HNoMS Sæl
Encyclopedia
HNoMS Sæl was the penultimate vessel of the ten 1. class torpedo boat
s of the Royal Norwegian Navy
. She was built at the Royal Norwegian Navy Shipyard in Horten
in 1901, with yard number 85. She was to see close to 40 years service with the Royal Norwegian Navy, taking part in the preparations for war in connection with the dissolution the union with Sweden in 1905, enforcing Norwegian neutrality during the First World War and opposing the German invasion of Norway
in 1940. She was lost in battle with Kriegsmarine
vessels at Ånuglo in the Hardangerfjord
on 18 April 1940.
version of the Norwegian word sel, meaning seal
.
es at her targets. The 37 mm gun armament was placed one on each side of the ship, making it impossible for both her QF
guns to fire at one target simultaneously.
and Sweden
as the Norwegians dissolved the 91-year old personal union
between the two countries.
As the two countries appeared on the brink of war in the autumn of 1905, the Royal Norwegian Navy carried out exercises involving almost its entire force. By the time the Karlstad negotiations met with success and Sweden recognised the independence of Norway on 23 October 1905, Sæl and many of the other Norwegian ships were patrolling the Oslofjord
in expectation of a Swedish naval attack against the country's capital Oslo
and the central military and industrial area of Eastern Norway.
and took no active part in the war. Sæl served throughout the war years escorting merchant ships in Norwegian waters and guarding the coast against neutrality violations. The Norwegian torpedo boats spent the war spread along the coast with orders to confront and board any warship that approached the coast of Norway, even though they might not necessarily enter Norwegian territorial waters. In the run-up to the war Sæl had been part of a large Norwegian naval manoeuvre during the International Yacht Racing Union
's fourth annual Europe week sailing regatta, held in Horten 14 to 21 July 1914.
during Norway's 1919–1926 prohibition
. On one occasion in the autumn of 1924 the customs patrol boat Bjørnen discovered the smuggler ship Paul Weber off Halten
in Sør-Trøndelag
. Paul Weber was operated by a group of smugglers led by the flamboyant Paul Weber. Bjørnen called for assistance from Sæl to capture the smuggler. Sæl caught up with Paul Weber off the island of Frøya and opened fire, using live rounds, and lighted up the smuggler vessel with her searchlights. After a chase among the skerries
, and numerous live warning shots, the Paul Weber surrendered to the torpedo boat.
. For the 4th Torpedo boat Division, deployed to the south western Vestlandet region, the war initially entailed coastal guard duties and hailing Norwegian merchant ships as they left Norwegian waters, handing over the latest news reports and wishing them a safe voyage.
, Sæl was docked at the Marineholmen naval base in Bergen
between patrol missions. By 0230hrs on 9 April she had finished coaling, having been ordered to make war preparations the previous day, and moved south towards her blocking position in the Lerøy area in the approaches to Bergen. Due to a lack of information as the position of the intruding German forces she sailed on a collision course with the German Kampfgruppe 3. When the German ships were spotted by Sæl they were at such close range that the Norwegians had to make evasive manoeuvres to avoid a collision and were unable to launch a torpedo. As the Kriegsmarine ships passed her at only 10–15 metres distance, Sæl turned around and gave chase in the hope of catching up with the Germans and get within range for a torpedo shot. As dawn was soon approaching Sæl's commander, Fenrik
(Ensign
) L. Gulbrandsen, decided to disengage and temporarily place his ship in cover behind the Bratholmen islet.
. She arrived at Uskedal in Kvinnherad
on 12 April, and on 17 April helped a prize crew
led by Fenrik Schau from the Trygg class
torpedo boat HNoMS Stegg escort the captured 6,567 ton iron ore laden German cargo ship Afrika into the port of Odda
. After being greeted with jubilation and singing by the local population at Odda, Sæl was ordered back to Uskedal that same evening. At Uskedal Sæl formed the Hardangerfjord Naval District together with the minelayer Tyr and five patrol boats.
to intercept four merchant ships, leaving Sæl alone in the area. Soon afterward, an alarm went out in Uskedal warning that three German Schnellboots were entering the Hardangerfjord. In response, district commander Orlogskaptein
(Lieutenant Commander) Ulstrup – the former commander of the mine layer Tyr – gave an oral order that Sæl was to avoid contact with the superior enemy force. Ulstrup felt that the poorly armed, slow and not very manoeuvrable Sæl would not stand a chance against the three fast and modern opponents.
