HNoMS Vidar (1878)

Career (Norway)
Name:	Vidar
Namesake:	Víðarr – Norse vengeance god and son of Odin and the giantess Gríðr
Builder:	Karljohansverns Verft Naval Yard in Horten
Launched:	1878
Commissioned:	1878
Decommissioned:	1947
General characteristics
Class and type:	Vale-class Rendel gunboat
Displacement:	260 tons
Length:	28 metres (91 ft 10 in)
Propulsion:	220 hp hp steam engine
Speed:	8.5 knots (15.74 km/h)
Complement:	41 (31 after rebuild)
Armament:	As built: 1 × 21 cm (10.5 inch) RML gun 1 × 1pdr (cm / inch) QF gun 1 × 1pdr (cm / inch) revolving gun After rebuild: 1 × 12 cm (4.72 inch) gun 1 × 47 mm (1.85 inch) 2 × 37 mm (1.46 inch) guns 50 mines

The HNoMS Vidar was a Vale-class Rendel gunboat built for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Horten Naval Yard in 1878. She was one of a class of five gunboats - the other ships in the class were Vale, Brage, Nor and Uller.

Vidar 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 Vidar, like her sister ships, was rebuilt as a minelayer, and she served in this role when the Germans invaded in 1940. During the Norwegian Campaign she served mainly in Sognefjorden. She was captured by German forces on 14 April 1940, and returned to Norway after the war.

The vessel was built at the Naval Yard at Horten, and had the yard number 60.

See also

• List of World War II ships of less than 1000 tons

External links

• Naval history via Flix: KNM Vale, retrieved 27 Feb 2006
• Byggenummer ved Horten verft, retrieved 27 Feb 2006
• Ships of the Norwegian navy, retrieved 27 Feb 2006