Ships hit by U-boats


HNoMS Frøya

Norwegian Minelayer



NameHNoMS Frøya
Type:Minelayer
Tonnage595 tons
Completed1916 - Marinens Hovedverft, Horten 
OwnerRoyal Norwegian Navy 
Homeport 
Date of attack13 Apr 1940Nationality:      Norwegian
 
FateA total loss by U-34 (Wilhelm Rollmann)
Position63° 45'N, 9° 57'E - Grid AF 6775
Complement78 officers and men (0 dead and 78 survivors).
Convoy
RouteFinnmark - Brekstad - Horten 
Cargo 
History Launched on 20 Jun 1916
Commissioned on 1 Jul 1918
HNoMS Frøya was armed with four 10cm and one 76mm guns, two 45cm torpedo tubes and could carry 96 mines. The 76mm gun was replaced by a 20mm Oerlikon gun on 5 Dec 1939. 
Notes on event

When the German attack on Norway began on 8 April 1940, HNoMS Frøya (Lt Th. Schrøder-Nielsen) was en route from Finnmark to Oslofjord and anchored near the mouth of the Trondheimsfjord, then moved to protect the fortress of Agdenes. On 13 April, after some battles with German warships, the damaged minelayer was beached at high speed near Søtvika and demolished by the crew as the ship was trapped in the fjord when the fortress surrendered. The vessel became a total loss after her stern was ripped off by a torpedo fired by U-34 at 18.58 hours on 13 April. The U-boat torpedoed the beached minelayer in order to prevent salvage operations.


HNoMS Frøya beached in the Trondheimfjord with her stern wrecked by a torpedo hit.

 


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