HDMS Herluf Trolle, Olfert Fisher, Peder Skram
The Herluf Trolle class were coastal defence ships of the Royal Danish Navy built in 1897-1908, HDMS Herluf Trolle, Olfert Fischer and Peder Skram, the last completed. These 3,494 tons ships were a further development of HDMS Skjold (1896), but with a stronger armament. They looked like monitors and were indeed designed as coastal vessels capable of operating with fortifications, minelayers and torpedo boats, typical of the Scandinavian defensive navies of the time.
They were modernieed in the interwar and had long careers. The surviving Peder Skram which design was different, was completely rebuilt and modernized, and she ended scuttled in 1943 when the Germans tried to seize the fleet in Operation safari.
Development
HDMS Olfert Fischer in 1928 with a seaplane, showing her new military mast and spotting top. She was decommissioned in 1936.
The three ships had many names, first referred to as “armored ships” (panserskibe), then, from 1911, as “armored coastal defense ships” (pansrede kystforsvarsskibe) and from 1912 simply as “coastal defense ships” (kystforsvarsskibe), then in 1922 as “warships” (orlogsskibe) and finally the two surviving ships from 1932 “artillery ships” (artilleriskibe).
With Herluf Trolle and her sister ships Olfert Fischer and Peder Skram, the Danish Navy finally had the series of uniform armored ships she desired for several years. In terms of design, the class was a further development of the HDMS Skjold, but with two heavy guns turrets instead of one, and a more powerful secondary artillery and greater engine power. They were however designed individually over a period of 10 years, partly due to the slow approval of their construction by the diet over the years, yard’s capacity, and technological development over the period which imposed redesigns and reflected in continuous improvements in artillery, machinery and armor.
Olfert Fischer escorting the Royal Yacht Dannebrog in the Skagerrak in 1905.
They were indeed all three built in the same Copenhagen Royal Naval Yard. So each needed to be launched for another to take her place. Herluf Trolle was thus laid down on 20 July 1897, launched on 1 Sep 1899 and completed on 7 Jun 1901. HDMS Olfert Fischer was laid down on 20 Oct 1900, launched on 9 May 1903 and completed by 31 May 1905 after some redesigns. This delayed the laying down of Peder Skram until 24 April 1905, after which she was launched no less than three years later on 2 May 1908 and completed on 24 Sep 1908.
Brassey’s depiction of the class
Funds for the lead ship were approved by the diet on 18 August 1896. Work started at Orlogsværftet shipyard in Copenhagen, keel laying on 20 July 1897 but launching initially scheduled for August 1899 delayed by late delivery of British-made armor plating. She was eventually was launched without her belt armor on 2 September 1899, a ceremony attended by King Christian IX and his daughter Alexandra (Princess of Wales). Her armor plate was installed using a floating steam crane in the winter 1899/1900. Fitting out went on in 1901 until commissioned on 7 June 1901.
Herluf Trolle in construction, 1898.
The ships had an active career, participated in several summer and winter squadrons manoeuvers. In World War I they formed the backbone of the defensive fleet guarding the Danish minefields, enforcing Danish neutrality. They were an efficient deterrence against the mighty Kaiserliches Marine. They took turns as part of the 1st squadron in Øresund and the 2nd squadron in the Great Belt.
Herluf Trolle and Olfert Fischer were discarded in the 1930s, but Peder Skram was still active as World War II broke out, after some modernization. On 29 August 1943, she was berthed in Holmen under the port(s main crane when the Germans infiltrated the base to try to capture the fleet.
She was scuttled by her crew. Photographs of her down under, listing under the crane are probably the best-known historical illustration of this event and symbol of the Danish people resistance. The salt water destroyed her machinery, but the Germans raise her anyway. She was towed to Germany, and was anchored as an artillery training ship, sunk in shallow waters (still emerging) shortly before the end of the war by an air raid. After the war she was refloated again and towed home to Naval Station Holmen in 1945, laying there until scrapped in 1949.
They Herluf Trolle class were named after national naval personalities. The class namesake was a 1500s admiral and founder of Herlufsholm. Olfert Fischer was a 18-19th century Danish officer in the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy. Peder Skram was a 1500s admiral and national hero. The class was important in the Danish arsenal, making the core of the defensive fleet at the eve of WW1. These ships looked like pre-dreadnoughts with their turrets fore and aft, which was part of the ruse, albeit much smaller. The main caliber was not far from a 12-inches cannon, and deterrent enough in constricted waters where an enemy ship would be hard press to manoeuver.