The fact that Ulstrup's order was given orally led to a fatal misunderstanding. By the time word reached Fenrik Gulbrandsen, he understood the order to mean that he was to attack and destroy the three Schnellboots. Believing to be obeying orders, Gulbrandsen sailed Sæl into the fjord to confront the German vessels.
At 1600hrs the crew of the Sæl spotted two of the Schnellboots moving at great speed southwards from the Lukksund Narrows between Tysnesøy
Island and the mainland. At a distance of 2500 metres (8,202.1 ft) Sæl opened up with her bow gun and for five minutes exchanged fire with the German ships. One of the Schnellboots was hit by several 37 mm rounds and left dead in the water and listing to the side. Soon after, one of Sæl's guns was knocked out by a German 20 mm shell, and shortly thereafter the firing lanyard on the other gun snapped. With multiple rounds hitting the Norwegian torpedo boat's bow, the Schnellboots moved in to point blank range, riddling Sæl from bow to stern. As the third Schnellboot arrived on the scene, three torpedoes were fired at Sæl, the two first going under the hull and the third hitting a small rock right in front of her. The explosion caused by the last torpedo further damaged the bow of the Norwegian ship and caused water to start flooding her. With the 7.92 mm Colt machine gun providing cover fire, Fenrik Gulbrandsen beached
his vessel at full speed to save the crew. During that last manoeuvre Sæl hit an underwater rock and was left grounded with her stern sticking out of the water. At 1625hrs Gulbrandsen ordered the crew to abandon ship. Although one man had suffered a lung shot and six others had minor grazing wounds, all 21 crew members made it ashore.
.
After the battle, a Norwegian motorboat brought the wounded to the hospital in Rosendal
.
who found her at 25 metres (82 ft) depth, intact with ammunition, mines and torpedoes on board. The ammunition was removed, but the mines and torpedoes were blown up on site, resulting in the complete destruction of the torpedo boat's midsection and leaving only the bow and stern still mostly intact, making her a popular dive site.
1. class torpedo boat
The 1. class torpedo boat was a designation in the Scandinavian countries for a type of fast steam ships on more than 80 tons .-Royal Danish Navy:* 1879 Torpedobaad Nr. 4* 1880 Torpedobaad Nr. 5* 1881 Torpedobaad Nr...
s of the Royal Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...
. She was built at the Royal Norwegian Navy Shipyard in Horten
Horten
is a town and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the villages of Borre, Åsgårdstrand, Skoppum, and Nykirke....
in 1901, with yard number 85. She was to see close to 40 years service with the Royal Norwegian Navy, taking part in the preparations for war in connection with the dissolution the union with Sweden in 1905, enforcing Norwegian neutrality during the First World War and opposing the German invasion of Norway
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
in 1940. She was lost in battle with Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
vessels at Ånuglo in the Hardangerfjord
Hardangerfjord
With a length of , the Hardangerfjord in the county of Hordaland in Norway is the third largest fjord in the world and the second largest in Norway. The surrounding district is called Hardanger....
on 18 April 1940.
Name
Sæl is the pre-1917 Reform BokmålBokmål
Bokmål is one of two official Norwegian written standard languages, the other being Nynorsk. Bokmål is used by 85–90% of the population in Norway, and is the standard most commonly taught to foreign students of the Norwegian language....
version of the Norwegian word sel, meaning seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
.
Characteristics
Sæl was reasonably seaworthy in calm seas, with little engine noise and no bow water. The intent behind her design was to enable her to attack enemy shipping in both open seas and close to shore with the least possible chance of being spotted before launching torpedoTorpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es at her targets. The 37 mm gun armament was placed one on each side of the ship, making it impossible for both her QF
Quick-firing gun
A quick-firing gun is an artillery piece, typically a gun or howitzer, which has several characteristics which taken together mean the weapon can fire at a fast rate...
guns to fire at one target simultaneously.
Tension with Sweden
Having been launched as the penultimate of the ten 1. class torpedo boats built for the Royal Norwegian Navy, HNoMS Sæl was amongst the front-line RNoN units mobilised in connection with the tense political conditions between NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
as the Norwegians dissolved the 91-year old personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
between the two countries.
As the two countries appeared on the brink of war in the autumn of 1905, the Royal Norwegian Navy carried out exercises involving almost its entire force. By the time the Karlstad negotiations met with success and Sweden recognised the independence of Norway on 23 October 1905, Sæl and many of the other Norwegian ships were patrolling the Oslofjord
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord is a bay in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the Torbjørnskjær and Færder lighthouses and down to Langesund in the south to Oslo in the north....
in expectation of a Swedish naval attack against the country's capital Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and the central military and industrial area of Eastern Norway.
