The Sleipner class destroyer HNoMS Odin was launched at Horten naval shipyard and put into Royal Norwegian Navy service in 1939. She had build number 126.^[1] When the Germans invaded she formed part of the 3rd destroyer section in the Kristiansand Defence Sector of the 1st Naval District.^[2]

Name

She was named after Odin - the chief god in Norse mythology and Norse paganism.

Brief involvement in opposing the German invasion of Norway

Rio de Janeiro

On 8 April 1940 she had taken part together with the guard ship Lyngdal in the rescue of the surviving sailors and soldiers from the 5,261 ton clandestine German troop transport Rio de Janeiro^[3][4] sunk by the Polish submarine ORP Orze? near the small port of Lillesand.

Battle of Kristiansand

The next morning, 9 April 1940, Odin took part in the defence of Kristiansand, against landing group four of the German invasion of Norway. When the battle at Kristiansand between the Kriegsmarine flotilla and Odderøya Fort began Odin steamed out into the Toppdalsfjord and opened up on attacking Luftwaffe bombers with her Oerlikon 20 mm cannon and two 12,7 mm anti-aircraft machine guns. Continuous evasive manoeuvring saved the destroyer from being hit by the many bombs dropped at her and several hits were recorded on the attacking aircraft, although none were shot down. At about 0730hrs a twin-engined plane attacked the interned German U-boat U-21 that was docked in Kristiansand harbour, having been seized by Norwegian warships for neutrality violations after running aground on the Oddene shallows near Mandal 27 March that year,^[5] and had been docked in Kristiansand since 28 March.^[6] Odin fired at the plane, only to discover it was a RAF Lockheed Hudson reconnaissance aircraft. Neither this time did the Odins fire bring her target down. At1000 hrs an order not to fire at British and French forces came to the commander of Kristiansand. This order, combined with confusion of which flags were flown by the intruding warships, led to the German force being able to enter the harbour unopposed on their third attempt at 1030 hrs. Odin was captured at Marvika naval station together with numerous other naval vessels in the Kristiansand area, including her sister ship HNoMS Gyller.^[7]

German service as the Panther

After the German capture of Kristiansand Odin was handed over to the Kriegsmarine on April 11 and officially entered service as the Panther on April 20.^[8] However, before entering the Kriegsmarine she was partially rebuilt and rearmed. During the remainder of the war she operated in Skagerak and Kattegat as an escort with the 7. T-flotilla, as a training ship, and from January 1942 as a torpedo recovery vessel in Gotenhafen.

Post-war RNoN service

After the end of the Second World War the Panther/Odin was found in Holmestrand, Norway, May 1945 and returned to the Royal Norwegian Navy.

After three more years in Norway as a destroyer Odin was converted to a frigate in 1948.

Odin was phased out and sold for scrapping in 1959

Footnotes

Literature

• Abelsen, Frank: Norwegian naval ships 1939-1945, Sem & Stenersen AS, Oslo 1986 ISBN 82-7046-050-8 &

See also

• List of World War II ships of less than 1000 tons