German aircraft repeatedly claimed Sleipner sunk, but the destroyer survived and acquired a reputation as an unsinkable ship. On 25 April it endured twelve air strikes and several hits without crew casualties, although its ammunition and repair position became untenable. Between attacks, the crew camouflaged the anchored ship with tree branches to make it harder to distinguish in the Norwegian landscape. Sleipner then withdrew toward Lerwick because it had exhausted its ammunition and needed repairs. Continued survival under attack could not keep the ship fighting once its ammunition ran out.
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Sleipner survives repeated air attack and withdraws when ammunition runs out
After repeatedly evading Luftwaffe attacks, Sleipner leaves Norway only when ammunition and repair needs make continued resistance unsustainable.