HNoMS Frithjof (1895)

HNoMS Frithjof was a Norwegian warship, classified as a Rendel gunboat, built by Armstrong Whitworth in Elswick, England. She was launched in 1895 and served in the Royal Norwegian Navy. Frithjof, along with her sister ship Nansen, represented a modernization of the Norwegian coastal defence fleet at the time, incorporating modern quick-firing guns and improved armour. She was named after the legendary Norse hero Frithjof the Bold.

Frithjof was primarily intended for coastal defence, patrolling Norwegian waters and protecting against potential foreign incursions. She was equipped with a relatively heavy armament for her size, reflecting the Norwegian strategy of deterring larger warships with heavily armed, smaller vessels.

During World War I, Norway maintained a neutral stance. Frithjof and other Norwegian warships played a role in enforcing that neutrality, intercepting and inspecting foreign vessels.

The ship remained in service until the 1930s when she was decommissioned and eventually scrapped. She represents a significant piece of Norwegian naval history during a period of technological advancement in naval warfare.