Editing Royal Norwegian Navy (section)

== History ==

=== Early history ===
The history of Norwegian state-operated naval forces is long, and goes back to the [[leidang]] which was first established by King [[Haakon I of Norway|Håkon the Good]] at the [[Gulating]] in 955, although variants of the Leidang had at that time already existed for hundreds of years. During the last part of the Middle Ages the system of levying of ships, equipment, and manpower for the leidang was mainly used to levying tax and existed as such into the 17th Century.

During most of the union between Norway and [[Denmark]] the two countries had [[Royal Danish-Norwegian Navy|a common fleet]]. This fleet was established by [[John, King of Denmark|King Hans]] in 1509 in Denmark. A large proportion of the crew and officers in this new Navy organisation were Norwegian. In 1709 there were about 15,000 personnel enrolled in the common fleet; of these 10,000 were Norwegian. When [[Peter Tordenskjold]] carried out his [[Battle of Dynekilen|famous raid at Dynekil]] in 1716 more than 80 percent of the sailors and 90 percent of the soldiers in his force were Norwegian. Because of this the Royal Norwegian Navy shares its history from 1509 to 1814 with the [[Royal Danish Navy]].

The modern, separate Royal Norwegian Navy was founded (restructured) on April 12, 1814, by Prince [[Christian VIII of Denmark|Christian Fredrik]] on the remnants of the Dano-Norwegian Navy. At the time of separation, the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy was in a poor state and Norway was left with the lesser share. All officers of Danish birth were ordered to return to Denmark and the first commander of the Norwegian navy became Captain [[Thomas Fasting]]. It then consisted of 39 officers, seven [[brig]]s (one more under construction), one [[schooner|schooner-brig]], eight gun [[schooners]], 46 gun chalups and 51 gun barges.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.idi.ntnu.no/~anders/books/Fra_Krigens_Tid/Marinen-1814.html|title=Den norske Marine i 1814.|access-date=14 December 2014|archive-date=9 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209084903/http://www.idi.ntnu.no/~anders/books/Fra_Krigens_Tid/Marinen-1814.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> April 1, 1815, the Royal Norwegian Navy's leadership was reorganized into a navy ministry, and Fasting became the first navy minister.

Norway retained its independent armed forces, including the navy, during the [[Sweden-Norway|union with Sweden]]. During most of the union the navy was subjected to low funding, even though there were ambitious plans to expand it. In the late 19th century, the fleet was increased to defend a possible independent Norway from her Swedish neighbours.

In 1900, just five years prior to the separation from Sweden, the navy, which was maintained for coastal defence, consisted of: two British-built [[coastal defence ship]]s ({{HNoMS|Harald Haarfagre}} and {{HNoMS|Tordenskjold}} – each armored and displacing about 3,500 tons), four ironclad [[Monitor (warship)|monitors]], three unarmored gun vessels, twelve gunboats, sixteen small (sixty ton) gunboats, and a flotilla of twenty-seven [[torpedo boat]]s.<ref name=Keltie>Keltie, J.S., ed. ''The Stateman's Year Book: Statistical and Historical Annual of the States of the World for the Year 1900''. New York: MacMillan, 1900. (Retrieved via Google Books 3/5/11.)</ref>{{rp|1066}} These were operated by 116 active duty officers (with an additional sixty reserve) and 700 petty officers and seamen.<ref name=Keltie />{{rp|1067}}
[[File:HaarfagreOgTordenskjold.jpg|thumb|Hårfagre og Tordenskjold]]

=== World War I ===
Norway was neutral during [[World War I]], but the armed forces were mobilised to protect Norway's neutrality. The neutrality was sorely tested – the nation's merchant fleet suffered heavy casualties to [[Imperial Germany|German]] [[U-boat]]s and [[commerce raiders]].<ref name="Tenold 2019">{{cite book | last=Tenold | first=Stig | title=Norwegian Shipping in the 20th Century | publisher=Springer | publication-place=Cham | date=2019-01-01 | isbn=978-3-319-95639-8 | page=63-90}}</ref>

