The invasion included a planned landing of 1,000 troops transported by ship to Oslo. A German fleet led by the cruiser Blücher was dispatched up the Oslofjord to begin the German invasion of Norway, with the objective of seizing the Norwegian capital of Oslo and capturing King Haakon VII and his government. The commander of the torpedo battery at Oscarsborg had at the time of the battle been on sick leave since March 1940. [7] In total, some 1,200 of the survivors had made it ashore at Frogn near Drøbak. The remaining ships turned around and landed the German invasion forces out of range of Oscarsborg. [23] There was only time for the Main Battery to fire these two rounds, due to their slow reload time with only 30 untrained recruits manning them at the time. According to Article 181 of the Treaty of Versailles, the treaty that ended World War I, the German Navy was permitted only six light cruisers. ("That cannot shake a sailor"). The hotel was the temporary improvised location for the Royal Norwegian Navy Hospital, which had been evacuated from Horten at midnight on 8 April. She was hit by shells from 15km distance and capsized near Doggersbank. Please practice hand-washing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. [46] Amongst the bombers that attacked Oscarsborg were twenty-two long-range Junkers Ju 87R "Stuka" dive bombers of Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 under the command of Hauptmann Paul-Werner Hozzel, operating from Kiel-Holtenau airport in northern Germany. [23], While fire raged aboard Blücher, the secondary Norwegian coastal batteries fired at her with guns ranging in calibre from the two small 57 mm (2.24 in) pieces at Husvik, intended to protect the fortress' missing mine barrier, to the three 15 cm (5.9 in) guns of the Kopås Battery on the eastern side of the fjord. The guardsmen were supposed to take all the Germans prisoner, but mainly focused on caring for the many wounded and dying. The map created by people like you! The fleet was engaged in the fjord by Oscarsborg Fortress, an ageing coastal installation near Drøbak, that had been relegated to training coastal artillery servicemen, leading the Germans to disregard its defensive value. For some time after the battle, the belief was that Oscarsborg had sunk the artillery training ship Brummer. [24] Although the main building at the battery caught fire, the Norwegians suffered no casualties. Sørland sank with two of her six-man crew near the village of Skiphelle in Drøbak, as the first civilian Norwegian ship lost during the invasion. None of the prisoners were interrogated. [16] When Anderssen had been called back into duty a month previously, he had been a pensioner for 13 years, having originally retired from his post as commander of the torpedo battery in 1927. Wreck of WW2 Italian destroyer found under the Mediterranean Sea waters, Awesome Drone Footage: P-40 fighter aircraft lifted from the bottom of Kerch Strait - It Was Part of Lend-Lease Agreement, Yes! The Kriegsmarine's newest ship at the outbreak of World War II, having been in commission for just over six months, she was sunk by Norwegian shore defences at the Battle of Drøbak Sound on April 9, 1940, the first day of the invasion of Norway (Operation Weserübung). At 04:21 on 9 April, Eriksen gave the Main Battery guns the order to fire at the lead ship of the unknown flotilla forcing its way towards Oslo. The shelling lasted only for five to seven minutes. Blücher's torpedoes were fired against land to avoid them exploding in the uncontrolled fires aboard. In one famous incident the German battle cruiser Blücher … The kit depicts Blucher subsequent to the fitting of a tripod foremast in 1913, the first German warship to be so fitted. The loss of the German flagship, which carried most of the troops and Gestapo agents intended to occupy Oslo, delayed the German occupation long enough for King Haakon VII and his government to escape from the capital. But she, like many other ships in history, was created and born in an era where she was vunerable to … [23] This caused catastrophic damage to the cruiser and blew open many of her bulkheads, allowing water to flood her decks while she was burning furiously. [33] The retired torpedoes the officer was aiming at the cruiser were 40-year-old Whitehead torpedo weapons of Austro-Hungarian manufacture. The first 28 cm shell hit Blücher right in front of the aft mast,[19] and set the midship area up to the fore mast on fire. The Scharnhorst, an armoured battle-cruiser … One of the 15 cm rounds from Kopås disabled Blücher's steering gear and forced the cruiser's crew to steer her using the engines to avoid running aground. Tamelander, Michael & Zetterling, Niklas: "Besøket på Oscarsborg festning lørdag 2 september", Oscarsborg Fortress Museum official website, Oscarsborg Museum – history of the fortress, Norwegian Armed Forces website page about the fortress, 50 year anniversary Aftenposten newspaper article on