NARVIK – Norwegian Eldorado for Wreck-Divers Wrecks of Narvik
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NARVIK – Norwegian Eldorado for wreck-divers Wrecks of Narvik Text by Erling Skjold (history and diving) and Frank Bang (diving) Underwater photography by Frank Bang Ship photography by Erling Skjolds, NSA collection Translation by Michael Symes Dieter von Roeder The port of Narvik in north Norway was established around the export of iron-ore from Sweden. This was due to the very good harbour and its ice-free con- ditions. At the outbreak of World War II, Narvik was a strategically important harbour, and during the first few days of the war a very intense battle was fought out here between German, Norwegian and British naval forces. During this fighting several ships were sunk, both warships and civil merchant ships. Narvik harbour was transformed into a great ship ceme- tery, with wrecks sticking up out of the water every- where. Several of the ships were later salvaged, but many wrecks still remained. With its high density of wrecks, Narvik is an eldorado for wreck divers. A diver explores the wreck of the German destroyer Hermann Künne in Trollvika 61 X-RAY MAG : 5 : 2005 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED features Narvik Wrecks www.navalhistory.net Narvik harbour Maps outline battles in Narvik and around Norway during World War II Narvik harbour The importance of Narvik as a strate- Attack on April 9th the Eidsvold in just a few seconds. The that it was British gic harbour increased immediately at The German attack was a great surprise German ships could thereafter sail into forces that were the outbreak of World War II. Germany for Norway, and the forces in Narvik the harbour basin, partly hidden in a attacking, as three needed large amounts of iron ore for were quite unprepared for the attack. strong blizzard. On board the armour- torpedoes hit the their armaments industry, and had a big In the morning mist, the armoured war- plated Norge, it was clear that some- ship. He therefore advantage, in that the ships carrying ship Eidsvold, which was anchored thing was terribly wrong, and slipped ordered the ship to the ore could use neutral Norway and outside Framnesodden, discovered its moorings. When the foreign warships be beached and Sweden to get safely through, without that foreign naval vessels were on their were discovered in the harbour, the blown up. the British navy being able to attack. way in to Narvik’s harbour. Even with Norge immediately opened fire against In the space The export from Narvik went ahead its forty years, the armament of the them. Again, it went terribly wrong for of just a short therefore, with ore ships from many Eidsvold was a big threat to the much the pride of the Norwegian navy. Norge time Narvik har- countries. Due to the war between smaller German destroyer, Wilhelm was struck by a torpedo fired from the bour was under Finland and the Soviet Union, Norway Heidkamp, which stopped a few ship’s German destroyer Anton Schmitt, and German control. had moved her largest warships to lengths away. It must have seemed capsized and sank in just two minutes. All the merchant www.navalhistory.net North Norway, and in April 1940 both very strange for the commander of the Out in the harbour basin, all was total ships that were not the antiquated armoured warships were Eidsvold to be requested to surrender chaos. The merchant ships launched German were immediately put under The British hit back guarding Norway’s neutrality in Narvik, to a German destroyer a long way lifeboats into the water, and thereby German control, and the guns on the Even though the attack was surpris- in order to ensure that the traffic with in a Norwegian fjord. As the Eidsvold rescued a number of survivors from the British cargo boats were demounted to ing for Norway, the Royal Navy were the ore carrying ships was not disrupted prepared to open fire the Wilhelm Eidsvold and Norge. The captain of the be used as land-based artillery. already out in the Atlantic in a hunt for by the warring nations. Heidkamp fired torpedoes, which sank German ore-boat Bockenheim thought the German warships that were sail- 62 X-RAY MAG : 5 : 2005 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED features Narvik Wrecks Neuenfels ing north. Thus, the retreat of the aged, and the German naval Narvik harbour took place. Under 10 German destroyers in Narvik leadership in Narvik was nearly command of the British battleship could be cut off. As the weather totally wiped out when the Wilhelm HMS Warspite, a large British force conditions were good for a surprise Heidkamp was hit by a torpedo. sailed into Ofotfjord to annihilate attack, the British second destroyer The retreat of the British ships was, the German destroyers. German group was ordered into