Wreckage of Major German World War Two Warship Discovered Off Norway

[daftandbarmy]

There are lots of sunken ships from 1940 up around those parts.

I dived on a 300ft British Cruiser, sunk near Harstad by Stukas, once upon a time. It was a shore dive.... easily accessed from the road: This wreck... not so accessible

Wreckage of Major German World War Two Warship Discovered Off Norway

The wreckage of a major German warship has been discovered off the coast of Norway some 80 years after it was sunk in a World War Two battle, Norwegian power grid operator Statnett and a maritime archaeologist said.

Identified this year from images and sonar scans of its hull and of details such as the position of gun turrets, the cruiser Karlsruhe was first detected in 2017 just 15 meters (50 feet) from a subsea power cable that has been operating since 1977.

Built in the 1920s, the ship was later fitted with a Nazi-era swastika that was also captured in subsea images taken by Statnett and its partners, and first televised by Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

The 174-meter vessel, part of the German force that invaded Norway in April 1940, was struck by a British submarine torpedo shortly after starting its return voyage from the southern Norwegian port of Kristiansand.

The ship's crew subsequently evacuated and the vessel was finally sunk by the Germans themselves, resting upright on the seabed at a depth of 490 meters, some 13 nautical miles (24 kilometers) off the coast.

"You can find Karlsruhe's fate in history books, but no one has known exactly where the ship sunk," Norwegian Maritime Museum archaeologist and researcher Frode Kvaloe said.

Statnett said its subsea power cable, which connects Norway with Denmark, would have been laid further away from the wreckage if its location had been known at the time of construction.

The Apr. 9, 1940, attack marked the start of the Nazi invasion of Norway, forcing the government and the king to flee to Britain, where they were exiled until Germany's capitulation in 1945.

https://www.marinelink.com/news/gallery-wreckage-major-german-world-war-481492?fbclid=IwAR3-oUJT-Z6Wt-mwYkrqfQ6McHzSKLP5ToTXNuWTXTtzpELjlGITRxRYtUE#.X1exTEYUWm0.facebook

 

[Colin Parkinson]

tied up in Vancouver during a interwar period  https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/uploads/r/null/9/4/941700/6084cf05-5d5a-47ff-9c33-8345e3318937-A41468.jpg

 

[FJAG]

Interesting.

She seems to have lost a part of her bow. Also the two stern turrets; that's the first time I've seen an offset like that (apparently to increase the arc of fire).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_cruiser_Karlsruhe

:cheers:

 

[Blackadder1916]

tied up in Vancouver during a interwar period  https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/uploads/r/null/9/4/941700/6084cf05-5d5a-47ff-9c33-8345e3318937-A41468.jpg

And while they were there . . .

https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500129/m2/1/high_res_d/dissertation.pdf

In Vancouver, the Karlsruhe docked at Ballantyne Immigration Pier #37. Because of the
narrow-mindedness of the harbor master and his ongoing feud with the Canadian Pacific
Railway, the Karlsruhe was not allowed to anchor at the more accessible and larger East Asia
Pier, which was operated by the railroad. The other option for the ship would have been to drop
anchor in the middle of Vancouver Harbor itself. In order to get to the Ballantyne pier from the
city, a shabby and less desirable neighborhood had to be crossed by both visitors and sailors
alike. The crew was only allowed on shore in groups of four or five.  Regardless, the pier
provided the ship with immediate access to fresh water and telephone connections.  Cadet
Erich Topp recalled the pier full of people but nobody waved, and it seemed the Canadians did
not know what to make of the war cruiser.  Vancouver impressed the cadets with its natural
beauty, the snow-covered mountains contrasting with the skyscrapers of the city. But the cadets
also recalled Vancouver as a stronghold of anti-German and therefore anti-Nazi agitation.  In
some diaries and letters this agitation was called as the most heated (schärfste) badgering during
the entire voyage. The diarists also recalled the broken out windows at the Moose Hall where
a small reception was held. The first visitors to the Karlsruhe included the German consul to
Western Canada, Dr. Heinrich Seelheim, and his wife Irmgard; the harbor commissioner, R. W.
Brock; Lieutenant H. R. Wade, the public relations officer of the Royal Canadian Navy, Colonel
A. D. Wilson from the 23rd Infantry Brigade; and A. B. Shearer, Squad Leader of the 4th Flying
Boat Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force. Furthermore Charles Tindale, Deputy Mayor, J. S.
Dixon, President of the Board of Trade; and H. W. Mahler, representative of the firm German
Hapag-Lloyd, also attended a welcoming reception onboard. Seelheim and his wife arrived
inVancouver five days prior to pave the way for the arrival of the ship. During that time he gave
several interviews and emphasized that the ship came on an invitation from the city with the full
consent of the Canadian and British governments.