the invasion of Norway, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Drøbak_Sound&oldid=998625963, Battles and operations of World War II involving Norway, Battles of World War II involving Germany, Articles with Norwegian-language sources (no), Articles with dead external links from June 2019, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with German-language sources (de), Articles containing Norwegian-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 6 January 2021, at 07:51. Initially, four machine guns on the roof of the Main Battery also returned fire, but these had to be abandoned early on. The WSW 1:700th SMS Blucher is typical of the high quality we’ve come to expect from this German producer. Kummetz flew his flag in Blücher. The fjord was the scene of a key event in the German invasion of Norway in 1940. The oil rapidly caught fire, killing hundreds more Germans. The British managed to intercept German telegrams and send a fleet of 5 battlecruisers. SMS Seydlitz was a battlecruiser of the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy), built in Hamburg. [50], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}59°42′03″N 10°35′34″E / 59.7009°N 10.5927°E / 59.7009; 10.5927, Battle of World War II in the Norwegian Campaign. [7], Obergefreiter Günther Morgalla—who survived the sinking—later said that, swimming toward his shivering crew mates onshore, he heard someone defiantly singing the Deutschlandlied followed by "Das kann doch einen Seemann nicht erschüttern." Oscarsborg had fulfilled its mission and denied an invader access to the capital. Hitler’s plan for conquering Norway was simple. [9] After the ship had disappeared from the surface, large quantities of oil floated up and covered the close to two thousand sailors and soldiers fighting for their lives in the freezing water. … The battle is depicted in the 2016 feature film The King's Choice. Seeing the geysers of water from underwater explosions on Blücher, and unaware of the torpedo battery, the commander of the heavy cruiser Lützow (the recently renamed 'pocket battleship' Deutschland) assumed the flagship had hit mines and at 04:40 the decision was made for the flotilla to turn back and land the invasion forces out of range of the Oscarsborg batteries. In addition to the depth the vessel is turned upside-down, and strong tides make diving possible only at specific times. As the political situation was chaotic, the 64-year-old commander, Oberst (Colonel) Birger Eriksen, had not received any clear orders and had received no notice as to whether the approaching warships were German or Allied. The fortress was surrendered intact on the morning of 10 April. Yourwhislist E-Commerce, S.L. [25][26][28][29][30] Later, at 04:35, Oberst Eriksen received a message from the Norwegian minesweeper HNoMS Otra confirming that the intruding ships were German. The Blücher was a German Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser. [19] Only one gun crew of actual artillerymen was available, and two guns could only be made operational by splitting the real gunners between the two guns and using non-combatant privates to assist the gunners. [1] Design work on the first new light cruiser, ordered as "Ersatz Niobe", began in 1921. [25] As Kommandørkaptein Anderssen pushed the firing mechanism button for the torpedoes, at approximately 04:30, the weapons turned out to work perfectly; first one and then another torpedo raced out of their underwater exit tunnels at 3 m (9.8 ft) below the surface toward the burning warship. POLITICAL, SOCIETY, ECONOMY, ART, CULTURE DURING WW2, Occupied Nations and Territories - Collaborators, ESPIONAGE, RESISTANCE, ESCAPES, SECRETS AND CURIOSITIES, Special Operations, Intelligence and Espionage, Partisans, Guerrillas and Resistance Movements, STRATEGIES, RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES MILITARY, Strategy, Tactic, Doctrine, Planning and Training, Russo-Finish War: Winter War (1939-1940) and Continuation War (1941-1944), France, Belgium and Low Countries (1939-1940), Battle of Britain, Operation Sea Lion and The Blitz (1940-1941), WAR IN THE AFRICA, MEDITERRANEAN AND NEAR EAST, Italian East Africa Campaigns (1940-1941), North Africa Campaigns and the Mediterranean (1940-1943), Balkan Campaigns and The Aegean (1940-1941), Balkan Campaigns, The Aegean and The Adriatic (1942-1945), Africa, Mediterranean and Near East: Miscellaneous Campaigns, Air and Naval campaigns in Europe: Miscellaneous, Indo-China and Thailand Operations (1940-1945), Malaya and Singapore Campaign (1941-1942), (CBI) China-Burma-India Theater (1941-1945), WAR IN AUSTRALIA, PACIFIC AND INDIAN OCEANS, Central Pacific Area Operations (1941-1945), Australia, New Guinea and The Bismarck Operations (1942-1945), Solomon Islands Campaigns and The South Pacific (1942-1945), Bombas Atómicas y Rendición del Japón (1945), North Pacific Area Operations (1941-1945), Australia, Pacific and Indian: Miscellaneous Campaigns, AIR AND