Computer line drawing by Alexander van Maanen
She was named after Peter Tordenskjold, ordered in 1896 to be build at the yard of Armstrong at Newcastle, England, laid down a year later, launched on 18 March 1897, commissioned on 21 March 1898, since 1918 used as a cadet training ship, captured by German forces in April 1940 at Narvik, fitted out in 1941 at Kiel as a floating flak battery and renamed Nymphe and commissioned in March that year, in German service serving mainly around North Norway as protection of the there station German forces and later also around Kiel, returned to Norway at the end of the Second World War and after being used as barrack broken up in 1948. With the Harald Haarfrage was she part of the Tordenskjold-class of just two units. Apparently she was in the mid 1930’s considered as non value for war purposes.
Her original displacement was 3,858 long tons.3,920 tons with as dimensions 92,66 x 14,78 x 5,39 metres of 304’0’ x 48’6” x 17’8”. The coal-fired reciprocating steam engines provided 4,500 hp allowing a speed of 16.9 knots. The crew numbered 245 men. The armament consisted of 2x1-21cm guns (one turret for and one turret aft), 6-12cm guns, 6-7.6cm guns, 5-1pdr quick firing guns and two submerged 45cm torpedo tubes. In German service was she armed with 6-10,5cm anti aircraft guns, 2-40mm anti aircraft guns and 14-20mm anti aircraft guns. The armour consisted of a 7” thick belt and 8” turrets.
The Tordenskjold was several times mentioned in Dutch newspapers as a result of her visiting the Netherlands.The Sumatra Post daily edition dated Tuesday 22 August 1922 published an item dealing with her visit that year at Amsterdam. Under Commander captain Greve offered on the afternoon of Friday 14 July a lunch to the commanding officer and some officers of the Tordenskjold also attended by the Norwegian consul mr. Richard Janssen. The same consul invited that evening 125 crewmembers to visit the cinema in the Reguliersbreestraat at Amsterdam. The board of that theatre compiled a so-called Norwegian evening with the screen showing a welcome text in Norwegian. After the playing of the Norwegian hymn started the program. In the pause were cigars and refreshments offered to the sailors. The next Saturday visited some officers and cadets with a tram the Dutch villages Monnikendam, Edam, Volendam and Marken. Back at Amsterdam attended the commanding officer and officers and some guests a dinner presented by the town council of Amsterdam in the building Couterier and when the burgomaster held a English spoken speech dealing with the relations between the Netherlands in Norway and the commanding officer returning in French his thanks. After several obligations in Sunday and visiting on Monday morning the Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij made the officers and cadets a small voyage to the several harbours of Amsterdam on a boat of the harbour master. At 14.45 o’clock left the Tordenskjold Amsterdam escorted by the harbour police towards Rotterdam where she would stay until 15th July and from via Antwerp, Belgium back towards Horten, Norway. The newspaper Het Vaderland evening edition dated 12 May 1922 published just a small item dealing with this visit saying that this training ship would visit Amsterdam between 6 and 10 July and Amsterdam between 11 and 15 July. Her commanding officer was captain Arlim. The same year visited the Dutch queen Wilhelmina with the Dutch armoured cruiser Hr.Ms. Zeeland Christiana in Norway. The newspaper Het Centrum daily edition dated Monday 18 September 1922 mentioned that the Tordenskjold decorated with flags and pennants saluted her with when the queen went on board of a barge returning to the Zeeland lying next to the Norwegian ship.
The newspaper Het Vaderland evening edition dated 30 May 1924 described the visit of the Dutch torpedo boats Hr.Ms. Z3 and Z4 and the naval base at Horten where their officers were invited by the officers of the Tordenskjold for a dinner.
The newspaper Het Vaderland evening edition dated 25 July 1927 mentioned her visit that year at Rotterdam. The Dutch cabinet offered to her officers and other guest a lunch on Friday 29 July at Huixe Voorhout. Vice admiral C.C. Zegers Ryser who was secretary general of the Department of Navy would replace the minister of navy Lambooy who was absent caused being abroad. In the evening edition dated 29 July were more details supplied. The lunch which started at 13.00 o’clock was attended by the commanding officer of the Tordenskjold frigate captain Otto, corvette captain Gottwaldt and the lieutenants Jansen, Steue, Melsom and Bjarnar, the Norwegian consul general at Rotterdam Skybak and the Norwegian vice consul there Grüner. Secretary general of foreign affairs jhr.mr. Snouck Hurgronje, vice admiral Zeeman, lieutenant general Muller Massis, temporary chief naval staff captain lieutenant A. Vos jr. and other military and civil authorities. During her visit died suddenly on board the 47 year old pastor Jens Faxe. His body was brought to the Norwegian church situated at the Westzeedijk for a ceremony on next Sunday and would probably afterwards brought back to the ship for the voyage back to Norway. The newspaper Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant evening edition dated 1 August 1927 described extensively that ceremony and how 6 sailors carried the coffin outside the church where a guard of honour of 16 sailors was waiting. A car transported the coffin back to the barge and launch waiting for her. The launch transported the coffin to the ship where she was carried on board using one of the main guns as a crane. Ropes were attached to the outside turned gun barrel which elevated the coffin from the launch and turning back bringing the coffin on board. In the afternoon of 31 July 14.00 o’clock left she for Oslo, Norway.
The newspaper Het Centrum dated 22 June 1928 published a tiding dated Oslo 21 June. According to this item was the Tordenskjold who intended to depart 3 July for a visit to Spitsbergen and Iceland ordered by the ministry of defence to depart immediately from Horsten searching for the Latham. On board of her was a floating plane. She was to search between Spitsbergen and Norway in fact for Amundsen for who was an international search going on.
The newspaper De Tribune dated 22 June 1931 reported her visit with the Norwegian submarines B 1, B 5 and B 6 during the period 3-7 July at Amsterdam. They were to departed from Horten on 25 June and after visiting Amsterdam destined for Kiel, Germany.
The newspaper Limburger Koerier dated 31 August 1933 described an incident on board caused by the exploding of a 12cm gun during exercises near the Jongvrouw-eiland with as result 3 dead (including a lieutenant 1st class), 3 severe wounded (a cadet lost all sight and a gunner his right arm) and 6 less wounded men. The exercises were immediately stopped and with the flag at half mast returned she to Narvik.
