Eidsvolde

Eidsvold, like the ship she is named for, was given form some time ago, she claims in 1900, near Newcastle upon Tyne, one of the kanmusu that weren't crafted by humans but seemingly appearing along with the pale menace. However, because of the date she claims to have come to awaken, this casts some doubt on the notion that the abyssals merely appeared from the oceans in a surprise and seems to imply a lengthier history for both abyssals and shipgirls. It took her some length of time to eventually find herself close to the nation she called her homeland, Norway, where she put into call at Oslo in 1935. Given the general apprehension and lack of awareness of the entire concept of abyssals and shipgirls, she was poorly received and put in glorified detention by the Sjøforsvaret for nearly two years.

Eventually however, the Norwegian government came around to the concept, at least passingly earlier then the other nations of Europe, saving it from some of the extreme surprise that arose out of the appearance of the 'brennevin' as the Norwegians called abyssals. Finally realizing the purpose of girls like Eidsvold, she was inducted into the navy proper, officially as a 'vann jente', and given a rank even, Flotiljemester, or Chief Petty Officer. Along with her sister ship Norge who appeared some time after her, they formed the main defensive group for Narvik  harbour. Her and Norge took to their new posting with vigor and excitement.

Even with the unifying threat of abyssals though, it was clear that some nations were less comfortable with the agreement as it stood. In the early hours of April 4th, Vidkun Quisling declared a coup and overthrew the elected government and forced the King into exile. Discontent with what he called 'a lack of action in the war against the sea-borne menace' was his stated goal, though the rapid declaration of support from Hitler's Germany casts some doubt on these claims. Regardless, this threw the nation and it's military into some chaos, as units and soldiers were unsure of the new order, and if they should resist the new government or side with it. Eidsvold and Norge, both confused as everyone else was over the coup, were called to Oslo by the provisional and newly formed 'Statspolitiet' under Karl Marthinsen. Perhaps foolishly, they boarded a train for Oslo without thinking of the potential danger of the action.

Arriving in Oslo, they were sure enough both arrested by Statspolitiet soldiers and placed in Grini detention camp, on the outskirts of the capital. Quilsing, in his desire to solidify his own power and perhaps because he was unsure if he could trust the confusing powers that were shipgirls, had opted to imprison as many as possible and send them to the Reich for their own use, be it militarily or economically. Of those arrested and earmarked to be sent to Germany, the following were captured and either renamed or issued provisional serial numbers, which were merely catalogue numbers in the manner of those issued to captured field guns and weapons (though their 'names' were often just pet names the naval authorities gave them);

[i]Harald Haarfagre[/i] - #6514(n) - Renamed Tethis
[i]Tordenskjold[/i] - #6515(n) - Renamed Nymphe
[i]Norge[/i] - #6516(n) - Renamed Hund
[i]Eidsvold[/i] - #6517(n) - Renamed Hündin
[i]Odin[/i] - #6518(n) - Renamed Panther
[i]Gyller[/i] - #6519(n) - Renamed Löwe
[i]Tor[/i] - #6520(n) - Renamed Tiger
[i]Troll[/i] - #6521(n) - Renamed Köcher
[i]Trygg[/i] - #6522(n) - Renamed Zick
[i]Brand[/i] - #6523(n) - Renamed Tarantel
[i]Rauma[/i] - #6524(n) - Renamed Kamerun
[i]Otra[/i] - #6525(n) - Renamed Togo
[i]Olav Tryggvason[/i] - #6526(n) - Renamed Albatross II

Of course, of those sent to Germany, there were also many who were unfortunate enough to catch wind of the potential occurrence and tried to escape. Some were simply put down by the Statspolitiet themselves, while others who fled to sea were used as ample training for some of Germany's own shipgirls. Then there were those few who collaborated with the government, a handful of destroyers managed to secure themselves a place in Quilsing's new government and navy, being all that was left after what the government-in-exile (now in London) called the 'Norsk Desimering'. The girls were thrown in a transport under heavy Kriegsmarine guard and ferried across the Baltic to Cuxhaven, and to the later infamous 'Schiffsrückverlagerung und Materialrückgewinnungsdock' (naval repurposing and material recovery dock).