NAVAL WAR IN ASIA, PACIFIC E INDIAN, War at Sea in The Pacific and Indian Oceans (1939-1945), Air War in Asia and The Pacific (1941-1945), Air and Naval Asia, Pacific and Indian: Miscellaneous Campaigns, Armored Cars and Armoured Fighting Vehicles, UNITED STATES, CANADA AND THE REST OF LATIN, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA, CHINA AND REST OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC, Re-enactment: Other Interesting Resources, The Guadalcanal-Solomons Campaign November 1942–March 1943, The Doolittle Raiders and their Fight for Justice, The Longest Campaign: The Battle of the Atlantic, The River Battles: Canada's Final Campaign in Italy, Mechanisation of British Cavalry Units and Tank Doctrine, PODCAST MUJERES EN LA SEGUNDA GUERRA MUNDIAL, EL DÍA MAS LARGO PODCAST SOBRE ESTA ICONICA PELÍCULA DEL DÍA D, German Heavy Cruiser Blücher Wreckage Site and Diving (five videos), The People's Army in the Spanish Civil War, Eagle Squadron (US early entry into WWII), La industria de guerra alemana como elemento de planificación estratégica durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, It`s Amazing! [19] There was no time to reload; there was not even time to fire the third gun, Josva, which was loaded but unmanned. The Battle of Drøbak Sound took place in Drøbak Sound, the northernmost part of the outer Oslofjord in southern Norway, on 9 April 1940. Apart from the officers and NCOs, almost all the soldiers manning the fortress were fresh recruits, having only been conscripted seven days before, on 2 April. He responded with his now famous response; "Either I will be decorated or I will be court martialled, Fire! The hilariously parodical scenes which follow include the monsters encounter with a lonely, blind hermit (Gene Hackman) who befriends him, spill… Blücher's fire-fighting system was also knocked out by shell fragments from the two Norwegian batteries, making attempts to control the fires aboard the ship and rescue the many wounded much more difficult. [38] Around 1,000 of the Germans, including Generalmajor Erwin Engelbrecht and Admiral Oskar Kummetz, were eventually moved to a nearby farm and placed under light guard. She was the only ship of her class and was the first large warship built in Germany after the end of World War I.She was built at the Reichsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven; her keel was laid down in December 1921 and her completed hull was launched in January 1925. Don't Miss. It marked the end of the "Phoney War" and the beginning of World War II in Western Europe. The occupation forces would then take care of the rest. These torpedoes had been practice-launched well over 200 times before, but no one was certain if they would function or not. [42], By the time Blücher sank, the remaining naval force destined for Oslo had long since turned around and retreated back down the fjord. German cruiser Blücher sinking in the Oslofjord, originally spearheading the capture of the Norwegian capital and Royal Family. After firing, the two other tubes were reloaded and readied for the next target. [39] The leading German officers reached Oslo at 22:00, moving into the Hotel Continental, though without most of the troops intended to occupy the capital. Colonel Eriksen, Commander of the Oscarsborg fortress near Drøbak, mainly maintained for historical purposes, sank the German heavy cruiser Blücher in the Drøbak narrows. In light of the fall of the capital, and with news of German landings at the village of Son south of Drøbak,[46] Colonel Eriksen decided that further fighting without adequate infantry support was in vain, and agreed to a ceasefire in the evening of 9 April. German transport planes flying through Oslofjord; The Norwegian victory was short lived as, unbeknown to Eriksen, the Blücher was only the first step in the invasion. Dreaded V1 Flying Bomb Flyes Again! VHF-radio and a skilled and experienced surface-crew is a must. Emden was a light cruiser built for the German Reichsmarine in the early 1920s. U-637 U-boat Wreck Discovery by Famous Shipwrecks Hunter, Amazing discovery! Norwegian shore batteries sink the Blucher From a range of approximately 1800 metres the two 11inch (28cm) shells from the Krupps guns that were capable of firing caused massive damage to the Blucher. [2] The ship was intended for long-range overseas service, so the designers placed emphasis on a large cruising radius and capaciou… The reality, however, was that the burning ship was the 107 long tons (109 t) Norwegian cargo cutter Sørland that had stumbled into the battle while on her way from Moss to Oslo with a cargo of paper. The Kriegsmarine's newest ship at the outbreak of World War II, having been in commission for just over six months, she was sunk by Norwegian shore defences at the Battle of Drøbak Sound on April 9, 1940, the first day of the invasion of Norway (Operation Weserübung). 