Chronology

9 Apr 1940

Germany attacked and occupied Denmark. The old and laid up torpedo boat Støren was taken by Germany.

February 1941

The Germans requested that the Danish government surrender twelve Danish torpedoboats to the German Navy. The Danish government acceded, but in the end Germany took only the six fairly-new torpedoboats: Dragen, Hvalen, Laxen, Glenten, Høgen and Ørnen. The torpedoboats were handed over - unarmed - to the Germans in April 1941.

As payment for these boats, the Germans agreed to supply the Royal Dockyard in Copenhagen with materials to the construct six new torpedoboats. The Danish Navy suspected that the new boats would be taken over by Germany upon completion. Construction progressed very slowly, and was halted after 29 Aug 1943.

29 Aug 1943

Operation Safari. German forces moved to disarm the Danish Army and seize the Danish Navy. At 0400, the Germans attacked the Danish Naval Base at the Royal Dockyard (Holmen) in Copenhagen. Danish ships could not escape because German cannon around the harbor covered the only exit, and the signal was given to scuttle the entire fleet. The signal was also received by some of the few vessels stationed outside Copenhagen. Due to luck on the Danish side and bad planning on the German side, the Danish were able to scuttle most of their ships, and a few units at sea made it to Sweden.

Of the fifty-two vessels in the Danish Navy on the 29 Aug 1943, two were at Greenland, thirty-two were scuttled, four reached Sweden, and fourteen were taken undamaged by the Germans. The Germans later raised most of the ships scuttled at Copenhagen; fifteen of these were put into some kind of service by the German Navy.

Fate of Danish Naval Vessels

Coastal Defense Ships

  • Niels Juel (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled in Isefjord by its own crew when damaged by German air attacks while trying to escape to Sweden.
  • Peder Skram (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: 1 Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.

Torpedoboats

Old

  • Hvalrossen (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Makrellen (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Sælen (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Søhunden (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: 1 Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Nordkaperen (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Haien
    Notes: Taken by the Germans at Korsør.
  • Havkatten
    Notes: In the Sound. Escaped to Sweden.
  • Havørnen (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Beached at "Stammenakke" and blown up by its crew.
  • Narhvalen
    Notes: 1 In overhaul at the Royal Dockyard. Taken by the Germans.

New

  • Najaden
    Notes: 1 Under construction at the Royal Dockyard, taken by the Germans but not completed until after the war.
  • Nymfen
    Notes: 1 Under construction at the Royal Dockyard, taken by the Germans but not completed until after the war.

Mineships

  • Lindormen (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Lossen (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: 1 Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Lougen (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Laaland (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Sixtus (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: 1 Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Kvintus (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: 1 Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.

Submarines

  • Rota (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Bellona (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: 1 Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Flora (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: 1 Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Daphne (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Dryaden (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: 1 Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Havmanden (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Havfruen (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: 1 Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Havkalen (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Havhesten (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.

Old

  • Ran
    Notes: Laid up. Taken but not used by the Germans.
  • Triton
    Notes: Laid up. Taken but not used by the Germans.
  • Galathea
    Notes: Laid up. Taken but not used by the Germans.

Repair Ships

  • Henrik Gerner (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Torched and scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Grønsund
    Notes: Floating workshop, taken by the Germans.

Ocean Patrol Vessels

  • Ingolf
    Notes: Taken at sea in "Store Bælt" (Great Belt) by the Germans.
  • Beskytteren
    Notes: 1 Taken by the Germans at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Islands Falk
    Notes: 1 Taken by the Germans at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Hvidbjørnen (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled in "Store Bælt."
  • Maagen
    Notes: At Greenland.

Minesweepers

  • Søhunden (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: 1 Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • MS 10 (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • MS 8 (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Søbjørnen (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • MS 4 (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at the Royal Dockyard.
  • MS 1
    Notes: Escaped to Sweden.
  • MS 7
    Notes: Escaped to Sweden.
  • MS 9 (Sorte Sara)
    Notes: Escaped to Sweden.
  • Søløven
    Notes: Taken by the Germans at Korsør.
  • Søridderen
    Notes: Taken by the Germans at Korsør.
  • Springeren
    Notes: Taken by the Germans at Korsør.
  • Søhesten
    Notes: Taken by the Germans at Kalundborg.
  • Skagerak
    Notes: 1 Taken by the Germans at the Royal Dockyard.

Survey Ships

  • Hejmdal
    Notes: 1 Partly destroyed at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Freja
    Notes: 1 Taken by the Germans at the Royal Dockyard.
  • Ternen
    Notes: At Greenland.

Other

  • Sleipner
    Notes: Torpedo transport ship, taken by the Germans.
  • Dampbåd A (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Scuttled at Lunkebugten near Taasinge.
  • Dannebrog
    Notes: Royal Yacht, property of the King, not violated by the Germans.
  • Hekla
    Notes: Stationed vessel, taken by the Germans.
  • 59 patrol cutters
    Notes: Nine made it to Sweden. The rest were taken by the Germans.

Notes

Sources

  • ”Flådens oprør” af Per Wessel Tolvig (red.)
  • ”Flaadens skibe den 29. august 1943, og deres senere skæbne”. Af R. Steen Steensen. (Artikel i Tidsskrift for Søvæsenet, 1953)
  • Flaadens skibe 1950, by R. Steen Steensen

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The Royal Danish Naval Museum