Design of the class
The Herluf Trolle class were 3500 tonnes low freeboard coast defense battleships with single 9.4 inches turrets fore and aft, 5.9 inches in side amidships casemates and an armour belt which was completed on Olfert Fisher but partial on Herluf Trolle. Peder Skram was so different she is seen below in a sub-part. Most authors considers her as a separate class (like conways, she is seen in the 1905-1921 book). But or the sake of compacity she will be seen here.
Hull and general design of the Herluf Trolle class
Plans of Peder Skram, cutaway. She was closely related to the two earlier ships. The plan shows the heavy gun turrets fore and aft. There are cabins and mess for non-commissioned officers in the foreship, bunks (living and sleeping quarters) for sailors both fore and aft, and mess and cabins for the officers in the aftship.
These ships were intended to operate in the country’s shallow coastal waters, so with a low freeboard like a monitor. This feature had the advantage of presenting a small target to enemy guns. But for safe passage in more choppy seas, they still had a short forecastle forward in order to improve seakeeping. They had reinforced bows and proper, short ram below the waterline. All had also a fairly large superstructures included an armored conning tower. The first ship measured 82.88 m (271 ft 11 in) long between perpendiculars.
Their beam of 15.06 m (49 ft 5 in) ensured they remained very stable gun platforms, and their average draft was limited to just 4.93 m (16 ft 2 in) almost half of more pre-dreanoughts. She displaced 3,494 long tons (3,550 t) as designed, and her sister was about the same displacement, but just two tons lighter at 3,592 long tons (3,650 t). Dimensions were not the same in beam as she was larger at 15.39 m (50 ft 6 in) and draftier at 5.00 m (16 ft 5 in).
The basic design was the same however, with a single, tall funnel amidships, two turrets fore and aft, a central structure about 35% of the total lenght with a tall conning tower and navigation bridge above. There were two masts of similar height, the forward mast having both a small fighting and spotting tops. Four secondary guns took most of the superstructure corner spaces. Despite the need to augment arc of fire rearwards, the structure had flat ends instead of prismatic. This limited the main turrets to 250° fore and aft. The casemated guns had 133° arcs, the amidships lighter guns of the battery deck had 160° arcs and battery roof shielded guns had 154° arcs.
The hull was not deep, and apart a double bottom running from the prow to the propeller, the first level ended at the waterline and the second level up to the weather deck. The forecastle forward created a third level, and was bulwarked. The forward lower hull section housed the forward underwater torpedo tube and torpedo room. The ships also had four searchlights, in all in various positions, three on the bridge, or close to it and one aft.
Olfert Fischer had a larger conning tower and could serve as a flagship. The crew varied, but was around 254 officers and enlisted men, with most of the boats located on deck amidships, close to the funnel and served by a boom crane on the aft mast.
Powerplant
The class was designed with a classic steam installation, two local B&W (Burmeister and Wein) steam engines and three groups of British Thornycroft boilers for an output of 4.400-5.400 hp in average. The pair of triple-expansion steam engines drove four bladed screw propellers. Steam came for six coal-burning water-tube boilers vented through a single funnel amidships with all exhasuts truncated in a relatively reduced space. The propulsion system was rated as constracted for 4,200 indicated horsepower (3,100 kW) and top speed was noted to be 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph).
Protection
Armor protection was inferior to the maion gun caliber unlike proper battleships, but made in superior Krupp cemented steel.
-The armor belt was 178 to 203 mm (7 to 8 in) thick
-The armor deck was flat, 51 mm (2 in).
-The main battery turrets were protected by 190 mm forward and 170 mm on the sides and back (6.5 or 7.5 in).
-The sides of the superstructure (150 mm guns casemates) were protected by 180 mm (7 in)
-The conning tower on all ships was 190 mm (7.5 in).
The Belt protected all ship’s length for the first two ships, Olfert Fischer and Peder Skram. But on Herluf Trolle, 6 meters (19 ft) of the stem were left were unprotected. The Turrets of two latest ships had 190 mm faces (7.5 in) and 175 mm (6.8 in) sides but 160 mm (6.3 in) backs, cast in a main piece, with barbettes 185 mm (7.3 in) thick. The casemates had 140 mm (5.5 in) faces and 75 mm (3 in). The Deck was not completely uniforms, with 45 mm (1.77 in) for the flat section and a short side slop joining the belt of 65 mm (2.55 in).
