HNoMS ''Vidar'' was a ''Vale''-class Rendel gunboat built for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Horten Naval Yard in 1878. She was one of a class of five gunboats - the other ships in the class were ''Vale'', ''Brage'', ''Nor'' and ''Uller''. ''Vidar'' was, in addition to the heavy, muzzle-loading main gun, armed with a small 'Quick Fire' gun and a 37mm

Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon The Hotchkiss gun can refer to different products of the Hotchkiss arms company starting in the late 19th century. It usually refers to the 1.65-inch (42 mm) light mountain gun; there were also a navy (47 mm) and a 3-inch (76&nbs ...

(broadly similar to the

Gatling gun The Gatling gun is a rapid-firing multiple-barrel firearm invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling. It is an early machine gun and a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary cannon. The Gatling gun's operation centered on a cyc ...

). Later ''Vidar'', like her sister ships, was rebuilt as a minelayer, and she served in this role when the Germans invaded in 1940. During the Norwegian Campaign she served mainly in Sognefjorden. She was captured by German forces on 14 April 1940, and returned to Norway after the war. ''Vidar'' was built at the Naval Yard at Horten, and had yard number 60.

External links

Naval history via Flix: KNM Vale
retrieved 27 Feb 2006 Vale-class gunboats Ships built in Horten 1878 ships World War II minelayers of Norway Naval ships of Norway captured by Germany during World War II Minelayers of the Kriegsmarine World War II minelayers of Germany {{Norway-mil-ship-stub