HNoMS Draug (1908)
 Plan of Draug-class destroyer .jpg)
Draug at some point before the Second World War. Note QF guns in blisters along the side to allow forward fire.
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| History | |
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 Norway
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| Name: | Draug |
| Namesake: | The sea revenant Draugr |
| Builder: | The Royal Norwegian Navy's shipyard at Karljohansvern in Horten |
| Yard number: | 103 |
| Launched: | 18 March 1908 |
| Commissioned: | 1908 |
| Decommissioned: | 19 November 1943 |
| Fate: | Sold for scrapping in 1944 |
| Service record | |
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| Operations: |
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| Victories: | 1 ship (7,624 tons) sunk |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Draug-class destroyer |
| Displacement: | 578 tons standard |
| Length: | 69.2 m (227.03 ft) |
| Beam: | 7.3 m (23.95 ft) |
| Draft: | 2.9 m (9.51 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Triple expansion steam engine with 7500 hp |
| Speed: | 27 knots (50.00 km/h) |
| Complement: | 76 men |
| Armament: |
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HNoMS Draug was the lead ship of the three-ship Draug class of destroyers built for the Royal Norwegian Navy in the years 1908–1913. The four-stacked destroyer was kept in service long after she was obsolete, and took part in the defence of Norway during the German invasion in 1940.
In the early hours of 9 April 1940, Draug intercepted and captured the clandestine German transport Main. After deciding that the outdated Draug could do little to oppose the invading German forces, the ship's captain decided to sail to the United Kingdom, bringing the captured German ship with him. After being subjected to a German bombing attack, Main was sunk and Draug proceeded to the United Kingdom with the German crew as prisoners. In exile in the United Kingdom Draug served as a guard ship, convoy escort, MTB mother ship and depot ship. Decommissioned in late 1943, Draug was sold for scrapping in 1944.
Draug was built at the Royal Norwegian Navy's shipyard at Karljohansvern in Horten with yard number 103. Her steam engine required high quality anthracite coal imported from the United Kingdom.
During the First World War, Draug was employed on neutrality protection duties. She formed part the Royal Norwegian Navy's Western Norway squadron, being based in Haugesund.
When the Second World War broke out Draug had, as had her sister ships Troll and Garm, been mothballed for a number of years as part of pre–war savings on the Norwegian military budget. Draug had been anchored at Marineholmen in Bergen, the two other vessels at Horten. With the outbreak of war the three Draug-class vessels were reactivated on 5 September 1939 in order to take part in guarding Norwegian neutrality. When the reactivation order came, it took well over a month for workers to find and repair all the cracks and leaks in the ship's steam boilers and make her seaworthy again. In early October 1939 Draug was ready for action. The small destroyers of the Draug class were not considered fit for potential combat operations and were only meant to perform escort and guard duties.
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