First World War
During the First World War, Norway declared herself a neutral countryNeutral country
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
and took no active part in the war. Sæl served throughout the war years escorting merchant ships in Norwegian waters and guarding the coast against neutrality violations. The Norwegian torpedo boats spent the war spread along the coast with orders to confront and board any warship that approached the coast of Norway, even though they might not necessarily enter Norwegian territorial waters. In the run-up to the war Sæl had been part of a large Norwegian naval manoeuvre during the International Yacht Racing Union
International Sailing Federation
The International Sailing Federation is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the world governing body for the sport of sailing....
's fourth annual Europe week sailing regatta, held in Horten 14 to 21 July 1914.
Inter-war years
Among the missions given the Norwegian torpedo boat force after the First World War was apprehending rum runnersRum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
during Norway's 1919–1926 prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. On one occasion in the autumn of 1924 the customs patrol boat Bjørnen discovered the smuggler ship Paul Weber off Halten
Halten, Sør Trøndelag
Halten is an old fishing village constituted of several uninhabited islands in the municipality of Frøya in Sør Trøndelag county, Norway. Halten is located at the northern end of the Froan islands and constitute the northernmost part of the string of islands north of Frøya, which stretch from Sula...
in Sør-Trøndelag
Sør-Trøndelag
- References :...
. Paul Weber was operated by a group of smugglers led by the flamboyant Paul Weber. Bjørnen called for assistance from Sæl to capture the smuggler. Sæl caught up with Paul Weber off the island of Frøya and opened fire, using live rounds, and lighted up the smuggler vessel with her searchlights. After a chase among the skerries
Skerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
, and numerous live warning shots, the Paul Weber surrendered to the torpedo boat.
Second World War
At the outbreak of the Second World War, the close to 39-year old Sæl and 16 other torpedo boats of three classes were taken out of reserve and mobilised in five divisions. Sæl was part of the 4. Torpedo boat Division in the 2nd Naval District together with HNoMS Storm and HNoMS Brand. The divisions were purely administrative units, with each torpedo boat spread singly on the coast from Oslofjord to TrøndelagTrøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
. For the 4th Torpedo boat Division, deployed to the south western Vestlandet region, the war initially entailed coastal guard duties and hailing Norwegian merchant ships as they left Norwegian waters, handing over the latest news reports and wishing them a safe voyage.
Attempted defence of Bergen
In the morning of 8 April 1940, on the eve of the German invasion of NorwayOperation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
, Sæl was docked at the Marineholmen naval base in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
between patrol missions. By 0230hrs on 9 April she had finished coaling, having been ordered to make war preparations the previous day, and moved south towards her blocking position in the Lerøy area in the approaches to Bergen. Due to a lack of information as the position of the intruding German forces she sailed on a collision course with the German Kampfgruppe 3. When the German ships were spotted by Sæl they were at such close range that the Norwegians had to make evasive manoeuvres to avoid a collision and were unable to launch a torpedo. As the Kriegsmarine ships passed her at only 10–15 metres distance, Sæl turned around and gave chase in the hope of catching up with the Germans and get within range for a torpedo shot. As dawn was soon approaching Sæl
Norwegian military ranks
The green part represents soldiers and the equivalent of non-commissioned officers. The blue part represents officers. Norway does not have a NCO-system and thus Sergeant and Quartermaster are grouped with the officers under the common designation befal...
(Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
) L. Gulbrandsen, decided to disengage and temporarily place his ship in cover behind the Bratholmen islet.
Hardangerfjord
After Bergen was seized by German forces on 9 April, Sæl relocated to the Hardangerfjord to continue fighting the German invasionNorwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
. She arrived at Uskedal in Kvinnherad
Kvinnherad
Kvinnherad is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. The parish of Kvindherred was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Fjelberg, most of Varaldsøy and parts of Skånevik merged with Kvinnherad on 1 January 1965.The municipality is the 5th in size in Hordaland...
on 12 April, and on 17 April helped a prize crew
Prize crew
Prize crew is a term used to indicate a number of crew members of a ship chosen to take over the operations of a captured ship.In the early days of sailing and up into the American Civil War, capturing enemy ships was quite common...
led by Fenrik Schau from the Trygg class
Trygg class torpedo boat
The Trygg class was the third and last class of torpedo boats to be built for the Royal Norwegian Navy. The three Trygg ships were constructed from 1919 to 1921 at Moss Verft in Moss and Horten naval yard ....
torpedo boat HNoMS Stegg escort the captured 6,567 ton iron ore laden German cargo ship Afrika into the port of Odda
Odda
is a municipality and town in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Odda was separated from Ullensvang on 1 July 1913 and on 1 January 1964 Røldal was merged with Odda. The town of Odda is the centre of the landscape of Hardanger, located at the end of the Hardangerfjord.In 1927, Erling Johnson,...