Armament
In this, the three sisters differed quite a lot between them:
HMDS Herluf Trolle had two main guns fore and aft, 240mm/38 L/40 M.1896, and four 149mm/42 PK L/43 M.1896 as well as ten 57mm/40 (6-pdr) M.1885, and eight 37mm/20 M.1885 Nordenfelt guns as well as three 450 mm Torpedo Tubes, one in the 1 bow and two in the 2 beam.
HDMS Olfert Fischer had the same main guns, but of the improved 240mm/42 K/43 M.01 types, and for the secondaries, 149mm/42 L/43 M.01, same 6-pdr but replaced her 1-pdr guns by six 3-pdr or 47mm/40 M.1885 and just two 1-pdrs.
HDMS Peder Skram was quite different, as she not only had the new 240/42 K/43 M.06 main guns and 150/49 L/50 M.06 secondary guns, but replaced her 6-pdr by 75mm/52 L/55 KM.07 (3 inches) and two 1-pdr. She even had now four torpedo tubes, with an additional one in the stern.
⚙ specifications 240mm/38 L/40 or L/42
These 240 mm or (9.4 in) guns (24 cm kanoner). This was a pair of Krupp gun, related to the German 24 cm SK L/40. No more info on these. As a reference, the 24 cm SK L/40 was installed on German pre-dreadnoughts (designed in 1894), and fired 140–151 kg (309–333 lb) up to 30° elevation to a range of 16.9 km (10.5 mi).
⚙ specifications 149mm/42 PK L/43
The ships also had successively three variants of these secondaries guns in barbettes. These were the Model 1896, Model 1901 and model 1906 respectively. In each cases, the caliber was 42 for the first two and 49 caliber for the model 1906 for Peder Skram. These were krupp guns, similar to the standard 14.9 cm German SK L/42. By analogy at 20° it could reach 14,990 yards (13,700 m). exact specs unknown.
Light Artillery
Ten single 57mm/40 M.1885, 6-pdr Hochtkiss
Olfert Fischer had 47mm/40 M.1885 or 3-pdr Hotchkiss guns
Peder Skram had 7.5cm SK L55 Krupp Model 1907 (no data).
All three shared 37mm/20 or 1-pdr M.1885 (eight or two) light Hotchkiss gun.
For the latter:
Barrel weight: 32.8Kg
Barrel length: 842 mm
Angle of fire in elevation: 20 degrees
Rate of fire: Up to 20 rounds per minute
Cartridge weight: 0.675 kg
Projectile weight: 0.52 kg
Muzzle velocity: 610 m/s
Horizontal range: 3200 m.
Torpedo Tubes
These were 450 mm (457 mm) torpedo tubes, likely Whitehead Mark 1. As said above, all three had one forward, two amidships underwater and one aft for Peder Skram. Plans showed many reloads, perhaps as much as 12 torpedoes. The were a useful defence in confined waters.
HDMS Peder Skram design differences
HDMS Peder Skram was completed ten years after the first ship in class was laid down. In Between technlogy went ahead and she was different than her sisters. Firts off, Peder Skram was 87.4 m (286 ft 9 in) long overall (versus 82.88 m (271 ft 11 in) between pp) for a beam of 15.7 m (51 ft 6 in) versus 15.39 m (50 ft 6 in) on the second in class, Olfert Fischer. Her average draft was about the same however at 5 m (16 ft 5 in). She displaced much more, at 3,785 long tons (3,846 t) at full load, versus 3,592 long tons (3,650 t).
For the remainder, she was identical in general design, with the same low freeboard and short forecastle forward for seakeeping but a more developed, larger superstructure, same armored conning tower as Heluf trolle but lower, with sights just clearing the rooof of the first turret. A large bridge topped by an open observaztion bridge and wings was built above. The two 37 mm were in the wings and she had three light projectors on the bridge and one on a raised platform aft. Her aft structure was also more developed.
The crew amounted to 258 officers and enlisted men, a bit more than her sisters.
The general design remained the same, but she was modernized later in life and her formast was thickened as a proper military mast and she was given a covered, proper spotting top.