Ofotfjord in however, not quite so easy, as the submarines attempted to attack order to attack the German forces German destroyers guarding the but the torpedoes didn’t work! Thus, there, and to create the greatest fjord threw themselves into the fray. all the remaining German destroy- possible damage to both the war- The British destroyers HMS Hardy ers could be destroyed. This time ships and the merchant ships there. and HMS Hunter were thus sunk the British losses were small. Only The attack was a total surprise, in Ofotfjord. The remaining British the destroyer HMS Eskimo had its as the German destroyers at forces also discovered the German bows destroyed by a German tor- the mouth of the fjord had not supply ship Rauenfels, which was pedo. Most of the German destroy- observed the British attackers. The beached and blown up. Essential ers were beached, emptied of British could therefore fire their tor- supplies of ammunition, weapons ammunition and blown up. The pedoes straight into the harbour and provisions were thereby lost for merchant ships were not spared. basin without meeting any serious the Germans. When the British forces pulled out, resistance. The results were over- After this there were some quieter all the merchant ships were either whelming. Two German destroy- days. Planes from British aircraft sunk or destroyed. Narvik harbour ers and several cargo boats were carriers attacked the harbour, but was transformed into an enormous sunk after being hit by torpedoes. caused only limited damage. ships’ cemetery with wrecks sticking In addition, many ships were dam- On April 13th, the great battle of up out of the water everywhere. View of the great damages in Narvik Harbour after it was attacked on April 9, 1940, World War II 63 X-RAY MAG : 5 : 2005 EDITORIAL EDITORIAL FEATURES FEATURES TRAVEL TRAVEL NEWS NEWS EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT BOOKS BOOKS SC SCIENCEIENCE & & ECOLOGY ECOLOGY EDUCATION EDUCATION PROFILES PROFILES PORTFOLIO PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED CLASSIFIED features Narvik Wrecks the wrecks. These rules and regulations, and self-declaration can be found on the internet at www.narvik.kommune. no/havnetj/dykking.html When one has registered, a dive per- mit can be obtained for NOK 50.00 per week. The dive permit is valid for the wrecks: Martha Hendrik Fisser, Stråssa, Romanby, Neuenfels, Anton Schmitt, Wilhelm Heidkamp, and Diether von Roeder. It is totally forbidden to dive down to some of the other wrecks that lie in the Narvik area. This is because they have either not been cleared of ammuni- tion, or that they are preserved as a historic site. Among others, it is forbid- ◄ A diver explores the bridge of the wreck of the German destroyer Anton Schmitt ▲ Close up of a porthole on the destroyer Anton Schmitt ► Captain Terje Seiness with divers on the way to the wrecks of the German destroyers German bombers also sank several allied were blown up so that the ore-boats in the company of its Other shipwrecks ships in this area. The most well known could pass over them. After the war, the slayers. Narvik was a quiet place for the rest of these is the Norwegian fast-route ship salvaging work continued on the remain- of the war. The most dramatic event Dronning Maud in Gratangen. ing ships. From 1949 until 1956 most of the Diving to the that otherwise occurred was when the cargo boats were lifted and broken up wrecks German ore-boat Odin sailed into the Clearing up for scrap. Only the most damaged and All diving in Narvik German anti-mine boom at the entrance The big work of salvaging the sunken heavily loaded were allowed to remain, is controlled by the to the harbour, and immediately sank. ships in Narvik was started already in the and today they make a fine and excit- Harbour Authorities. Apart from this, it was only minor ships Spring of 1940. Norwegian and German ing diving site for wreck divers. In 1964, Anyone wishing sinking due to collisions, overloading, etc. salvage boats worked at top speed, and three German destroyers were lifted from to dive must regis- There are several wrecks of aircraft in just a short time most of the wrecks the harbour basin and moved out to ter with the Narvik to be found in the area around Narvik, which were blocking the quays were lift- Framnesodden, where they are out of Harbour board, and both in the sea, in fresh water, and in the ed and sent overseas for repair. In addi- the way of shipping traffic. Thus the total- sign a declaration mountains. During the fighting in 1940, tion, the wrecks out in the harbour basin ly destroyed armoured vessel Eidsvold lies regarding diving to 64 X-RAY MAG : 5 : 2005 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED features Narvik Wrecks ◄ Divers explore the wreck of the German destroyer Wilhelm Heidkamp.