The German invasion HNoMS Æger (1936)

1 german invasion

1.1 roda
1.2 air attacks
1.3 aftermath

the german invasion

Æger amongst first royal norwegian navy units encounter german invasion forces of operation weserübung when in morning of 9 april 1940 intercepted german cargo ship roda off port city of stavanger.

roda

roda sinking

at around 01:00 on 9 april norwegian customs officers came on board Æger while @ anchor in stavanger , reported suspicion 6,780-ton cargo ship roda anchored near ullsnes carrying different cargo 7,000 tons of coke stated in cargo documents. german vessel riding far high in water carry such cargo. adding still more suspicion fact germans claimed bringing coke norwegian company sigval bergesen, company customs officers knew had never before taken deliveries of coke. although situation unclear norwegian destroyer s commander, captain niels larsen bruun, decided take roda prize.

when norwegian destroyer found german ship in byfjord near stavanger , signalled going seize german vessel crew of roda resisted, leading captain larsen bruun deciding sink cargo ship. after german crew had abandoned ship, Æger fired twenty-five 10 cm cold rounds (without explosives) each side of vessel, sinking in deep waters.

air attacks

colt mg52 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun on destroyer sleipner

a short while after sinking of roda luftwaffe aircraft started appearing overhead. @ 08:30 first 3 of in total ten luftwaffe junkers ju 88 bombers iii/kampfgeschwader 4 began attacking Æger @ low altitude.

responding single 40 mm bofors gun , 2 12.7 mm colt anti-aircraft machine guns Æger claimed 2 of attacking bombers shot down while zig-zagging avoid stacks of bombs being unleashed @ her. however, while trying avoid attack 3 aircraft different directions Æger hit amidships 250 kg bomb, tearing deck of destroyer , blowing out sides of ship.

seven crew members killed outright, 1 mortally , 3 lightly wounded, ship being left dead in water. 3 of dead officers , 5 enlisted men. 7 more german aircraft continued attack crippled destroyer bomb hit mast, leaving bent out of shape bouncing off sea without exploding. yet bomb hit side of ship midship, stuck without exploding. time attacking aircraft pelting crippled vessel machine guns.

as of ship s anti-aircraft weapons knocked out, captain bruun ordered crew abandon ship. entire surviving crew managed ashore without further casualties.

aftermath

the wreck of Æger near stavanger in april 1940

captain bruun had fifty-seven unwounded crew members under command , intended keep crew , bring them unoccupied areas continue fight. however, both stavanger , nearby sola air station had been occupied invaders, instead decided dismiss crew. encouraged them form small groups , make way unoccupied areas continue fighting, majority of crew did.

the wreck of Æger later drifted ashore @ nearby hundvåg , attracted many civilian spectators until removed scrapping. 3 10 cm main guns of Æger removed germans, first 2 in may, third in august 1940, use coastal artillery. guns deployed harbour defence battery @ grødeimhammeren north of stavanger.

roda s cargo later turned out have been entire contingent of heavy anti-aircraft guns intended defence of sola air station after capture german paratroops, loss of guns leaving newly captured air strips vulnerable raf attack.