Unlike her sisters she had only two modern Thornycroft boilers rated for 5,400 ihp (4,000 kW) instead of 4,200 ihp (3,100 kW) from the three water-tube boilers of her previous sisters.
Thus, she was faster at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) versus 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph).
As for range she was capable of 2,620 nautical miles (4,850 km; 3,020 mi) at a cruise speed of 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) versus 2,400 nautical miles at 9 knots.
Shhe carried 255 tonnes of coal versus 245 tonnes on her sisters.
Protection-wise, she had the same pritection as her sister Olfert Fischer, which diverged from Herluf Trolle by more thickly built turrets, with 170 to 190 mm faces, versus 150-175 mm on Herluf Trolle with 150 mm Barbettes. Details od the barbettes, decks, casemates and coning tower was like Olfert Fischer.
Armament wise as explained above the had the following:
Two 240mm/42 K/43 Krupp Model 1906
Four 150mm/49 L/50 Krupp Model 1906,
Ten 75mm/52 L/55 Kupp Model 1907 (4 in broadsides, battery deck, 4 on the roof (4 corners) , one on each main turret’s roof.
Two 37mm/20 M.1885, 4 – 450 TT (1 bow, 2 beam, 1 stern), inthe wings.
Four submerged torpedo tubes 457 mm or 18-inches Whitehead Mark 1, one forward, two broadside, one aft.
Upgrades
Evolution of the Peder Skram, in 1910 and 1940 afetr reconstruction.
In 1905 Herluf Trolle was given six 47mm/40 or 3-pdr M.1885. In 1910, Herluf Trolle and Olfert Fischer saw the removal of their six 3-pdr for two 6-pdr (57mm/40) Hotchkiss M.1885. In 1916, Olfert Fischer, Peder Skram and 1917-1918, Herluf Trolle saw the removal of all their 6-pdr (57mm/40) for replacement by six 75mm/52 L/55 Krupp Model 1907 guns, but Peder Skram had the too roof 75mm/52 removed and two 75mm/52 Krupp Model 1912 AA guns fitted instead.
The two sisters were not modernized in the interwar, leaving service in the 1930s.
In 1934 the remainder Peder Skram had hr major upgrade with the removal of two 3-in guns and addition of two 20mm/60 Madsen AA auocannons and two twin, 8.8 mm (0.3 in) AA machine guns. Later in 1939-1940, she replaced the Madsen guns by 40mm/56 Bofors M.36. She was lost as such in 1943.
⚙ Herluf trolle specifications |
|
| Displacement | 3,494 long tons (3,550 t) |
| Dimensions | 82.88 x 15.06 x 4.93 m (271 ft 11 in x 49 ft 5 in x 16 ft 2 in) |
| Propulsion | 2 shafts B&W VTE engines, 6 Thornycorft water-tube boilers: 4,200 ihp (3,100 kW) |
| Speed | 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) |
| Range | 2600 nm/9 kts |
| Armament | 2× 240 mm, 4× 150 mm, 10× 57mm, 3× 47mm, 8× 20mm, 3 × 457 mm TTs |
| Protection | Belt armor 178 to 203 mm, Gun turrets: 170 to 190 mm, CT 190mm |
| Crew | 254 |
Career of the Heluf Trolle class ironclads
After commission, Heluf Trolle conducted a six-week cruise for her shakedown and sea trials, visiting Arendal in Norway. In 1902 she joined the active training squadron and in August visited Britain, representing Denmark for the the coronation of Edward VII and Alexandra’s fleet review. Back with the training squadron she visited Karlskrona, then laid up in 1903, reactivated for the 1904 training squadron. No service in 1905, but for the 1906 training year.
She escorted the royal yacht Dannebrog (here), with the Prince Carl of Denmark to Trondheim in Norway to be crowned King Haakon VII. She visited Hardanger, Ålesund, and Molde underway. Later in 1906 she visited Kiel with the training squadron. She was placed in reserve in 1907, reactivated for the 1908 training squadron.
In 1910 her sister Peder Skram was completed, she operates with them in the summer training squadron. They visited Bergen and Odda in Norway and remained active inthe winter 1910-1911. Spring, visited Amsterdam and resumed routine peacetime training activities in 1912, 1913 and 1914. In June 1914 she visited Newcastle. annual summer maneuvers were cancelled by late July.