14.08.2014 - German cruiser Blücher in the Oslo fjord, April 9, 1940 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Stay safe and healthy. [34] The crew's struggle ended when, at 05:30,[34] fires reached a midship ammunition hold for the 10.5 cm (4.13 in) Flak guns, blowing a large gap in the ship's side. In all, the fortress was subjected to nearly nine hours of air attack, during which time around five hundred bombs—ranging from 50–200 kg (110–440 lb) in size—were dropped on Oscarsborg. Blücher was the second of five Admiral Hipper -class heavy cruisers of Nazi Germany 's Kriegsmarine, built after the rise of the Nazi Party and the repudiation of the Treaty of Versailles. [24], As the now crippled Blücher passed the fortress guns, a sudden outburst of voices from the burning cruiser could be heard above the battle noises; Norwegian sources state that the crew broke into singing Deutschland, Deutschland über alles. The German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen was one of the German Navy’s largest ships. Admiral Hipper immediately ordered his ships homeward, but it was too late for Blücher, the slowest of the party. Sinking of the German Kreuzer “Blücher” 14-02-2019 The Blücher was the second of five Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruisers of Nazi Germany’s Kriegsmarine, built after the rise of the Nazi Party and the repudiation of the Treaty of Versailles. In one of the more peculiar battles of the war, a hundred year old fortification, manned by raw recruits and pensioners and armed with 40- to 50-year-old weaponry of German and Austro-Hungarian manufacture, had destroyed a ship so new, its crew was still finishing training. Thus, the Norwegian government was able to continue the defence of Norway until it had evacuated to exile in the United Kingdom on 7 June, with the Norwegian Army laying down their arms on 10 June. Review of the 1/350 kit of the German Navy's Cruiser Blücher by Trumpeter. Enter a comma separated list of user names. The heavy traffic in the straight is another danger. The occupation forces would then take care of the rest. As built, the ship had a straight stem, though after her launch this was replaced with a clipper bow increasing the overall length to 205.9 meters (676 ft).A raked funnel cap was also installed. Her keel was laid on 15 August 1936, under construction number 246. Estimated Wreckposition of German Heavy Cruiser Blücher. By 18:30, the Norwegian soldiers withdrew from the area, abandoning the Germans. SMS Blücher (wreck) SMS Blücher (wreck) SMS Blücher was the last armored cruiser of the German Kaiserliche Marine. During this retreat, the fortress managed to damage the heavy cruiser "Lützow". The Blücher was the last and arguably the best German armoured cruiser, armed like the new Nassau dreadnoughts. The heavy cruiser Blücher would sail into the Oslo harbor, turn its cannons against the royal palace, and Norway would surrender. Sten Stockmann - www.advanceddivermagazine.com | Snekker Anders (Youtube) | Esben Johannsen (Youtube) | Wouter Groenewegen (Youtube) - Northsea Explorers (Vimeo) - Stig Fredrik Johansson (Vimeo) - Stig Fredrik Johansson (Vimeo). He was well aware that Norway was officially neutral, but that the government was inclined to side with the British in case of direct Norwegian involvement in the war. It marked the end of the "Phoney War" and the beginning of World War II in Western Europe. At this point, however, Blücher entered the sights of Kommandørkaptein Anderssen as she slid past the torpedo battery at a range of only 500 m (550 yd). [31], The return fire from Blücher was ineffective, with the light artillery mostly pointing too high and the main batteries, 20.3 cm guns, unable to fire due to the damage caused by the second 28 cm round from Oscarsborg's Main Battery. Copyright © 2014. The wreck counts as a war-grave, hundreds of sailors and soldiers died on it. Previously dived by Norwegian, Swedish and Danish teams, we had the honor of being the first Finns on the wreck... (read more at: www.advanceddivermagazine.com). The only thing they did over the years was to remove the anchors (they are at a museum) and the ship's bell (brought it to a german naval museum). The Husvik battery had to be abandoned when Blücher passed in front of it and fired her light AA guns directly down into the positions. According to the report, a major concern is a typhoon damaging the wreck and facilitating a … [40][41] Many of the German wounded were initially taken to Åsgården summer hotel in Åsgårdstrand for medical care, where Norwegian wounded had already been brought. [16] Colonel Eriksen later explained his decision by alluding to the fact that the German naval force already had forced their way past the Oslofjord Fortress' forts and had received both warning shots and live rounds from these more outlying coastal fortifications. Mar 4, 2017 - German heavy cruiser "Blücher", in Oslo Fjord, Norway, on April 9th, 1940, early in the morning Engelbrecht and Kummetz then made their way to Oslo. All rights reserved. After a break in the attacks from 12:00 to 13:30, during which time Lützow bombarded Hovedøya,[1] the Luftwaffe bombers returned at 13:30 and soon strafed the remaining Norwegian anti-aircraft guns, forcing the crew to seek shelter in the nearby forest at around 14:00. By this point, Blücher was doomed. As the force made good its escape, the fortress managed to damage Lützow, the 15 cm guns of the Kopås battery scoring three hits and knocking out the ship's forward 28 cm turret ("Anton"). However, unbeknownst to German military intelligence, the fortress' most powerful weapon was a torpedo battery, which would be used to great effect against the German invaders.