Some communist agitation was mentioned in the report to Berlin but only during the first
day in Canada. The Canadian Workers Union and the League against War and Fascism waited
for the crew on their first shore leave. Seelheim anticipated these communist protests. “The
communists hate us, and I suppose they have reasons to, because in Germany we crush them. We
hate the Communists too but for Canada and every other country we have the most cordial
feelings.”  Slogans like “Down with Mussolini” and “Free Thälmann” were shouted when the
ship arrived and few called out to kill those “Nazi dogs,” the German sailors.  Lütjens had the
feeling that most Canadians were rather embarrassed about that, something Cadet Opitz repeated
in his diary entry. He received a private invitations to the home of a Canadian lawyer, and it
appeared to him that “the educated classes were not quite happy about the conduct of the people
vis-à-vis the crew.” The German commander received also several letters and notes,
requesting the release of Ernst Thälmann.  Lütjens, Seelheim, local Police Chief Colonel
Foster, and a Colonel W. S. Buell, as the representative of the Canadian Legion, laid down a
wreath at the cenotaph in town. The night before the Karlsruhe left for Acapulco, the wreath was
stolen and the decoration around the monument destroyed by about one hundred communists.
One was arrested.

Besides this rather humiliating incident for the city, the Canadian welcome for the war
cruiser was demonstratively amiable, and Canadians officials talked about strengthening the
friendship between the two related nations. Nothing was mentioned in Lütjens’s report about the
negative propaganda in the press. The Canadian press did not like Hitler, but the ship was
invited, and according to international courtesy, the ship and crew should be received
appropriately. Dr. Seelheim’s report to the AA in Berlin left some important facts out. He did
not mention any rocks flying or any broken glass at the Moose Hall. It appeared that he white-
washed some of the facts for Berlin; maybe he wanted the visit to appear smoother than what it
actually was.

While the ship laid in port at Vancouver, Hitler made news around the world. Ever since
the Nazis came to power, they dismantled the Treaty of Versailles piece by piece, and on March
16th, Hitler announced officially that Germany would rearm herself and implement a draft.
This news was “the best and most uplifting” for the cadets, and they felt that now, and only now,
Germany was free from the shackles of 1919. The cadets were proud of their fatherland and their
Führer. More than ever they felt united and happy, and they could present a cohesive stand
against the protests they faced. Yet there were also many rumors about the Great War and the
atrocities the Germans supposedly committed in it. One of the rumors said that the “Huns
crucified poor Canadians,” but after the first initial contact with the crew, the local population
was surprised and stated that they “were just like us.” The Canadians were also surprised that
so many of the crew and not just officers spoke English. It was rumored that some officers
disguised themselves as enlisted men because these sailors were so clean cut, courteous, and
immaculate in their behavior.

In all, the visit to Vancouver was viewed as a great success by Berlin and received a
positive echo, which can be seen in the fact that over 25,000 visitors tried to storm the ship on
opening day, with police needed for crowd control. One of the reasons for these large numbers of
visitors was the negative press; Canadians became interested in the German visitors and had to
see them for themselves.  A remarkable incident occurred on that day. One of the visitors
approached Lütjens. He was a Canadian war veteran, Arthur Byatt, who served in France during
WWI as “supper” in the 11th Field Company English Australian Imperial Forces. Byatt claimed
to possess Count Manfred von Richthofen’s felt hat that he took from the Red Baron’s head after
he was shoot down. The story appeared to be genuine. Lütjens examined old newspaper
clippings, pictures, and a few documents that mentioned Byatt as a soldier in the France. This
relic was handed over during a ceremony to the captain of the Karlsruhe.  Lütjens highlighted
the many clubs and organizations, not just German Canadians, who helped make this a success.
The visit was seen as harmonious and had in his opinion a strong illuminating effect, and he
recommended that more German war cruisers should visit Vancouver in the future.  More oil
was delivered by the Hansa, almost 900 tons of fuel oil and 733 kilogram of machine oil, so the
cruiser could sail without delay south to Mexico.

 

[daftandbarmy]

And while they were there . . .

https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500129/m2/1/high_res_d/dissertation.pdf

In Vancouver, the Karlsruhe docked at Ballantyne Immigration Pier #37. Because of the
narrow-mindedness of the harbor master and his ongoing feud with the Canadian Pacific
Railway, the Karlsruhe was not allowed to anchor at the more accessible and larger East Asia
Pier, which was operated by the railroad. The other option for the ship would have been to drop
anchor in the middle of Vancouver Harbor itself. In order to get to the Ballantyne pier from the
city, a shabby and less desirable neighborhood had to be crossed by both visitors and sailors
alike. The crew was only allowed on shore in groups of four or five.  Regardless, the pier
provided the ship with immediate access to fresh water and telephone connections.  Cadet
Erich Topp recalled the pier full of people but nobody waved, and it seemed the Canadians did
not know what to make of the war cruiser.  Vancouver impressed the cadets with its natural
beauty, the snow-covered mountains contrasting with the skyscrapers of the city. But the cadets
also recalled Vancouver as a stronghold of anti-German and therefore anti-Nazi agitation.  In
some diaries and letters this agitation was called as the most heated (schärfste) badgering during
the entire voyage. The diarists also recalled the broken out windows at the Moose Hall where
a small reception was held. The first visitors to the Karlsruhe included the German consul to
Western Canada, Dr. Heinrich Seelheim, and his wife Irmgard; the harbor commissioner, R. W.
Brock; Lieutenant H. R. Wade, the public relations officer of the Royal Canadian Navy, Colonel
A. D. Wilson from the 23rd Infantry Brigade; and A. B. Shearer, Squad Leader of the 4th Flying
Boat Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force. Furthermore Charles Tindale, Deputy Mayor, J. S.
Dixon, President of the Board of Trade; and H. W. Mahler, representative of the firm German
Hapag-Lloyd, also attended a welcoming reception onboard. Seelheim and his wife arrived
inVancouver five days prior to pave the way for the arrival of the ship. During that time he gave
several interviews and emphasized that the ship came on an invitation from the city with the full
consent of the Canadian and British governments.

