / inch) QF gun
1 × 1pdr (cm / inch) revolving gun
After rebuild:
1 × 12 cm (4.72 inch) gun
3 × 37 mm (1.46 inch) guns
50 mines

HNoMS Uller was a Vale class gunboat constructed for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Karljohansverns Verft Naval Yard in Horten in 1874-1876 and had yard build number 55.[1] She was one of a class of five gunboats - the other ships in the class was Vale, Brage, Nor and Vidar.

Uller was, in addition to the heavy, muzzle-loading main gun, armed with a small Quick Fire gun and an early automatic gun, similar to the Gatling gun.

Later Uller and her sisterships were rebuilt as minelayers, and she served in this role when the Germans invaded 9 April 1940.

Contents

[edit] Name

She was named after Ullr, a major god in Norse mythology.

[edit] The invasion

[edit] Capture

When the Germans attacked, Uller was mining the sea lanes to Bergen, and was taken by surprise by the German forces.

[edit] Sinking

After being pressed into Kriegsmarine service Uller and fellow captured minelayer HNoMS Tyr were mining the entrance to the still Norwegian-held Sognefjorden on 1 May 1940 when they were first bombed unsuccessfully by two Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service Høver M.F. 11 maritime reconnaissance aircraft of the Sognefjord Air Group and then attacked again later the same day by a Heinkel He 115 of the same unit. In the second attack Uller was hit by a bomb, beached and then scuttled by Tyr.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Horten municipal archive of local history: Build numbers at Horten Yard (Norwegian)

[edit] Literature

  • Abelsen, Frank: "Norwegian naval ships 1939-1945", Sem & Stenersen AS, Oslo 1986 ISBN 82-7046-050-8 (English)/(Norwegian)
  • Hauge, Andreas: "Kampene i Norge 1940", Krigshistorisk Forlag AS, Sandefjord 1995 (Norwegian)

[edit] External links