HNoMS Gyller (1938)

Gyller spent the early part of the Second World War in the far north of Norway, protecting Norway's neutrality during the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union. During her deployment in North Norway she patrolled Norwegian territorial waters and repeatedly had to sink Soviet naval mines that had broken their moorings and drifted into Norwegian waters. During the Winter War all three of the Sleipner-class destroyers commissioned at the time (Æger, Gyller and Sleipner) were deployed to different ports in Finnmark, with Gyller based in Kirkenes.[5]

One occasion when Gyller had to dispose of a mine was on 22 March 1940 when a Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service M.F.11 seaplane operating from an improvised base at Vadsø spotted a mine drifting in the Varangerfjord and directed the destroyer to the scene.[6]

When the Germans invaded Norway she formed part of the 3rd destroyer section in the Kristiansand Defence Sector of the 1st Naval District.[7]

When the invasion came Gyller was docked at Kristiansand and got her first warning of the war in the form of gunfire from Odderøya Fort against the attacking German landing force number four. Gyller immediately fired at attacking Luftwaffe bombers with her single Bofors 40 mm gun and two Colt 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine guns and avoided several bombs dropped against her. After receiving an orientation on the situation from the fort commander Gyller steamed out to the harbour entrance and swung out her torpedo tubes to confront any intruder. However, at 10:00 an order not to fire at British and French forces came to the commander of Kristiansand. This order, combined with confusion of which flags were flown by the intruding warships, led to the German force being able to enter the harbour unopposed on their third attempt at 10:30. At this time Gyller was docked at Tollbodbrygga wharf to refill her water tanks for the oncoming battle and was seized without a fight. Gyller was captured together with numerous other naval vessels in the Kristiansand area, including her sister ship Odin.[8] Before entering the Kriegsmarine she was partially rebuilt and rearmed.

Löwe was the single warship accompanying the evacuation ship Wilhelm Gustloff at the time the vessel was torpedoed and sunk by the Soviet submarine S-13 on 30 January 1945. Löwe managed to rescue 472 of the military and civilian passengers, with other German vessels rescuing another c. 758. Over 9,000 people lost their lives in the sinking.[11]