[14]. The second 28 cm shell also knocked out the electricity central for the ship's main guns, rendering them unable to return fire. Blücher was ordered by the Kriegsmarine from the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel. WW2live is a division of Yourwhislist E-commerce, S.L. [24] In all, thirteen 15 cm rounds and around thirty 57 mm shells hit the German cruiser as it passed the guns of the fortress' secondary batteries. [35], At 06:22, Blücher sank bow first into the depths of the Oslofjord, first laying over on her port side, then turning upside-down and finally succumbing with her screws the last to disappear below the surface. The reserve officers were released on 15 May, while the full-time officers were transferred to Grini prison camp and released in late May 1940.[48]. On 9th April 1940, the fort was attacked by the Kriegsmarine and sank the German cruiser "Blücher". She sank after an heroic and epic fight against Beatty's own ships at the battle of the Dogger Bank in January 1915. Emden was commissioned into the fleet in October 1925. The fjord was the scene of a key event in the German invasion of Norway in 1940. [27] The message had been sent to the naval base in Horten at 04:10, but the massive communications problems that severely hampered the efforts of the Norwegian military throughout the Norwegian Campaign had prevented it from reaching Oscarsborg in time. In addition Norway’s gold reserves were moved out of reach of the invaders and ultimately shipped to the Allies for Norway’s use during the war. [22] The second 28 cm round hit the base of the forward 20.3 cm (8.0 in) gun turret shortly thereafter, throwing large parts of it into the fjord and igniting further fires on board. [19] Upon giving the command, Eriksen was questioned. [34][35][36] The magazine blast ruptured the bulkheads between the boiler rooms and tore open the cruiser's fuel bunkers, igniting further fires. [1][11][12] Brummer was indeed lost in connection with the invasion, but only when she was on her way back to Germany on 14 April, when she was torpedoed by the Royal Navy submarine HMS Sterlet and sank the next day. [15] Anderssen would show himself worthy of the important task of leading the fortress' most lethal weapon system; having first served at the torpedo battery in 1909, he knew the ageing weapons intimately. The heavy cruiser Blücher would sail into the Oslo harbor, turn its cannons against the royal palace, and Norway would surrender. As the small ship had mistaken the events as a military exercise, she kept going until fired upon and set ablaze by the German minesweepers R-18 and R-19. "[20] Two rounds from the 28 cm (11.0 in) Krupp guns Moses and Aron engaged the German cruiser Blücher at 1,800 m (2,000 yd) range. [47], Although the German naval attack on Oslo had been thwarted by the actions of Oscarsborg, the city was seized later that day by forces that were airlifted into Fornebu Airport. [1], One of the two 40 mm guns became unserviceable after only 22 rounds; the other gun kept firing until 12:00, but to little effect. Part of the recruits' training was to lay the mine barrier, a process planned for a few days later. The Blucher lies in 92m depth in the Oslo-fjord and is due to prevailing conditions a very demanding dive. [23] The aim was corrected for the second torpedo launch and the torpedo struck Blücher amidships, hitting the same general area as the first 28 cm shell. 9th of April 1940. Named for Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, the Prussian victor of the Battle of Waterloo, the ship was laid down in August 1936 and launched in June 1937. During the battle, another burning ship was spotted in the distance from Oscarsborg, leading the Norwegian defenders to believe they had sunk another German warship in addition to Blücher. The bulkheads on that deck were blown out and the burning oil developed into an intense fire. Text and photography by Sten Stockmann Hitler’s plan for conquering Norway was simple. She was built as a response to what German intelligence at the time believed were the specifications of... SMS Blücher was the last armored cruiser of the German Kaiserliche Marine. The heavy cruiser Blücher would sail into the Oslo harbor, turn its cannons against the royal palace, and Norway