August 1914 saw her in the newly formed Sikringsstyrken (security force) enforcing neutrality. In addition to Herluf Trolle and sisters, she operated with fifteen torpedo boats, seven submarines, six minelayers in a strategy of minefields obstructions. She patrolled the narrow waterways as part of the 1st Squadron defending Copenhagen, but was rotated to the 2nd Squadron on the Great Belt. She was also withdraw for maintenance. By November 1918, she was in the 2nd Squadron, Great Belt. The unit was disbanded and she became flagship, winter training squadron until March 1919.
Herluf Trolle in 1902, pating by Christian Benjamin Olsen.
With a reduced Danish naval budget she was laid up but reactivated in 1922 for the active squadron. Fewx sorties and laid up the remainder years, until 1929 whe reactivivated as squadron flagship, for annual manoeuvers until 1930. She became a gunnery training ship but maintenance was not budgeted. She is decomissioned on 30 April 1932, sold for scrap in 1934. Her 240 mm and 150 mm guns are recycled in coastal artillery at Holmen Naval Base and Kongelund. After the invasion of Denmark in 1940, the Germans moved the 150 mm guns to Gniben. Remaining guns are scrapped 1947–1948.
Olfert Fischer was built at Orlogsværftet shipyard as well, laid down on 20 October 1900, launched on 9 May 1903, completed in 1905, commissioned on 31 May. She had sea trials in June-July, ready for service by 20 July, and joining the summer training squadron under Rear Admiral Prince Valdemar. In late September she became his flagship. By late November, she made a sortie with the cruiser HDMS Gejser to escort the royal yacht Dannebrog to Trondheim and was back on 2 December, placed in reserve for the winter. Reactivated in 1906 she joins the summer training squadron and visits Kiel.
In reserve in 1907, she is reactivated in 1908 and takes part in the 1909 training program, including a winter training squadron untl 1910. She then served with all three sisters for the summer training squadron. Later in 1910 she sails with the cruiser Heimdal to visit Bergen and Odda. In 1911 she became a training ship for the artillery and torpedo school.She stil sortied with Herluf Trolle for Amsterdam via the recent Kiel Cana. In June she sailed to Britain to represent Denmark at the fleet review (King George V coronation, 24 June). She visited Harwich and rsumed operations with the active squadron in the Skagen, 1 July.
In early 1912, she is reactivated for a training cycle with an independent cruise, small-scale maneuvers (15 May) but after King Frederik VIII of Denmark died while visiting Hamburg she sails with Peder Skram to escort Dannebrog carrying his remains back from Travemünde to Denmark. She hosts Vice Admiral Otto Kofoed-Hansen. The squadron met three German cruisers firing salutes and joined the Danish ships until reaching Copenhagen on 17 May. Olfert Fischer returned with the training squadron heading in the North Sea. On 2 July, she left Esbjerg for Antwerp, and back to to Copenhagen on 9 July, laid up briefly. From September she taked part in the 1912–1913 winter training squadron with HDMS Skjold. In mid-1913 she takes part in the summer training squadron. In June she visits Terneuzen and Ghent (Netherlands) and resumed peacetime training until mid-1914.
From late July 1914, she joins the new Sikringsstyrken, mobilized within a 24-hour notice. She patrols in turn to protect minefields in territorial waters in narrow and shallow waterways alternating between the 1st Squadron (Copenhagen) and 2nd Squadron (Great Belt). On 2 August 1914 she started with the latter. By February 1915, she joins the 1st Squadron in the Øresund. In November 1918 she was in Copenhagen to guard refugee Russian steam ships.She is laid up but reactivated on 7 December, then decommissioned.
She is reactivated briefly in February 1920 to guard Danish waters, Little Belt as Germans and escaped Russian POW enters Denmark and are chase by the police. Olfert Fischer supports torpedo boats, submarines, and others patrolling to find roving gangs. During the general strike in response to the Easter Crisis in April, shipping to Danish islands stops and the government ordered Olfert Fischer to carry supplies to Rønne, Bornholm. On 5 May, after the 1920 Schleswig plebiscites seing the southern border of Denmark adjusted, she carries soldiers from Assens to Southern Jutland and Sønderborg, replacing occupying Allied troops. HDMS Olfert Fischer returned with the training division. By mid-July she escorts King Christian X yo Southern Jutland after the reunification.
