HDMS Tordenskjold (1880)
# HDMS Tordenskjold (1880)

Tordenskjold was a torpedo ram built for the Royal Danish Navy in the early 1880s. The ship was sold for scrap in 1908.

## Design and description

Tordenskjold was 67.75 meters (222 ft 3 in) long, had a beam of 13.23 meters (43 ft 5 in) and a draft of 4.8 meters (15 ft 9 in). She displaced 2,534 metric tons (2,494 long tons) and was fitted with a ram bow. Her crew consisted of 220 officers and enlisted men.

The ship was fitted with a pair of Burmeister & Wain compound-expansion steam engines, each engine driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by eight cylindrical boilers. The engines were rated at a total of 2,600 indicated horsepower (1,900 kW) and gave the ship a speed of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph). Tordenskjold carried a maximum of 170 long tons (173 t) of coal that gave her a range of 1,500 nautical miles (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) at a speed of 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph).

The ram's main battery consisted of a single 25-caliber 355-millimeter (14 in) gun mounted in the barbette forward of the superstructure. She was also armed with four single 25-caliber 120-millimeter (4.7 in) guns aft, each protected by a gun shield. For defense against torpedo boats, the ship was equipped with four 5-revolving barrel, 37-millimeter (1.5 in), 1-pounder Hotchkiss guns. The ship was also fitted with one 380-millimeter (15 in) and three 355 mm torpedo tubes.

Tordenskjold's waterline was completely unprotected. The barbette was protected by 203 millimeters (8 in) of armor. The deck armor was 95 millimeters (4 in) thick while the conning tower was protected by 31-millimeter (1.2 in) armor plates.

## Construction and service

Tordenskjold, named for Vice Admiral Peter Tordenskjold, victor in the 1716 Battle of Dynekilen during the Great Northern War, was laid down on 5 June 1879 by the Orlogsværftet in Copenhagen, launched on 30 September 1880 and commissioned on 29 September 1882.

