Of Ships and Oranges
Sometimes a challenge results in a consequence beyond what was originally intended.
Norway got its first submarine relatively early, the A1 "Kobben" (The Seal), built at Germaniawerke in Kiel, Germany, which was delivered in 1909 to Norway. One of its officers, 1st lieutenant Dons, was to be a pioner in another and opposite environment to the deep sea....
Norway won its independence from Sweden in 1905, but Norwegians were still somewhat touchy about Swedes and their activities relative to their newly independent country. We had no airplanes in Norway yet, but which countries did during those years? It was still in the beginning of the flying machines, but in Sweden, a lieutenant privately aquired one, and in 1912 he was boasting that he would fly across the Oslofjord andbomb the Norwegian Navy's main base at Horten with ORANGES
Not any hostile "declaration of war" surely, but the challenge ignited the Norwegians, among them, Lt. Dons on "Kobben" who gathered his fellow officers and crew. They started planning how to meet the challenge. More naval crew at the base got involved, and a nationwide collection of money started. HM King Haakon VII (former prince Carl of Denmark) also contributed from his personal funds. When got the money, the "Kobben Gang" decided to send Lt. Dons to Germany to aquire a plane and also to get basic flight training. He got the plane, but the training wasn't exactly exaggerated....... it was, in fact, the barest minimum because he did not have the time for a full course.The airplane, called "Start" was sent to Norway immediately. Lt. Dons and his gang didn't dare to do flight tests, as they were afraid that something might go wrong and they did not want to lose the competition. So our dear submarine lieutenant carried out his mission literally "from scratch", crossing the Oslofjord a couple of days later, just in time to claim the victory over his Swedish counterpart by having Norway FIRST in the air.
The result of this "private" duel between two officers, or rather a private contest between two countries, was the establishment of "Marinens Flyvevęsen" (The Navy's Air Force) a few years later, and "Start" became its first airplane.
And that is why our Air Force was literally conceived in a submarine!
A full scale replica of "Start" remains, together with the original tower of A1 "Kobben" at the Submarine Division's quarters at the Navy's main base at "Haakonsvern" outside Bergen
Norwegian women are not far behind their men in war and in peace. The photo at left is the model of Valkyrjen (1896), which was popularly called "Damernes Krigsskib" (The Ladies' Man-of-War) because of its origins. This torpedo division boat was named in honor of Norway's women who contributed the money to pay for the boat. Voluntary donations were collected by the women's division of the Defense Association.