Laid up, she is recommissioned in 1922 as the flagship, summer training squadron. She made a cruise to Stockholm and in July to Danzig. Fior this, she carries an Orlogsværftet HM-1 seaplane (licenced Hansa-Brandenburg W.29) for evaluation. She is carried and handled by boom, used also to retrieve it. The experiment is unsatisfactory. Olfert Fischer is laid up and again reactivated in 1923 for the summer training cycle as flagship. She also made solo cruises. She had reactivations in 1926, 1928, and 1933, thelatter as training ship with the artillery school and annual fleet maneuvers.
In 1936, the navy decided to scrap Olfert Fischer, as budget lacked to modernize her, or even maintain her. She is converted into a target ship and stripped down but saw extra armor installed for her skeleton crew steering her at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph). She is used as target from 5 to 17 October October 1936, being hit by 386 small practice bombs for aerial attacks on ships tests, with her performing evasive maneuvers. 12 of the 12 kg (26 lb) bombs hits. She is later stricken and sold to various ship breakers and BU in 1937-1938. Main guns ends at Holmen Naval Base until 1948, then scrapped.
Peder Skram is the last of her class built at the Orlogsværftet shipyard, laid down on 25 April 1905, launched on 2 May 1908, complet and making sea trials in the Skagerrak, commissioned on 24 September 1909. In 1910 she joines her two sisters for that year’s summer training squadron, visiting Bergen and Odda and in 1911 Stockholm. She is part of the winter training squadron 1911–1912 with Skjold. In May 1912 she escorts the Royal Yacht caryying the remains of King Frederik VIII back to Denmark. She is back in squadron training on 1 June. In early 1913, she visits the Hook of Holland and Rotterdam. She is laid up for the winter 1913–1914. Reactivated for this summer, exercvises are cut short in July after a visit to Kalmar in Sweden.
After World War I started she is versed to the new Sikringsstyrkenon 31 July, tasked to patorl minefields in territorial waters and alternating between the 1st Squadron (Copenhagen) and 2nd Squadron (Great Belt). She started wit the 1st Squadron in the Øresund. On the night of 18–19 August 1915, HMS E13 attempted to pass through the Danish Straits but ran aground off Saltholm. Peder Skram (flagship of the 1st Squadron) was anchored when it happened just 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi) north of Saltholm. Danish patrol boats spotted the ship and informed the captain he had 24 hours to withdraw before internment. Ships of 1st Squadron arrived to witness British attempts to refloat her, but also stand guard against any German incursion.
Indeed, German torpedo boats SMS G132 and SMS G134 arrived and maneouver to attack E13 when the Danish squadron sigalled for action, but did not opened fire (not ordered). A solution is found as the torpedo boat HDMS Søulven placed herself between the Germans and British submarine. The Germans withdrew. Neutrality was however breached. By November 1918, her service ends and the Sikringsstyrken is disbanded on 12 December, she is placed in reserve.
Amidst budget cuts, Peder Skram is recommissioned in October 1920 as command ship for exercises with torpedo boats and submarines, Southern Jutland. By late November she visits Gothenburg in Sweden and decommissioned in February 1921 but reactivated in August for training until January 1922. She later joined the summer training squadron, visited Stockholm and Danzig with Olfert Fischer. For this sortie both carries an Orlogsværftet H-Maskinen HM-1 floatplane, but htis is not conclusive. From 1922 to 1929 she stays in reserve but periocally served as stationary command ship.
In 1929, she is fully recommissioned as training ship with the more recent HDMS Niels Juel, training naval reserve officers a few months, and in reserve by late 1929, for five years but brief commissioned in August-September 1934. By May 1935 she escorts the new royal yacht HDMS Dannebrog to Stockholm for the marriage of Princess Ingrid of Sweden to Danish crown prince Frederik. Due to budget constraints she sails only at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) to save coal. The squadron counts also the TBs HDMS Glenten, Hvalen, and Laxen, heading for the north of Öland. Back hilme she is detached at 8 knots and laid up for four years. In 1939, Peder Skram is recommissioned in May 1939 as part of the training squadron with Niels Juel. She had speed tests (still capable of 15.9 knots) and on 7 July, laid up at the Holmen Naval Base. She is later modernized (AA).
