Britain purchased the unfinished Norwegian ships after construction at Armstrong Whitworth's Elswick yard had been delayed in favour of Furious, Courageous, and other wartime priorities. Nidaros and Bergen had been ordered as panserskip, literally armoured ships, and part of Norway's earlier payment shaped the disputed purchase price. The Royal Navy adapted their weapons to British ammunition, removed the planned torpedo tubes and 3.9-inch guns, and fitted a large tripod mast. A 1917 anti-torpedo bulge covered about three quarters of the hull's length. The bulges cost roughly two knots but absorbed the weight of the alterations without significantly increasing draught. Gorgon was commissioned on 1 May 1918 and reached Dover on 6 June. She emerged as a stable British bombardment ship built around the sound hull and protection of the original Norwegian coastal-defence design.
Chapter · 18:01-21:00
From Norwegian order to British monitor
Originally intended for Norway as Nidaros and Bergen, the ships were completed for Britain with revised armament and extensive torpedo bulges.