Tjeld-class patrol boat

The Tjeld class was a class of twenty fast patrol boats designed and built for the Royal Norwegian Navy in the late 1950s. They were used as torpedo boats in Norway where this type of vessel were called MTBs or motor torpedo boats (motortorpedobåt). They remained in service until the late 1970s, when they were placed in reserve; all were stricken by 1995.

Tjeld-class patrol boat HNoMS Gribb (P388)
Class overview
Operators:  Royal Norwegian Navy
Built: 1959–1966
In commission: 1960–1995
Completed: 20 (1st group 12, 2nd group 8)
General characteristics
Type: Patrol boat
Displacement:

70 long tons (71 t)(standard)

76 long tons (77 t) (full load)
Length: 24.5 m (80 ft 5 in)
Beam: 7.5 m (24 ft 7 in)
Draught: 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)
Propulsion:

2 × Napier Deltic Turbo-charged diesel engines, 6,200 hp (4,623 kW)

2 x shafts
Speed: 45 knots (52 mph; 83 km/h)
Range: 450nm at 40kn, 1600nm at 25kn
Complement: 22 men
Armament:

Construction

The Tjeld class was based on a prototype fast patrol boat, the Nasty, developed and introduced as a private venture by Boat Services Ltd. A/S, Oslo, in close cooperation with Royal Norwegian Navy officers with World War II experience in fast patrol boats; the chief designer being naval architect Jan Herman Linge.

The Norwegian Tjeld-class vessels were constructed at Westermoen Båtbyggeri in Mandal. The first group of twelve vessels was ordered in 1957, launched between 1959 and 1960, and commissioned in 1960-1962. A second group of eight vessels was ordered in 1962, launched 1962-63 and commissioned 1963-66.

The design was also marketed abroad, to the then-West German Navy and the U.S. Navy, where they were known as the Nasty class, and to the Hellenic Navy as the Tjeld, or Improved Nasty type.[1]

The U.S. Navy operated twenty of the United States Nasty-class patrol boats, with pennant numbers PTF-3 through PTF-22, primarily in the conduct of riverine warfare during the Vietnam War. A subsequent improved version, the Osprey class, was larger with aluminum instead of wooden hulls, of which four were operated by the U.S.Navy, PTF-23 through PTF-26.[2] Many examples were later transferred to and operated by Naval Reserve units in the 1970s and 1980s until phased out of service. A handful survive as museum articles, either restored or currently undergoing restoration.[3]

Service history

The twenty Tjeld class vessels remained in service until the late 1970s; Skarv was stricken in 1978 and six others in 1979, the remainder being laid up in reserve. All vessels had been disposed of by 1995.[1] All the vessels of the first group were named after seabirds; those of the second group were named for fish or sea mammals. Some of the boats were later renamed, as the bird names were going to be used for the Hauk-class patrol boat. These boats took over the names of other Tjeld-class vessels which had been sold in 1981.

List of vessels
  • First group
Name Pennant number Date of launch Builder Notes[1]
Tjeld ("oystercatcher")P343WestermoenRenamed Sel 1977. Transferred to Naval Reserve and used by Sea Home Guard. Sold for scrapping 1992.
Skarv (cormorant)P344WestermoenSold 1981 [4]
Teist (black guillemot)P345WestermoenSold 1981
Jo (skua)P346WestermoenSold 1981
Lom (common murre)P347WestermoenSold 1981
Stegg (male grouse)P348WestermoenRenamed Hval 1977. Transferred to Naval Reserve and used by Sea Home Guard. Sold for scrapping 1992
Hauk (hawk)P349WestermoenRenamed Laks. Transferred to Naval Reserve and used by Sea Home Guard. Sold for scrapping 1992.[5]
Falk (falcon)P350WestermoenSold 1981
Ravn (raven)P357WestermoenRenamed Knurr 1977. Transferred to Naval Reserve and used by Sea Home Guard. Sold for scrapping 1992.
Gribb (vulture)P388WestermoenRenamed Delfin. Transferred to Naval Reserve and used by Sea Home Guard. Was planned to be preserved by Kværner Mandal A/S, but later sold for scrapping.
Geir (great auk)P389WestermoenStricken 1981. Sold to Stapletask Ltd, Sittingbourne, Kent, England.[6]
Erle (wagtail)P390WestermoenSold 1981
  • Second group
Name Pennant number Date of launch Builder Notes[1]
Skrei (cod)P380WestermoenTransferred to Naval Reserve and used by Sea Home Guard. Transferred to the Royal Norwegian Navy Museum and preserved as a museum ship.
Hai (shark)P381WestermoenTransferred to Naval Reserve and used by Sea Home Guard. Plans are currently underway for Hai to be preserved as a museum ship in Fredrikstad.
Sel (seal)P382WestermoenSold 1981
Hval (whale)P383WestermoenSold 1981
Laks (salmon)P384WestermoenSold 1981 to Stapletask Ltd, Sittingbourne, Kent - Now moored in Great Wakering, Essex, England and has been restored and converted into a house boat (2017)
Knurr (grey gurnard)P385WestermoenSold 1981
Delfin (dolphin)P386Westermoen1984 Transferred to Naval Reserve and used by Sea Home Guard. Transferred to the Royal Norwegian Navy Museum and preserved as a museum ship.
Lyr (pollock)P387WestermoenTransferred to Naval Reserve and used by Sea Home Guard. Sold for scrapping 1992.

Notes
  1. Conway p294
  2. http://libertymaritime.com/index.htm
  3. http://www.ptfnasty.com/ , and http://libertymaritime.com/index.htm/ Archived 1 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Skarv and 9 others were reportedly sold to Stapletask Ltd, Sittingbourne, Kent
  5. Hauks hull was saved by Martin Mead, the present owner, moored at Mill Head, Gt Wakering, Essex
  6. Geir was listed on eBay UK (listing number 321795403777) and sold for 625GBP on 6 July 2015 minus engines.

References
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995 (1995) Naval Institute Press, Annapolis ISBN 1-55750-132-7


Royal Norwegian Navy patrol boat classes
HNoMS Rap1873–1920
Rapp1952–?
Tjeld1959–1992
Storm1965–2000
Snøgg1970–1994
Hauk1979–2009
Skjold1999–Present
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