On 1 September 1939, Germany invades Poland and the Danish Navy orders Peder Skram to load ammunition and stores, placed under a 48h notice for steam, recommissioned on 20 September. She is assigned to a newly formed Sikringsstyrken with Niels Juel, only major warships still active. They stood no chance against the Kriegsmarine despite beign reinforced by six elderly torpedo boats and five submarines, based at Aarhus. Despite a recently signed non-aggression pact with Germany in May, the government had little illussions but keep a passive stance. In 1939–1940, Germany asks the Danish fleet to guard against British submarines trying to sneak in the Skagerrak, the Danes complied. Peder Skram and three TBs are detached. All dreas of neutrality vanished with the fair accompli of 9 April 1940 invasion. HDMS Peder Skram is caught at Frederikshavn, seeing no action as the Danish government surrendered six hours after it starts to avoid useless destruction and suffering.
The German occupation initially is relativeluy lenient and the fate of the Danish Navy remains in the balance, still owned by the government then remaining in power. German direction however also includes the Danish fleet, permitted to keep some oh its ships in commission. Peder Skram is relocated to Horsens and decommissioned on 13 April, then moved to Holmen on 11 June 1941. In 1942 she is recommissioned for active service, laid up at Holmen. However desfiance and reisstance against the occupation led to Operation Safari being launched to neutralize the Danish armed forces at large, including naval assets, as they did in November 1942 with the French at Toulon.
In the same situation, the Danish command already prepared ordersand ships for that scenario. Vice Admiral A. H. Vedel, CiC of the Danish fleet had issued secret orders either for the quickest to rise power to fleet and reach neutral Sweden or being scuttled. The ships using steam powers are all provided with scuttling charges. Peder Skram at the time was decommissioned as stationary command ship in Copenhagen and not provisioned with explosives. As Operation Safari is launched on 29 August 1943, all ships in Copenhagen unable to depart are scuttled. In the case of Peder Skram, the crew open the valves and she is quickly flooded, taking on a list of 20 degrees to starboard, sinking to the shallow bottom, half above water.
The Germans seized the ship given the fact she had not been damaged by explosives and managed to raise her later. Her 150 mm guns are removed and sent to the coastal artillery battery of Fanø. She keeps her main battery guns. Later she is towed to Kiel for a refit, being turned into a light FLAKschiffe with extra 20 mm (0.79 in) AA guns. She is recommissioned as KMS Adler and placed in the Kieler Förde, Friedrichsort, in 1944. When not in use to defene the skies she is used as stationary training vessel.
A more extensive reconsutruction is planned similar to the ships captured in the Netherlands (moslty old cruisers) and that included the installation of heavy 105 mm (4.1 in) anti-aircraft guns completed by 40 mm (1.6 in) guns and Flakvuierling mounts, but nothing came of it. When she is spotted by British RAF reconnaissance aircraft in January 1945, she is badly damaged by a bombing raid in April. Her crew was forced it run her aground to avoid sinking. In May she is recaptured by the British.
The Danish salvage company Em. Z. Svitzer sent the salvage ship Garm by August 1945 for retreiving her, over three days, patching the hull, refloating her, and towed back to Holmen Naval Base. She stays here until scrapped, the armored conning tower removed in late 1948-early 1949, preserved at the Danish naval academy and Risø in 1961. She was dismantled by H. J. Hansen from 1 April 1949 at Odense. The foremast was also preserved. Nield Juel being more of an “armoured cruiser” she remained the last classic armoured capital ship of the Danish Navy.
Read More/Src
Books
Campbell, N. J. M. (1979). “Denmark”. J.Gardiner Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1860–1905.
Steensen, Robert Steen (2018) Vore Panserskibe 1863–1943. Copenhagen: Strube.
Westerlund, Karl-Erik (1986). “Denmark”. Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1906–1921.
Søren Nørby (2003). Flådens sænkning 29. august 1943. Forlaget Region. I
Larsen, Kay (1932). Vore orlogsskibe fra halvfemserne til nu. Nyt Nordisk Forlag.
Willits, A. B., ed. (November 1899). “Denmark”. Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers. XI (4): 1097.
Wismann, Tom (2018). “The Coastal Battleship Peder Skram (1908)”. The World of the Battleship 1880–1990. Barnsley.
Moore, J: Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War I (1919; reprinted 1992).
Links
on navypedia.org
on navalhistory.dk/
on da.wikipedia.org/
on en.wikipedia.org
on navalhistory.flixco.info
