The Bjørgvin-class coastal battleships were ordered by Norway in 1912 to supplement the older and s. The two ships laid down were compulsorily purchased by the British government for the Royal Navy when World War I broke out, and classified as monitors. The British government paid Norway £370,000 as compensation for each ship.

Ships in class (1912) - Compulsorily purchased by the British government and renamed , blew up in a September 1918 accident. (1912) - Compulsorily purchased by the British government and renamed .

Description The Bjørgvin class would be significantly more heavily armed than the previous Eidsvold class: Two 24 cm/50 guns, which in British service were relined to use standard British ammunition and became 9.2"/51.British 9.2"/51 (23.4 cm) Mark XII, updated 8 April 2005, retrieved 9 December 2005 These were considered among the longest-ranged guns in the world in 1918. As designed, they would have fired a projectile with a muzzle velocity of 884 m/s (2,900 ft/s), capable of penetrating of face-hardened armour at a range of . Four 15 cm/50 each in a single turret - one aft, one fore, two midships (one on either side). In British service they were relined to take standard ammunition.British 6"/49 (15.2 cm) BL Mark XVIII, updated 1 April 2005, retrieved 9 December 2005 Six guns. Two submerged torpedo tubes. In addition to the heavier armament, the two ships of the Bjørgvin class were also significantly better armoured, with her armour better distributed: thick armour in the belt thick armour on the turrets thick armour in the barbettes thick armoured deck thick armour on the conning tower thick armoured bulkheads

Notes

References Model of KNM Bjørgnvin , from the website of the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum, retrieved 9 December 2005 On guns, see Notes. Naval History via Flix: KNM Nidaros, retrieved 11 December 2005 Naval History via Flix: Technical Details of Ship HMS Gorgon, retrieved 9 December 2005

External links Model of KNM Bjørgnvin, head on view Details of the forecastle and details of bridge . The loss of the HMS Glatton, an "interesting little ship", retrieved 15 January 2007