Gor-class gunboat

Class overview
Builders	Karljohansverns Verft Naval Yard, Horten
Operators	Royal Norwegian Navy
Preceded by	Vale-class gunboat
Succeeded by	HNoMS Æger
Built	1884–1887
In commission	1884–1945
Completed	Gor Tyr
Scrapped	2
General characteristics
Type	Gunboat, later rebuilt as minelayer
Displacement	290 long tons (295 t)
Length	31.27 m (102 ft 7 in)
Propulsion	Coal-fired reciprocating steam engines, 450 shp (336 kW)
Speed	10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h)
Complement	44 (318 after rebuild)
Armament	As built : 1 × 26 cm (10 in)/30 Krupp breechloading gun 1 × 1-pounder (37 mm (1.5 in)) automatic gun 2 × 1-pounder (37 mm (1.5 in)) revolving gun After rebuild: 1 × 12 cm (4.7 in) gun 1 × 76 mm (3.0 in) (Gor) or 1 × 57 mm (2.2 in) QF gun (Tyr) 2 × 37 mm (1.5 in) guns 55 mines

The Gor class was a class of two Rendel (or "flat-iron") gunboats built for the Royal Norwegian Navy between 1884 and 1887. Small, nimble vessels, they were armed with a single large-caliber gun for offensive purposes and several small, quick-firing guns for self-defense.

The main gun was large for such a small craft, roughly a quarter of the length of the whole vessel, and of the same caliber as heavy battleship guns of the same era. The Gor class was likely built in the belief that the ships would be able to inflict serious damage to an opposing battleship.

Service history and fate

Shortly before the First World War, both vessels were rebuilt as minelayers. During this reconstruction, the heavy, large-caliber gun was replaced with a more modern 12 cm breech-loader, and one of the 37 mm guns was replaced with a more potent 57 mm (Tyr) or 76 mm (Gor) gun. With the heavy gun and ammunition removed, these diminutive vessels could carry a useful number of mines.

Both vessels were kept in service until the German invasion in 1940, and both fell into German hands for the remainder of the war.

After the Second World War, the vessels were returned to the Royal Norwegian Navy, and subsequently decommissioned.

External links

• Naval history via Flix: KNM Gor, retrieved 1 March 2006
• Byggenummer ved Horten verft, retrieved 1 March 2006
• Ships of the Norwegian navy, retrieved 1 March 2006