. After being greeted with jubilation and singing by the local population at Odda, Sæl was ordered back to Uskedal that same evening. At Uskedal Sæl formed the Hardangerfjord Naval District together with the minelayer Tyr and five patrol boats.
Battle with Schnellboots
The next day, 18 April, HNoMS Stegg was despatched to Langenuen in AustevollAustevoll
Austevoll is a municipality and an archipelago in the district of Midthordland in the county of Hordaland in Western Norway, Norway. Austevoll was separated from Sund on 1 January 1886....
to intercept four merchant ships, leaving Sæl alone in the area. Soon afterward, an alarm went out in Uskedal warning that three German Schnellboots were entering the Hardangerfjord. In response, district commander Orlogskaptein
Norwegian military ranks
The green part represents soldiers and the equivalent of non-commissioned officers. The blue part represents officers. Norway does not have a NCO-system and thus Sergeant and Quartermaster are grouped with the officers under the common designation befal...
(Lieutenant Commander) Ulstrup – the former commander of the mine layer Tyr – gave an oral order that Sæl was to avoid contact with the superior enemy force. Ulstrup felt that the poorly armed, slow and not very manoeuvrable Sæl would not stand a chance against the three fast and modern opponents.
The fact that Ulstrup's order was given orally led to a fatal misunderstanding. By the time word reached Fenrik Gulbrandsen, he understood the order to mean that he was to attack and destroy the three Schnellboots. Believing to be obeying orders, Gulbrandsen sailed Sæl into the fjord to confront the German vessels.
At 1600hrs the crew of the Sæl spotted two of the Schnellboots moving at great speed southwards from the Lukksund Narrows between Tysnesøy
Tysnesøy
Tysnesøy is an island in Hordaland county, Norway. It is located in the municipality of Tysnes, where it is by a large margin the biggest and most populated island. Its area is 198 km². The tallest point, Tysnessåto, is located at 753 metres above sea level....
Island and the mainland. At a distance of 2500 metres (8,202.1 ft) Sæl opened up with her bow gun and for five minutes exchanged fire with the German ships. One of the Schnellboots was hit by several 37 mm rounds and left dead in the water and listing to the side. Soon after, one of Sæl
Beach (nautical)
Beaching is when a vessel is laid ashore, or grounded deliberately in shallow water. This is more usual with small flat-bottomed boats. Larger ships may be beached deliberately, for instance in an emergency a damaged ship might be beached to prevent it from sinking in deep water...
his vessel at full speed to save the crew. During that last manoeuvre Sæl hit an underwater rock and was left grounded with her stern sticking out of the water. At 1625hrs Gulbrandsen ordered the crew to abandon ship. Although one man had suffered a lung shot and six others had minor grazing wounds, all 21 crew members made it ashore.
Sinking
Later in the evening of 18 April the crew of the Sæl attempted to moor their vessel to prevent it from slipping under. At high tide Sæl disappeared beneath the waves at Ånuglo, still flying the Norwegian war flagFlag of Norway
The flag of Norway is red with an indigo blue Scandinavian cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog, the flag of Denmark.- History :...
.
After the battle, a Norwegian motorboat brought the wounded to the hospital in Rosendal
Rosendal, Norway
Rosendal is the administrative centre of Kvinnherad municipality, Norway. Its population is 944 . It is especially known for the Barony Rosendal.Rosendal has its own website at ....
.
The wreck today
The wreck of HNoMS Sæl was relocated in 1968 by the Royal Norwegian Navy's Mine Diver CommandMinedykkerkommandoen
Minedykkerkommandoen is Norway's clearance diver group. It is a branch of the Norwegian naval defenses specializing in explosive ordnance disposal. MDK is subordinate to Minekrigsflotiljen , which is a division of the Norwegian Navy...
who found her at 25 metres (82 ft) depth, intact with ammunition, mines and torpedoes on board. The ammunition was removed, but the mines and torpedoes were blown up on site, resulting in the complete destruction of the torpedo boat's midsection and leaving only the bow and stern still mostly intact, making her a popular dive site.