HNoMS Rauma (1939)
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HNoMS ''Rauma'' was an ''Otra''-class minesweeper built in 1939 for the
Royal Norwegian Navy The Royal Norwegian Navy () is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for navy, naval operations of Norway, including those of the Norwegian Coast Guard. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 i ...
. Captured by the Germans during the 1940 invasion of Norway and renamed ''Kamerun'', she was returned to the Norwegians after the end of the Second World War and recommissioned in 1947. ''Rauma'' remained in service until being sold for scrapping in 1963.


Description

As the threat of war in
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
became ever more clear the decision was made to improve the
Royal Norwegian Navy The Royal Norwegian Navy () is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for navy, naval operations of Norway, including those of the Norwegian Coast Guard. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 i ...
's mine warfare capabilities. At first a number of ''2. class'' gunboats were rebuilt into
minelayer A minelayer is any warship, submarine, military aircraft or land vehicle deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for ins ...
s and
minesweepers A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...
, but with war looming it soon became clear that more capable vessels were required. Thus, two new purpose-built minesweepers were constructed at Nylands Verksted in
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
; ''
Otra The Otra is the largest river in the Sørlandet region of Norway. It begins in Setesdalsheiene mountains at the lake Breidvatnet in Bykle municipality in Agder county, just south of the border with Vinje municipality in Telemark county. The r ...
'' and ''Rauma''. Both ships were completed and commissioned only a short time before the German invasion of Norway. ''Otra'' class vessels used the Oropesa system of minesweeping.


The invasion


Prelude

Shortly before the German invasion the UK announced that the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
had laid out a number of minefields along the coast of
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
to interfere with the German import of Swedish iron ore through the North Norwegian port of
Narvik () is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...
. The British government claimed to have mined three areas; off Stad,
Hustadvika Hustadvika is a shipping channel along a long section of coastline in Hustadvika Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is the main shipping route between the towns of Molde and Kristiansund which goes around the Romsdal Peninsula. ...
, and Landegode north of Bodø. In response to this report, the Norwegian government ordered the minesweepers ''Otra'' and ''Rauma'' to sail north from their base in
Horten Horten () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Jarlsberg. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Horten (town) ...
and sweep the minefields on 9 April 1940.


The invasion force is spotted

Before the order to go north could be carried out, however, the German invasion of Norway began in the early hours of 9 April. As reports of intruding warships started coming in ''Otra'' was sent out to investigate, and at 0410hrs reported that the intruders were German. The invasion flotilla blocked ''Otra''s return to Horten.


Battle of Horten harbour

An important part of the Germans' plan to invade Norway was the seizure of the Royal Norwegian Navy's main
naval base A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usu ...
at Horten in the
Oslofjord The Oslofjord (, ; ) is an inlet in southeastern Norway. The fjord begins at the small village of Bonn in Frogn, Frogn Municipality and stretching northwards to the city of Oslo, and then curving to the east and then south again. It then flows s ...
. A force consisting of the
R boat The R boats (''Räumboote'' in German, literally "clearing boats", meaning minesweepers) were a group of small naval vessels built as minesweepers for the ''Kriegsmarine'' (German navy) before and during the Second World War. They were used for ...
s ''R.17'' and ''R.27'' and the
torpedo boats A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of ...
''Albatros'' and ''Kondor'' entered Horten harbour at 0435 hrs, shortly after the invasion was identified by ''Otra''. Defending the naval base was ''Rauma'' and the minelayer HNoMS ''Olav Tryggvason''. ''Rauma'' charged the enemy vessels with her single 76 mm gun and two machine guns, succeeding in helping ''Olav Tryggvason'' sink ''R.17'' and force a damaged ''Albatros'' to flee the area. However, despite the intense fire from the two Norwegian warships, ''R.27'' managed to land a small force of
infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
in the harbour before running aground after repeated hits. While running the gauntlet between the Norwegian ships ''R.27'' returned fire and hit ''Rauma'' repeatedly, severely damaging the minesweeper and killing her commander, Lieutenant Ingolf Carl Winsnes, and a sailor, as well as wounding six others.Abelsen 1986: 89 Only eight crew members remained unwounded. At 0735hrs, after threats of aerial bombardment of the naval base and the city right next to it, as well as a misguided impression of the size of the German landing force, the Norwegian forces at Horten surrendered.


German service as ''Kamerun''

After the German capture of Horten the surrendered Norwegian vessels were pressed into
Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official military branch, branche ...
service. ''Rauma'' was repaired and recommissioned as ''Kamerun'' on 18 April 1940. ''Kamerun'' first served as a Vorpostenboot in the Hafenschutzflotille Oslo, later being converted into a minelayer. ''Kamerun'' spent her entire war in Norway and was part of the
German Mine Sweeping Administration The German Mine Sweeping Administration (GMSA) () was an organisation formed by the Allies from former crews and vessels of the Nazi Germany's ''Kriegsmarine'' for the purpose of mine sweeping after the Second World War, predominantly in the North ...
(GM-SA) after the German surrender in 1945.


Post-war service

After the war ''Rauma'' was recommissioned in 1947 and in 1949 was rebuilt as a minelayer
training ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...
. She was decommissioned in Horten 21 August 1959 and laid up until put out of service and sold in April 1963.


Footnotes


Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rauma (1939) Naval ships of Norway captured by Germany during World War II Training ships of the Royal Norwegian Navy Ships built in Oslo Minesweepers of the Royal Norwegian Navy Minelayers of the Royal Norwegian Navy World War II minesweepers of Norway 1939 ships