Some communist agitation was mentioned in the report to Berlin but only during the first
day in Canada. The Canadian Workers Union and the League against War and Fascism waited
for the crew on their first shore leave. Seelheim anticipated these communist protests. “The
communists hate us, and I suppose they have reasons to, because in Germany we crush them. We
hate the Communists too but for Canada and every other country we have the most cordial
feelings.”  Slogans like “Down with Mussolini” and “Free Thälmann” were shouted when the
ship arrived and few called out to kill those “Nazi dogs,” the German sailors.  Lütjens had the
feeling that most Canadians were rather embarrassed about that, something Cadet Opitz repeated
in his diary entry. He received a private invitations to the home of a Canadian lawyer, and it
appeared to him that “the educated classes were not quite happy about the conduct of the people
vis-à-vis the crew.” The German commander received also several letters and notes,
requesting the release of Ernst Thälmann.  Lütjens, Seelheim, local Police Chief Colonel
Foster, and a Colonel W. S. Buell, as the representative of the Canadian Legion, laid down a
wreath at the cenotaph in town. The night before the Karlsruhe left for Acapulco, the wreath was
stolen and the decoration around the monument destroyed by about one hundred communists.
One was arrested.

Besides this rather humiliating incident for the city, the Canadian welcome for the war
cruiser was demonstratively amiable, and Canadians officials talked about strengthening the
friendship between the two related nations. Nothing was mentioned in Lütjens’s report about the
negative propaganda in the press. The Canadian press did not like Hitler, but the ship was
invited, and according to international courtesy, the ship and crew should be received
appropriately. Dr. Seelheim’s report to the AA in Berlin left some important facts out. He did
not mention any rocks flying or any broken glass at the Moose Hall. It appeared that he white-
washed some of the facts for Berlin; maybe he wanted the visit to appear smoother than what it
actually was.

While the ship laid in port at Vancouver, Hitler made news around the world. Ever since
the Nazis came to power, they dismantled the Treaty of Versailles piece by piece, and on March
16th, Hitler announced officially that Germany would rearm herself and implement a draft.
This news was “the best and most uplifting” for the cadets, and they felt that now, and only now,
Germany was free from the shackles of 1919. The cadets were proud of their fatherland and their
Führer. More than ever they felt united and happy, and they could present a cohesive stand
against the protests they faced. Yet there were also many rumors about the Great War and the
atrocities the Germans supposedly committed in it. One of the rumors said that the “Huns
crucified poor Canadians,” but after the first initial contact with the crew, the local population
was surprised and stated that they “were just like us.” The Canadians were also surprised that
so many of the crew and not just officers spoke English. It was rumored that some officers
disguised themselves as enlisted men because these sailors were so clean cut, courteous, and
immaculate in their behavior.

In all, the visit to Vancouver was viewed as a great success by Berlin and received a
positive echo, which can be seen in the fact that over 25,000 visitors tried to storm the ship on
opening day, with police needed for crowd control. One of the reasons for these large numbers of
visitors was the negative press; Canadians became interested in the German visitors and had to
see them for themselves.  A remarkable incident occurred on that day. One of the visitors
approached Lütjens. He was a Canadian war veteran, Arthur Byatt, who served in France during
WWI as “supper” in the 11th Field Company English Australian Imperial Forces. Byatt claimed
to possess Count Manfred von Richthofen’s felt hat that he took from the Red Baron’s head after
he was shoot down. The story appeared to be genuine. Lütjens examined old newspaper
clippings, pictures, and a few documents that mentioned Byatt as a soldier in the France. This
relic was handed over during a ceremony to the captain of the Karlsruhe.  Lütjens highlighted
the many clubs and organizations, not just German Canadians, who helped make this a success.
The visit was seen as harmonious and had in his opinion a strong illuminating effect, and he
recommended that more German war cruisers should visit Vancouver in the future.  More oil
was delivered by the Hansa, almost 900 tons of fuel oil and 733 kilogram of machine oil, so the
cruiser could sail without delay south to Mexico.

Andmthe Captain went on to bigger, but not necessarily better, things with the Bismarck:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnther_L%C3%BCtjens