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Sunday 16 July 2017

German navy training in Norwegian fjords before the First World War

German SMS Hansa of the Victoria Louise-class

The commanding officer of the Dutch coastal defence ship Zr. Ms. Piet Hein reported in 1909 that the German training ships for midshipmen and boys SMS Hertha (1) and Victoria Louise (2) visited each year the Norwegian fjords for 4-6 weeks. The midshipmen made hiking tours from 3-4 days.

Source
Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Nederlandsche Zeemacht 1908-1909. 

Notes
1. Ordered under contract name ‘K’. Of the Victoria Louise-class protected cruisers consisting of the Victoria Louise, Hertha, Freya, Vineta and Hansa, laid down at the AG Vulcan shipyard with yard number 223 in 1895, launched on 14 April 1897, commissioned on 23 July 1898, modernized and training ship since 1918, barracks ship since 1915 stricken on 6 December 1919 and broken up in 1920.
2. Ordered under contract name ‘L‘.Of the Victoria Louise-class protected cruisers consisting of the Victoria Louise, Hertha, Freya, Vineta and Hansa, laid down at the AG Weser shipyard, Bremen with yard number 116 in 1895, launched on 29 March 1897, commissioned on 20 February 1899, modernized in 1906, cadet training ship since 1908, minelayer and barrack ship since 1914, stricken on 1 October 1919, sold and converted into a cargo ship in 1920 and broken up in 1923.