HNoMS Otra (1939)
| 300px Otra in November 1939. | |
| Career (Norway) | 100x35px |
|---|---|
| Name: | Otra |
| Namesake: | The river Otra |
| Builder: | Nylands Verksted, Oslo |
| Launched: | 1939 |
| Commissioned: | September 1939 |
| Captured: | by the Germans 10 April 1940 |
| Career (Germany) | 100x35px |
| Name: | Togo |
| Namesake: | German Togo |
| Acquired: | 10 April 1940 |
| Fate: | Handed over to the German Mine Sweeping Administration after VE Day |
| Service record | |
|---|---|
| Operations: | Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany German Mine Sweeping Administration |
| Career (Norway) | 100x35px |
| Name: | Otra |
| Acquired: | 18 January 1946 |
| Commissioned: | 30 October 1946 |
| Decommissioned: | 21 August 1959 |
| Fate: | Scrapped 1963 |
| General characteristics as built | |
| Class and type: | Otra class minesweeper |
| Displacement: | 355 tons[1] |
| Length: | 51 metres (167.32 ft) |
| Beam: | 7 metres (22.97 ft) |
| Draft: | 1.8 metres (5.91 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Two 900 hp Triple expansion steam engines, two shafts |
| Speed: | 15 knots (27.78 km/h) |
| Range: | 1,400 nautical miles (2,592.80 km) at 9 knots (16.67 km/h) |
| Complement: | 25 men |
| Armament: |
1 × 76 mm gun 2 × anti-aircraft machine guns[2] |
| General characteristics after German rebuild | |
| Class and type: | Vorpostenboot and minelayer |
| Displacement: | 355 tons[1] |
| Length: | 51 metres (167.32 ft) |
| Beam: | 7 metres (22.97 ft) |
| Draft: | 1.8 metres (5.91 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Two 900 hp Triple expansion steam engines, two shafts |
| Speed: | 15 knots (27.78 km/h) |
| Range: | 1,400 nautical miles (2,592.80 km) at 9 knots (16.67 km/h) |
| Complement: | 25 men |
| Armament: |
2 × 76 mm guns 2 × 2 cm AA guns 2 × machine guns Mines[3] |
| General characteristics after April 1949 Norwegian rebuild | |
| Class and type: | Otra class minelayer training ship |
| Displacement: | 355 tons[1] |
| Length: | 51 metres (167.32 ft) |
| Beam: | 7 metres (22.97 ft) |
| Draft: | 1.8 metres (5.91 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Two 900 hp Triple expansion steam engines, two shafts |
| Speed: | 15 knots (27.78 km/h) |
| Range: | 1,400 nautical miles (2,592.80 km) at 9 knots (16.67 km/h) |
| Complement: | 25 men |
| Armament: |
2 × 76 mm guns 2 × 2 cm AA guns 2 × machine guns Mines[3] |
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 mine sweepers, but with war looming it soon became clear that more capable vessels were required.[4] Thus, two new purpose-built minesweepers were constructed at Nylands Verksted in Oslo; the Otra and the Rauma. Both ships were completed and commissioned only a short time before the German invasion of Norway. The Otra class vessels used the Oropesa system of mine sweeping.[1]
Contents
The invasion
Prelude
Shortly before the German invasion the UK announced that the Royal Navy had laid 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.[4]
Otra spots the invasion force
Before the order to go north could be carried out, however, the German invasion of Norway took place in the early hours of 9 April. As reports of intruding warships started coming in the Otra was sent out to investigate, and at 0410hrs report that the intruders were Germans. The invasion flotilla blocked the Otra's return to Horten.[4]
Capture
While her sister ship, HNoMS Rauma, was fighting the German naval forces in Horten Otra was cut off and isolated from the action. The next morning, 10 April, she was captured while at anchor in Filtvet.[4][1]
German service as the Togo
After capture the Otra was renamed the Togo and put in service as a Vorpostenboot[4] and minelayer for the rest of the war.[3] First the Togo served in as part of Hafenschutzflotille Tromsø guarding that northern city's harbour. Later she was transferred to Hafenschutzflotille Oslo. In 1941 the Togo was part of 59 Vorpoostenflotille as V 5908, where she served until April 1944 when she transferred to Vorpoostenflotille 65 as V 6512. After the German surrender she was part of the German Mine Sweeping Administration (GM-SA).[1]
Post-war service
On 18 January 1946 the Togo was returned to the Royal Norwegian Navy at Bogen and on 30 October 1946 was renamed the HNoMS Otra. In April 1949 she was rebuilt as a minelayer training ship. 21 August 1959 saw her decommissioning and she was laid up at Horten until put out of service and sold in April 1963.[1]
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Abelsen 1986: 100
- ↑ Berg 1997: 15
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Emmerich, Michael. "Togo". German Naval History. http://german-navy.de/kriegsmarine/ships/minelayer/togo/index.html. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Otra og Rauma" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Armed Forces. http://www.mil.no/sjo/keskdr/minekrig/start/om_mv/mv_historie/#2. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
Bibliography
- Abelsen, Frank (1986) (in Norwegian and English). Norwegian naval ships 1939–1945. Oslo: Sem & Stenersen AS. ISBN 82-7046-050-8.
- Berg, Ole F. (1997) (in Norwegian). I skjærgården og på havet – Marinens krig 8. april 1940 – 8. mai 1945. Oslo: Marinens krigsveteranforening. ISBN 82-993545-2-8.
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