Although Norway was ruled by Sweden under a joint monarchy until 1905, the Norwegian mercantile marine, the fourth largest in the world during the second half of the nineteenth century, necessitated its own separate naval force albeit of a purely defensive nature. Tordenskjold, 3,858 tons and classed as a Coastal Defence Ship capable of 17 knots, was laid down (along with the identical Harald Haarfagre) in Armstrong's Yard in 1896, launched in March 1897 and completed in March 1898. Stationed at Horten for all her service life, she was captured by the invading German forces in April 1940 and subsequently rebuilt as the floating anti-aircraft battery ship Nymphe. Recovered by Norway in May 1945, she ran aground later that year and, not considered worth saving, was broken up at Stavanger in 1946.