Draug was a destroyer of less than 600 tons that had entered service in 1908 and could make 27 knots when new with triple-expansion steam engines. Norway ordered its reactivation in September 1939, but the engineering team spent more than a month filling boiler cracks before the machinery was seaworthy. Hull work added further delay, revealing that the vessel had not been preserved for rapid return to service. The engineers then had to operate with direct knowledge that extensive repairs had only just made the old boilers usable. The criticism is that proper reserve maintenance and timely boiler replacement should have prevented such prolonged repairs when the ship was needed.
Notable Point · 51:20-53:53
Draug's reactivation exposes the cost of neglected reserves
Bringing the 1908 destroyer Draug back into service requires a month of boiler repairs, illustrating how poor reserve maintenance consumes readiness when war begins.