=== World War II ===
{{See also|Norwegian armed forces in exile#Navy}}
[[World War II]] began for the Royal Norwegian Navy on April 8, 1940, when the [[Germany|German]] [[torpedo boat]] ''Albatross'' attacked the guard ship [[HNoMS Pol III|''Pol III'']]. In the opening hours of the [[Battle of Narvik]], the old coastal defence ships ("panserskip") {{HNoMS|Eidsvold}} and {{HNoMS|Norge}}, both built before 1905 and hopelessly obsolete, attempted to put up a fight against the invading German warships; both were torpedoed and sunk. The German invasion fleet heading for [[Oslo]] was significantly delayed when [[Oscarsborg Fortress]] opened fire with two of its three old 28&nbsp;cm guns, followed by the 15&nbsp;cm guns on Kopås on the eastern side of the [[Drøbak]] strait. The artillery pieces inflicted heavy damage on the German heavy cruiser [[German cruiser Blücher|''Blücher'']], which was subsequently sunk by torpedoes fired from Oscarsborg's land-based torpedo battery. ''Blücher'' sank with over 1,000 casualties among its crew and soldiers aboard. The German invasion fleet – believing ''Blücher'' had struck a mine – retreated south and called for air strikes on the fortress. This delay allowed [[King Haakon VII]] of Norway and the Royal family, as well as the government, to escape capture.

[[File:NorwegianNavyMemorial.jpg|thumb|Memorial to members of the Royal Norwegian Navy, Army and Merchant Marine in [[Halifax Regional Municipality|Halifax, Nova Scotia]], Canada, on the flag plaza outside the [[Maritime Museum of the Atlantic]]]] On June 7, 1940, thirteen vessels, five aircraft and 500 men from the Royal Norwegian Navy followed the King to the [[United Kingdom]] and continued the fight from bases there until the war ended. The number of men was steadily increased as Norwegians living abroad, civilian sailors and men escaping from Norway joined the Royal Norwegian Navy. Funds from [[Nortraship]] were used to buy new ships, aircraft and equipment.

Ten ships and 1,000 men from the Royal Norwegian Navy participated in the [[Normandy Invasion]] in 1944.

During the war the navy operated 118 ships, at the end of the war it had 58 ships and 7,500 men in service. They lost 27 ships, 18 fishing boats (of the ''[[Shetland bus]]'') and 933 men in World War II.<ref>{{cite book |title=I skjærgården og på havet – Marinens krig 8. april 1940 – 8. mai 1945 |last=Berg |first=Ole F. |year=1997 |publisher=Marinens krigsveteranforening |location=Oslo |isbn=82-993545-2-8 |page=154 |language= no}}</ref>

The navy had its own [[Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service|air force]] from 1912 to 1944.

=== 1960s to present ===

The building of a new fleet in the 1960s was made possible with substantial economic support from the [[United States]]. During the [[Cold War]], the navy was optimized for [[sea denial]] in coastal waters to make an invasion from the sea as difficult and costly as possible.  With that mission in mind, the Royal Norwegian Navy consisted of a large number of small vessels and up to 15 small diesel-electric submarines. The navy is now replacing those vessels with a smaller number of larger and more capable vessels.

The [[Royal Norwegian Navy Museum]] is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Norway's naval history.

===Ensign and Jack===
<gallery class="center">
File:War ensign of Norway 1814.png|Naval Ensign 1814–1815
File:Swedish_and_Norwegian_naval_ensign_(1815–1844).svg|Naval Ensign 1815–1844<br />(during [[Union between Sweden and Norway|Union with Sweden]], also used by the Swedish Navy)
File:Naval Ensign of Norway (1844-1905).svg|Naval Ensign 1844–1905<br />(during [[Union between Sweden and Norway|Union with Sweden]])
File:Flag of Norway, state.svg|Naval Ensign since 1905
File:Union Jack of Sweden and Norway (1844-1905).svg|Naval Jack 1844–1905<br />(during [[Union between Sweden and Norway|Union with Sweden]], also used by the Swedish Navy)
File:Naval Jack of Norway.svg|Naval Jack since 1905
</gallery>