HNoMS Troll (1910)

For other ships with the same name, see HNoMS Troll.

Plan of Draug-class destroyer Troll abandoned at Florø, May 1940
History
Norway
Name	Troll
Namesake	The Norse mythological creature Troll
Builder	The Royal Norwegian Navy's shipyard at Horten
Yard number	104[1]
Launched	7 July 1910[1]
Commissioned	13 March 1912
Out of service	4 May 1940
Captured	by the Germans 18 May 1940
Service record
Operations:	Norwegian Campaign
Nazi Germany
Name	Troll
Acquired	18 May 1940
Fate	Handed back to Norway after VE Day
Service record
Operations:	Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
History
Norway
Name	Troll
Acquired	May 1945
Fate	Scrapped in 1949
General characteristics
Class and type	Draug-class
Displacement	578 tons standard [2]
Length	69.2 m (227.03 ft)
Beam	7.3 m (23.95 ft)
Draft	2.9 m (9.51 ft)
Propulsion	Triple expansion steam engine with 7500 hp
Speed	27 knots (50.00 km/h)
Complement	76 men
Armament	6 × 7.6 cm (3 inch) guns 1 × 12.7 mm Colt anti-aircraft machine gun 3 × trainable 45 cm torpedo tubes

The destroyer HNoMS Troll, known locally as Torpedojager Troll (litt.: torpedo hunter), was the second destroyer built for the Royal Norwegian Navy, as the second ship of the Draug-class destroyers. She was built at the naval shipyard in Horten, with yard number 104.^[1] She was kept in service long after she was obsolete, and took part in the defence of Norway after the German invasion in 1940.

Norwegian Campaign

On 9 April Troll was stationed at Måløy, as part of the 2nd Naval District's 1st destroyer division.^[3] Commanded by Captain J. Dahl the vessel operated in the Sognefjord after the German invasion.

As the forces in the Sognefjord naval district started surrendering 1 May Troll was ordered to sail to the UK, but due to a lack of coal the ship was unable to do so. Hence, she struck her flag in Florø on 4 May 1940. Her crew joined the Norwegian land forces. The abandoned ship was found and seized in Florø by the Germans on 18 May.

German service

After capture Troll, retaining its original name, was rebuilt by the Germans as a distillation vessel and steam supply ship, having her whole superstructure removed. She was used as such at the Laksevåg shipyard near Bergen from 1941 until she was returned to the Royal Norwegian Navy in 1945.^[4]

Post-war

Although Troll survived the war years and was returned to her proper owners, she was by then too worn down to see further service and was sold for scrapping in 1949.

References

1. "Troll (6103942)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
2. Abelsen 1986: 28
3. Niehorster, Leo. "Scandinavian Campaign: Administrative Order of Battle Royal Norwegian Navy 2nd Naval District". Retrieved 10 February 2009.
4. Emmerich, Michael. "Troll". German Naval History. Retrieved 11 February 2009.

Literature

• Abelsen, Frank (1986). Norwegian naval ships 1939-1945 (in Norwegian and English). Oslo: Sem & Stenersen AS. ISBN 82-7046-050-8.

External links

• Naval History via Flix: KNM Draug, retrieved 29 January 2006 (in English)