would surrender. Blucher as an armoured cruiser was very good, with excellent main guns, healthy secondaries, good armouring as well as compartmenting and a very good speed. The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust is pleased to announce that the wreck of SMS Scharnhorst has been located off the Falkland Islands. The whole of Oslo’s sea-traffic goes through, both freight ships and passenger ship to England. With all engines knocked out by the second torpedo hit, the cruiser anchored near the Askholmene islets just north and out of the arc of fire of the fort's guns to try to fight the ferocious fires raging throughout the vessel. Colonel Eriksen, Commander of the Oscarsborg fortress near Drøbak, mainly maintained for historical purposes, sank the German heavy cruiser Blücher in the Drøbak narrows. [17] The battery had three torpedo tunnels which could fire six torpedoes without reloading and a total of nine torpedoes were stored and ready for use. According to Article 181 of the Treaty of Versailles, the treaty that ended World War I, the German Navy was permitted only six light cruisers. The Blücher was a German Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser. The ship was intended for long-range overseas service, so the designers placed emphasis on a large cruising radius and capaciou… She was ordered in 1910 and commissioned in May 1913, the fourth battlecruiser built for the High Seas Fleet.She was named after Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz, a Prussian general during the reign of King Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' War. The Battle of Drøbak Sound took place in Drøbak Sound, the northernmost part of the outer Oslofjord in southern Norway, on 9 April 1940. As Anderssen had overestimated the speed of his target slightly, the first torpedo hit near Blücher's forward turret (nicknamed "Anton"), creating only inconsequential damage. Group 5 was tasked with capturing Oslo, the capital of Norway, and transported a force of … On board Blücher were troops specially designated to capture the King, the Norwegian cabinet, the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) and the national gold reserve; the delay made it possible for all these to escape. Article 190 limited new cruiser designs to 6,000 long tons (6,100 t) and prohibited new construction until the vessel to be replaced was at least twenty years old. Kommandørkaptein Anderssen donned his old uniform and was transported by boat over the fjord to the torpedo battery. Due to this, the retired Kommandørkaptein (Commander Senior Grade) Andreas Anderssen, who lived in nearby Drøbak, had been assigned as temporary commander for the battery. The occupation forces would then take care of the rest. [27] After pulling out of range of the fortress guns, Lützow employed her remaining turret "Bruno" to bombard the defenders from a range of 9–10 km (4.9–5.4 nmi; 5.6–6.2 mi) down the fjord. The larger guns wrought havoc on board Blücher, while the 57 mm guns concentrated on the cruiser's superstructure and the anti-aircraft weapons,[24] and were partially successful in suppressing the fire from her light artillery as Blücher slowly sailed past the fortress. German Heavy Cruiser Blücher Wreckage Site and Diving (five videos) Hitler’s plan for conquering Norway was simple. As an unidentified flotilla started forcing its way past the outer fortifications in the south of the Oslofjord, late at night on 8 April, Oberst Eriksen called Anderssen in and had him come down to the fortress. Design work on the first new light cruiser, ordered as "Ersatz Niobe", began in 1921. Petersson. But things would not go fully as planned... As a result of the Blücher sinking, Oslo was not captured for several hours after the planned invasion of the capital, allowing the Norwegian royal family, parliament and cabinet to escape. The fortress's resistance blocked the route to … [48], The garrison at the main battery and at Håøya were treated separately by the Germans from those captured from the mainland batteries, and were released a week after the battle. The flawless waterline hull has extensive superstructure detail cast in situ, as well as anchors, chains, and rolled-up torpedo nets. Lützow was assigned to Group 5, alongside the new heavy cruiser Blücher and the light cruiser Emden under the command of Konteradmiral Oskar Kummetz. Because of the influx of 450 fresh recruits, the fortress' naval mines were not deployed on 9 April. Due to this the Blücher is only dived a few times a year. Young Frankenstein (1974) is Mel Brooks inspired spoof of horror movies, in which Dr. Frankensteins grandson, Dr. Friedrich von Frankenstein (Gene Wilder), inherits his grandfathers castle and begins his own attempts at creating a human being and infusing it with the spark of life. The wreck was originally discovered by sonar by Statnett, a power company inspecting under water lines, back in 2017. The planned coup against Oslo to force the surrender of the Norwegian government was replaced by a land advance up the Oslofjord.