Given later revelations about the Nazi government and it's various dark undertakings, in hindsight the purpose of such a facility should have been apparent. The port was a nightmare, a veritable hell on earth for the vessels impounded there. Technically under OKM command, the port was in effect an SS playground, and the girls there were brutally abused, often with the intention of breaking them mentally to make them more pliable for serving Germany 'willingly'. However, the main goal was the breaking up of these girls for the materials they seemed to be built of, and in this end, many died. Though, as again, the SS had it's way of the base, many of the demands and orders for breaking were delayed indefinitely so they could 'enjoy' their spoils. Of those who had managed to escape, many report being constantly given a 'final meal' the day they were slated to be broken apart, only to be marched out to the doorway that it took place behind, then promptly marched right back to their cells.

The 'impounded ships' were kept locked in cells not more then four feet tall, and less then four feet wide, making it impossible to stand completely, or to sit and lay down entirely. When considering that all vessels on base were also kept locked in straitjackets and kept in leg irons almost indefinitely, it becomes possible to see how the prison functioned in breaking down it's inmates. Wardens intermittently walked the floor and slammed the doors with truncheons, so even if sleep was reached in the cramped cell, it was short-lived. Meals were infrequent and consisted of (if an inmate was lucky) stale bread and rotten vegetables. Many guards even with-held inmates meals after engaging in sexual acts on them because 'they were fed with the seed of a pure Aryan, what other food do they need?'.

Beatings and sexual contact were the norm in Cuxhaven, with one of the few reasons for a girl to be taken from her cell being for an officer or guard to have his way with her. In some cases, vessels would be given leave of their cell and taken to the barracks ground where they were left bound to a pole for any length of days. This was considered for the girls to be the best possible action, since leaving their cramped cells for any length of time, even if it meant being raped and beaten, was a major boost in emotional standing. Not to mention cells had no toilet facilities, take that as you may. Of course, these conditions endured for the entire duration of a vessels stay. And for many of them, that stay was to become indefinite.

Eidsvold herself had her scrapping date postponed indefinitely on February 7th, 1941. All she was told by the warden was that she would no longer be put up for scrapping but that she was not allowed to leave and was still considered not only an enemy to the Norwegian state, but was classed as an undesirable asset. Even the Kriegsmarine wouldn't take her, considering her age, or for that matter the majority of the girls impounded there. This was in 1941. In regard to the things that go on inside Cuxhaven it should be considered remarkable that Eidsvold and others remained sane as long as they did.  Eidsvold alone claims that she lost track of how many men laid with her, and reports she had become pregnant at least 7 times, although at least 3 were terminated by the facility medical staff.

It was not until December 1945 that Eidsvold would manage to escape, somehow, from the hellish facility. While well-restrained, the girls were still strong, even when drained of energy. During the night, when a guard came to her cell to lay with her, she managed to bull him into the wall and knock the guard out. Taking the chance, Eidsvold lurched as best as her bindings would allow to the open cell-block door. Held in the stratjacket, gagged, and shackled at the ankles, knees, and thighs, how she managed to make it beyond the walls is a wonder. Even in the surrounding country though, she wasn't safe, and considering she was still helplessly bound, feeding herself and other simple tasks became nearly insurmountable challenges.

Eventually though, the battered and terrified girl found her way to the Dutch border, and miraculously avoided German border troops to be interned in Naval Base "Willemsoord" Den Helder. Her arrival in the Netherlands was not given public light, and even with German protestations, she was to be held by the Dutch authorities for nearly three months. After some negotiations an agreement was reached between the Dutch and the Norwegian government-in-exile. Under the auspice of transferring Eidsvold to the Pacific, and therefor out of the European theater, the Dutch forces simply turned back to port halfway to England. Eidsvold was intercepted by a Royal Navy/Sjøforsvaret fleet, with what remained of the Norwegian fleet. [i]Sleipner[/i], one of the few who escaped before the coup was the one to welcome Eidsvold back to freedom.

Greeted almost as a hero for her return, the girl was re-sworn in and given a promotion after the fact of her ordeal to Fenrik, or Ensign. However, freedom felt empty, and the joy of freedom couldn't seem to shake the shame of her being the only one to free herself from that hell on Earth. Part of her wondered if the rest of her sisters were being made to suffer more for her own escape, wrought from a moment of emotion and wild anger. Would she see Norge again, or her older cousins? It would take Eidsvold some time to readjust into her new station and to the freedom she now had- The idea of going back out onto the waves and honestly trusting her superiors difficult for the shaken girl.

Partly due to this, her superiors decided it would be best to station her well away from the European theater, and as a result she was assigned to the small and newly formed 'Pacific Skvadron', consisting of [i]Eidsvold[/i], [i]Sleipner[/i], [i]Stord[/i], [i]Svenner[/i] and the submarine [i]Uredd[/i].