HNoMS Harald Haarfagre
| Company type | Coastal defense ship |
|---|---|
| Industry | Naval military |
| Founded | 1897 |
| Headquarters | Norway |
| Products | Naval artillery, coastal defense |
Overview
HNoMS Harald Haarfagre—commonly referred to in Norway as Panserskipet Harald Haarfagre—served as a coastal defense ship for the Norwegian Navy. Alongside her sister vessel, Tordenskjold, and the somewhat more modern Eidsvold class, she was constructed during the broader naval expansion preceding the 1905 political separation. Throughout her operational life, Harald Haarfagre played a significant role within the Royal Norwegian Navy until she was declared no longer suitable for combat duties in the mid-1930s.
Description
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Constructed at Elswick, Harald Haarfagre was almost identical to her sister ship Tordenskjold. She was named in honor of Harald I of Norway, also known in English as "Harald Fairhair," the legendary first monarch to unify Norway. Designed as a smaller-scale example of a typical pre-dreadnought battleship, she was armed with a diverse array of artillery: two 8.2-inch guns mounted in barbettes, six 4.7-inch guns, six 3-inch guns, and six additional smaller quick-firing weapons. The vessel was capable of reaching speeds exceeding seventeen knots. Her protection included a seven-inch thick belt armor, nearly eight inches of steel armor on the gun barbettes, and an armored deck.[1]
Service history and fate
As an essential asset within the Royal Norwegian Navy, Harald Haarfagre carried out routine naval operations until she was deemed "unfit for war" during the mid-1930s, leading to her disarmament. Following the German invasion of Norway, the ship was captured by German forces and converted into a stationary anti-aircraft battery, renamed Thetis. After World War II concluded, she briefly served as a floating barracks and was used for transporting German prisoners of war before being sold for dismantling in 1948.
Plans had been made to strengthen Norway’s Panserskip fleet with two vessels from the Bjørgvin class class ordered in 1912; however, these ships were requisitioned by the Royal Navy at the start of the First World War. Consequently, both the Tordenskjold class and the slightly more modern two-ship Eidsvold class class remained active in Norwegian service well beyond their obsolescence due to the absence of adequate replacements.
Currently, the designation KNM Harald Haarfagre is assigned to the Basic Training Establishment serving both the Royal Norwegian Navy and Royal Norwegian Air Force, located in Madla, Stavanger.
Footnotes
- ↑ Keltie 1900, p. 1066.
Bibliography
- Dodson, Aidan & Nottlemann, Dirk (2023). "The German Flak Ships, Part I: The German and ex-Norwegian Hulls". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2023. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. pp. 112–127. ISBN 978-1-4728-5713-2.