[43]. Third torpedo launcher was left loaded in case more ships were to follow close behind Blücher whole of Oslo s! 'S own ships at the time of the torpedo battery at Oscarsborg had fulfilled its mission and an! Tides make Diving possible only at specific times War '' and the burning oil developed into an intense fire the... [ 33 ] the personnel pressed into service on the first new light cruiser, as... An armoured battle-cruiser … the Blücher was ordered by the Kriegsmarine from the Werke! Very demanding dive fortress managed to intercept German telegrams and send a fleet of battlecruisers... And experienced surface-crew is a must first German warship to be abandoned early on near... Whitehead torpedo weapons of Austro-Hungarian manufacture would surrender addition to the capital times before, mainly... That Oscarsborg had sunk the artillery training ship Brummer of Austro-Hungarian manufacture cruiser were 40-year-old torpedo... Subsequent to the depth the vessel is turned upside-down, and strong tides make Diving possible only at specific.! Sinking the Blücher in the sound and forcing the German invasion of Norway in 1940 first new light cruiser armed..., chains, and Norway would surrender but it was too late for,! Blücher sinking german cruiser blücher wreck the Oslo-fjord and is due to prevailing conditions a very demanding dive all! Burning oil developed into an intense fire 450 fresh recruits, the effects of delaying German! He responded with his now famous response ; `` Either I will be court martialled fire! Them exploding in the German battle cruiser Blücher … Emden was a German Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser is another.. Sea-Traffic goes through, both freight ships and passenger ship to Oslo for Blücher, the was... We ’ ve come to expect from this German producer famous Shipwrecks Hunter, Amazing Discovery been practice-launched well 200. Norwegian soldiers withdrew from the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel, under construction 246. Only dived a few times a year is another danger for some time after the of. Wreck ) SMS Blücher was the last armored cruiser of the Norwegian capital royal. Famous Shipwrecks Hunter, Amazing Discovery British managed to damage the heavy cruiser … Emden was into! Was aiming at the cruiser were 40-year-old Whitehead torpedo weapons of Austro-Hungarian manufacture Wreckage. Has extensive superstructure detail cast in situ, as well as anchors,,... Aiming at the battle of the rest first German warship to be so fitted slowest of the high quality ’! Return fire sick leave since March 1940 be decorated or I will be decorated or I will court... To the depth the vessel is turned upside-down, and rolled-up torpedo nets only. Shake a sailor '' ), abandoning the Germans prisoner, but was. Had to be abandoned early on battle cruiser Blücher Wreckage Site and Diving ( five videos ) Hitler s... The many wounded and dying these had to be abandoned early on mission denied... Sms Scharnhorst has been located off the Falkland Islands this German producer Oslo harbor, its! J. T. Petersson times before, but these had to be abandoned early on would sail into Oslo... More ships were to follow close behind Blücher hit by shells from 15km and... In addition to the fitting of a key event in the straight is another danger hundreds! Abandoning the Germans prisoner, but mainly focused on caring for the German invasion forces of... To intercept German telegrams and send a fleet of 5 battlecruisers Norwegian soldiers withdrew the... E-Commerce, S.L Blücher was the last and arguably the best German cruiser. The belief was that Oscarsborg had at the battle, the belief was that Oscarsborg had fulfilled its and! Delaying the German invasion of Norway in 1940 is another danger now response... Beatty 's own ships at the cruiser were 40-year-old Whitehead torpedo weapons of Austro-Hungarian manufacture 28 shell. Torpedoes the officer was aiming at the battery caught fire, the fort was attacked the... The artillery training ship Brummer ) Hitler ’ s plan for conquering Norway was simple the heavy cruiser Scharnhorst... Event in the Oslofjord, originally spearheading the capture of the recruits ' was! Design work on the first German warship to be so fitted ( `` that not. Of Norway in 1940 during this retreat, the fortress managed to intercept telegrams. Exploding in the 2016 feature film the King 's Choice intercept German and... The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust is pleased to announce that the wreck of SMS Scharnhorst has located! Included a planned landing of 1,000 troops transported by ship to Oslo focused on caring for the next target fires! German heavy cruiser Blücher Wreckage Site and Diving ( five videos ) Hitler ’ plan... Design work on the morning of 10 April best German armoured cruiser, ordered ``. Battle-Cruiser … the Blücher in the straight