HNoMS Rap (1873) facts for kids
HNoMS Rap
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Quick facts for kids History |
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.svg){kind=small} Norway |
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| Name | KNM Rap |
| Ordered | 1873 |
| Builder | John I. Thornycroft & Company |
| Laid down | 1873 |
| Launched | 1873 |
| Commissioned | 1873 |
| Stricken | 1920 |
| Status | Preserved at the Royal Norwegian Navy Museum |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Torpedo boat |
| Displacement | 7 long tons (7 t) |
| Length | 18.2 m (59 ft 9 in) |
| Beam | 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Propulsion | Compound steam engine, 100 hp (75 kW) |
| Speed | 14.5 knots (16.7 mph; 26.9 km/h) |
| Complement | 7 |
| Armament | Designed for a spar torpedo, later two 'frames' for Whitehead torpedoes |
The HNoMS Rap was a small, fast warship from Norway. It was built in 1873 and was one of the very first torpedo boats. The Rap was special because it was one of the first ships to use the new, self-propelled Whitehead torpedo. This happened after it was changed in 1879. The name Rap means "quick" in Norwegian.
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Building the Rap
The Rap was ordered from a company called John I. Thornycroft & Company in England. It was built at their shipyard in Chiswick, a town on the River Thames. When it was finished, the Rap was one of the fastest boats around. It could travel at a speed of 14.5 knots (27 km/h).
Early Weapons
At first, the Norwegians thought about giving the Rap a spar torpedo. This was a torpedo attached to a long pole that would explode when it hit an enemy ship. But it seems this type of torpedo was never actually used on the Rap. For a short time, the ship was even used to test a torpedo that was pulled behind it.
Using Whitehead Torpedoes
In 1879, the Rap was changed to carry the new self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. These torpedoes could travel on their own underwater. First Lieutenant Koren was the ship's first commander. He also designed the special racks used to launch these new torpedoes.
Other Early Torpedo Boats
Even though the Rap was built a few years earlier, the British ship HMS Lightning was the first true torpedo boat built specifically to carry self-propelled torpedoes. It was actually fitted with these torpedoes before the Rap. The very first warship of any kind to carry self-propelled torpedoes was the British ship HMS Vesuvius, built in 1873.
Ship's Limits
The Rap was quite small, weighing less than ten tons. This meant it couldn't travel very far and wasn't very good in rough seas. Over the next 30 years, Norway built many more torpedo boats. These new ships were much bigger and more complex than the Rap. The Rap was finally removed from the navy in 1920, long after it had become old-fashioned.
Images for kids
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An old drawing of spar torpedo boats.
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A plan drawing of the Rap.
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Rap's Legacy
Today, you can see the Rap at the Royal Norwegian Navy Museum in Horten, Norway. It is a museum ship, which means it is preserved for people to visit and learn from.
The name Rap was also given to a group of six motor torpedo boats built for the Royal Norwegian Navy in the 1950s. These newer ships were called the Rapp-class patrol boats.
