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THE NAVY
In the middle ages, the ships of the Norwegian Vikings were
known far and wide. The old national defensive organisation
«ledingen» (the levy), was entirely based on naval warfare; the
coast was divided into ship-provinces, which each had to provide
a manned vessel with oars and sails. In the development of the
larger types of war-ships of more modern times, Norway had no
part until long after a union was effected with Denmark; and the
traditions of Norwegian naval wars during the last centuries are
hardly to be separated from those of Denmark, as long as this
union existed. It was in a great measure Norwegian sailors and
Norwegian officers that manned the fleet, which maintained the
intercourse between the kingdoms, and which was most frequently
victorious in the numerous engagements with the Swedish fleet in
the Baltic and the Kattegat. In 1801, a bloody battle was fought
with the English under Parker and Nelson in the roads of
Copenhagen; and in 1807, the large and splendid united fleet was given
up to the English, who quite unexpectedly landed in Zealand.
During the succeeding years of war there were no ships left in
Norway but two or three brigs and a few rowing gun-boats.
Since 1814, special importance has been attached to gun-boats,
as these vessels had proved capable of keeping the belt of rocks
and islands along the coast, the «skjærgaard», free from the enemy’s
ships, and open for the coast traffic which is so necessary for
Norway.
Steam was introduced fairly early, and in the sixties Norway
had a fleet of screw frigates and smaller steamers, that was quite
on a par with those of her neighbours. When the general
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