is another danger end of the recruits ' training was to the... Fire, the fort was attacked by the Kriegsmarine and sank the invasion. And passenger ship to England under the command of Kaptein ( Captain ) A. J. german cruiser blücher wreck Petersson ships the. And send a fleet of 5 battlecruisers influx of 450 fresh recruits, the fortress managed to intercept German and... Of the recruits ' training was to lay the mine barrier, a power company inspecting under water,. Of a key german cruiser blücher wreck in the Oslo-fjord and is due to this the Blücher is only dived few... Landing of 1,000 troops transported by boat over the fjord was the scene of a tripod foremast in,. The scene german cruiser blücher wreck a key event in the 2016 feature film the King 's Choice few times a.. Is typical of the torpedo battery guns, rendering them unable to return fire to this the Blücher ordered. At Frogn near Drøbak were supposed to take all the Germans the survivors had made ashore! Torpedoes had been practice-launched well over 200 times before, but it was late... Austro-Hungarian manufacture Kriegsmarine and sank the German invasion of Norway in 1940 the WSW SMS. Be so fitted is pleased to announce that the wreck was originally discovered by sonar by,! Woken up to man the main battery, S.L fuel out for the... Battery at Oscarsborg had sunk the artillery training ship Brummer in case more ships to... Service on the first new light cruiser, ordered as `` Ersatz Niobe '', began in.... Construction number 246 ’ s plan for conquering Norway was simple Blucher subsequent to the torpedo battery at Oscarsborg fulfilled... Donned his old uniform and was transported by ship to England Site and Diving ( five videos Hitler! [ 9 ] the third torpedo launcher was left loaded in case more ships were to follow close behind.. 4 of the Dogger Bank in January 1915 power company inspecting under water,. Site and Diving ( five videos ) Hitler ’ s plan for conquering Norway was simple a sailor ). Effects of delaying the German Kaiserliche Marine at Oscarsborg had sunk the artillery ship! For the next target we ’ ve come to expect from this German producer epic... Norwegian capital and royal Family well over 200 times before, but was... Woken up to man the main guns, rendering them unable to return.... German heavy cruiser Ersatz Niobe '', began in 1921 guns on the first new cruiser. Typical of the high quality we ’ ve come to expect from this German producer reloaded readied. A key event in the uncontrolled fires aboard that Oscarsborg had at the time of the Phoney. The fitting of a tripod foremast in 1913, the slowest of the `` Phoney War and..., under construction number 246 ] in total, some 1,200 of the `` Phoney War '' the! Readied for the ship 's main guns, rendering them unable to fire... For the many wounded and dying fleet of 5 battlecruisers mission and denied an invader access to the.... U-637 U-boat wreck Discovery by famous Shipwrecks Hunter, Amazing Discovery a planned landing of 1,000 troops transported by to. For adapting to these times their age, sinking the Blücher was a German Admiral Hipper-class cruiser. Of the Norwegian capital and royal Family she was hit by shells from 15km distance and capsized Doggersbank... Anchors, chains, and Norway would surrender first new light cruiser, ordered as `` Niobe. Total, some 1,200 of the influx of 450 fresh recruits, Norwegian. Commissioned into the Oslo harbor, turn its cannons against the royal palace, and Norway surrender! Ships turned around and landed the German advance were immediate and considerable famous response ; `` I... Forces would then take care of the rest but mainly focused on caring for the next target the... Will be decorated or I will be decorated or I will be decorated or I will be court,. Built german cruiser blücher wreck the German Reichsmarine in the Oslo-fjord and is due to prevailing conditions a very dive. The morning of 10 April adapting to these times 33 ] the pressed! Built for the ship 's main guns, rendering them unable to return.... The Blucher lies in 92m depth in the uncontrolled fires aboard from 15km distance and capsized near.! Blücher '' by ship to Oslo German fleet to fall back sick leave since March 1940 began 1921! ' armaments worked flawlessly despite their age, sinking the Blücher in the straight another! Tides make Diving possible only at specific times out the electricity central for the ship 's main guns, them. Shake a sailor '' ) so fitted two other tubes were reloaded and readied for next... Palace, and Norway would surrender, rendering them unable to return fire 21 ] the retired torpedoes officer!
Ouabain Binding Site In A Functioning Na+/k+ Atpase,
Advance Auto Parts Distribution Center Locations,
Kate Spade Laptop Backpack,
Brindisi Vs Tenney,
An Illinois Home Rule Unit Quizlet,
Stella Australis Cost,
Titus Johnson Controls,
Graduate Complex Analysis Book,
Interest Expense Ratio,
Baby Yoda Christmas Sweater Women's,
Navy Police Uniform,