HNoMS Nordkapp

HNoMS Nordkapp was the lead ship of the Nordkapp class of fishery protection vessels. She was launched 18 August 1937 at Horten naval shipyard, with yard number 123. She had one sister ship, HNoMS Senja. Nordkapp was named after the North Cape in Finnmark. As was typical of her class, Nordkapp was very unstable in rough seas and was viewed from the beginning as a second-rate vessel. Nordkapp sailed throughout the Second World War and saw service in several theatres.

Nordkapp in the Norwegian Campaign

When the Germans invaded Norway on 9 April 1940, Nordkapp was stationed in Northern Norway, belonging to the Royal Norwegian Navy's 3rd Naval District and commanded by Lieutenant Commander Jon Seip. During the Norwegian Campaign Nordkapp saw the first actions of her career.

Sinking Kattegat

Background

In the evening of 9 April Nordkapp intercepted the 6,031 ton German tanker Kattegat of Bremen in the Glomfjorden south of Narvik. Kattegat was one of two naval tankers the Germans intended to use in order to quickly refuel the ten destroyers of the Narvik task force, enabling them to escape back to Germany before the Royal Navy could trap and sink them. In preparation of her supply mission Kattegat had departed the pilot station at Kopervik in Western Norway on 6 April, scheduled to arrive at Narvik on 9 April. The Kriegsmarine support tanker had sailed to Norway from Wilhelmshaven on the German North Sea coast on 3 April in preparation for the invasion. While the other tanker, the 11,766 ton whale oil factory ship Jan Wellem, had reached Narvik from the German Basis Nord at the Bolshaya Zapadnaya Litsa inlet on the Kola Peninsula in Russia before the German attack, the captain of Kattegat had been warned of a British naval mine field in the Vestfjorden (Operation Wilfred) and refused to continue, choosing instead to anchor up in Sandlågbukta, Neverdal at Ørnes in Meløy.

Nordkapp

Nordkapp (English: North Cape; Northern Sami: Davvinjárga or Nordkáhppa; Kven: Kappa or Nordkappa) is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Honningsvåg, where most residents live. Other settlements in Nordkapp include the villages of Gjesvær, Kåfjord, Kamøyvær, Kjelvik, Nordvågen, Repvåg, Skarsvåg, and Valan.

Some 200,000 tourists visit Nordkapp annually during the two to three months of summer. The main tourist attractions are the North Cape and the nearby Knivskjellodden. The North Cape first became famous when the English explorer Richard Chancellor rounded it in 1553 while attempting to find a sea route through the Northeast Passage. Helnes Lighthouse is located at the entrance to the Porsangerfjorden.

General information

On 1 July 1861, the northern district of the municipality of Kistrand was separated to form the new municipality of Kjelvik. Initially, the municipality encompassed the area around the northern end of the Porsangerfjorden, including part of the island of Magerøya, and it had a population of 345. The name of the municipality was changed from Kjelvik to Nordkapp in 1950. On 1 January 1984, the western part of the island of Magerøya as well as the small surrounding islands of Gjesværstappan were transferred from Måsøy Municipality to Nordkapp Municipality.

Nordkapp (Bjørnøya)

Nordkapp (North Cape) is the northernmost point of Bear Island in Arctic Norway, located at the northern extreme of the island. The cape is some 230 km south of Sørkapp, Svalbard and 415 km north of mainland Norway (Ingøy).

Coordinates: 74°30.9′N 19°5.3′E / 74.5150°N 19.0883°E / 74.5150; 19.0883

North Cape

North Cape, Northern Cape, or Nordkapp may refer to:

Places

Ships