HNoMS Pol III
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![]() Pol III as a whaler before the Second World War
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History | |
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Name | Pol III |
Laid down | 1926 |
Launched | July 1926 |
Out of service | 8 April 1940 |
Captured | by the Germans on 14 April 1940 |
Service record | |
Operations: | Opposing the German invasion of Norway |
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Name | NO-05 Samoa |
Acquired | 14 April 1940 |
Renamed | V-6105 and NH-05 |
Fate | Handed back to Norway after VE Day |
Service record | |
Operations: |
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany |
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Name | Pol III |
Acquired | 1945 |
Identification | IMO number: 5172597 |
Fate | Sold off to civilian interests post-World War II, scrapped in 2011. |
General characteristics | |
Displacement | 214 tons |
Propulsion | Triple expansion steam engine |
Speed | 11.0 knots (20.37 km/h) |
Complement | 15 men |
Armament |
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Pol III was a patrol boat of the Royal Norwegian Navy, used for guarding the inlet of the Oslofjord in early April 1940. She was a small vessel, originally a whaler, of 214 tons. She is best known for being the first Norwegian unit to engage the German invasion forces during the 1940 Operation Weserübung.
Operational history
Pol III was built by
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Damaged_Pol_III.jpg/220px-Damaged_Pol_III.jpg)
Kampfgruppe 5 was temporarily turned back by Oscarsborg Fortress a few hours later, with the loss of the heavy cruiser Blücher.
The next day, 9 April, Pol III was towed to Tønsberg. The German Kriegsmarine captured her on 14 April, and after repairs utilised the vessel as a Vorpostenboot under several names (NO-05 Samoa, V-6105 and NH-05).
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a8/Arn%C3%B8ytrans.jpg/220px-Arn%C3%B8ytrans.jpg)
After the war, Pol III became part of the Norwegian mine sweeping fleet before she was sold off. Later Pol III had several different owners and names, the engines replaced and her structure rebuilt. In 1949 she was sold to Hareid where she was rebuilt as a fishing vessel and given the name Johan E. In 1978 she was sold to Ørnes and rebuilt as a fish transport vessel and named Odd Oscar. Five years later she was sold to Bodø and given the name Fisktrans. Although in essence a different vessel than in 1940, the hull of Pol III remained afloat and in use for many years. In her last guise, she was owned in Salten and had the name Arnøytrans. She ran as a fish transport vessel along the Norwegian coast.
On 1 October 2011, she was sailed on own power to
Some of her hull plates survived and are in the care of the Larvik Maritime Museum.[2]
References
- ^ "Pol III (5172597)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ^ a b Hansen, Svend E. (8 April 2015). "Larvik-hvalbåt først i kamp for Norge". Østlands-Posten (in Norwegian). Retrieved 20 April 2015.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)