Vardøhus Fortress: Difference between revisions
m Wardhouse |
|||
| (42 intermediate revisions by 30 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|Fortress in Finnmark, Norway}} |
|||
{{Infobox Military Structure |
|||
{{Infobox military installation |
|||
|name = Vardøhus Fortress |
| name = Vardøhus Fortress |
||
|location = [[Vardø]], [[Troms og Finnmark]], [[Norway]] |
|||
| |
| location = [[Vardø (town)|Vardø]], [[Finnmark]], [[Norway]] |
||
| image = Vardøhus fortress in Vardø seen from air.jpg |
|||
|image_size = 300px |
|||
|caption = Fortress as seen from air |
| image_size = 300px |
||
| caption = Fortress as seen from air |
|||
|built=1306, |
| built = 1306, 1450–1500, 1940–1944 |
||
|materials = Brick, earth, sand, stone and wood<ref>{{ |
| materials = Brick, earth, sand, stone and wood<ref>{{Cite web |title=7.4 Trebygninger og tredetaljer på murbygninger |url=http://www.verneplaner.no/?f=vardohus&id=108443&a=4 |access-date=8 January 2010 |website=Nasjonale Festningsverk |language=no}}</ref> |
||
|used = |
| used = 1306–present |
||
|type =[[Star fort]]<ref>{{ |
| type = [[Star fort]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=4.2 Festningens utvikling |url=http://www.verneplaner.no/?f=vardohus&id=107778&a=4 |access-date=8 January 2010 |website=Nasjonale Festningsverk |language=no}}</ref> |
||
|controlledby = [[Norway]] ( |
| controlledby = [[Norway]] (1306–1380; 1814–1940; 1944–present)<br />[[Denmark–Norway]] (1380–1814)<br />[[Nazi Germany]] (1940–1944) |
||
|garrison = Commander and four soldiers<ref name="Hist"/> |
| garrison = Commander and four soldiers<ref name="Hist" /> |
||
|current_commander = |
| current_commander = Orlogskaptein Roger Hoel |
||
|battles = [[Norwegian |
| battles = [[Norwegian campaign]] (1940) |
||
|website = [http://www.nordnorge.com/en/?News=63 Vardøhus Fortress] |
| website = [http://www.nordnorge.com/en/?News=63 Vardøhus Fortress] |
||
|coordinates = {{coord|70|22|20|N|31|05|41|E|region:NO_type:landmark_source:dewiki|display=inline,title}} |
| coordinates = {{coord|70|22|20|N|31|05|41|E|region:NO_type:landmark_source:dewiki|display=inline,title}} |
||
}} |
}} |
||
'''Vardøhus Fortress''' ({{ |
'''Vardøhus Fortress''' ({{langx|no|Vardøhus festning}}), called "Wardhouse" in English historical navigations, is located in [[Vardø Municipality]] in [[Finnmark]] county, [[Norway]]. It is located in the town of [[Vardø (town)|Vardø]] on the island of [[Vardøya]] on the [[Barents Sea]] near the mouth of the [[Varangerfjord]] in northeastern [[Norway]] near the [[Russia]]n border. |
||
==History== |
==History== |
||
In 1251, an embassy from the [[Republic of Novgorod]] to King [[Haakon IV of Norway|Haakon IV Haakonson]] of Norway complained of clashes between the Norwegians and the [[Karelia]]ns in northern Finnmark. A Norwegian embassy was dispatched to Novgorod where a treaty (the original of which is now lost) was signed to conclude a peace between the two countries, including the Novgorod tributary land of Karelia.<ref name="Stagg61-63">Stagg 1952: p. 61-63</ref> |
In 1251, an embassy from the [[Republic of Novgorod]] to King [[Haakon IV of Norway|Haakon IV Haakonson]] of Norway complained of clashes between the Norwegians and the [[Karelia]]ns in northern Finnmark. A Norwegian embassy was dispatched to Novgorod where a treaty (the original of which is now lost) was signed to conclude a peace between the two countries, including the Novgorod tributary land of Karelia.<ref name="Stagg61-63">Stagg 1952: p. 61-63</ref> |
||
The Finnmark coast was originally important as a source of furs from the trade with the Karelians, but this trade dropped off as the [[Hanseatic League]] increased the fur trade through their Novgorod centre. Finnmark remained important as a fishery; the fish was shipped as [[stockfish]] to [[Bergen]] and traded there with the Hansa merchants.<ref name="Stagg61-63"/> |
The Finnmark coast was originally important as a source of furs from the trade with the Karelians, but this trade dropped off as the [[Hanseatic League]] increased the fur trade through their Novgorod centre. Finnmark remained important as a fishery; the fish was shipped as [[stockfish]] to [[Bergen]] and traded there with the Hansa merchants.<ref name="Stagg61-63" /> |
||
===Varghøya=== |
===Varghøya=== |
||
The first [[List of Norwegian fortresses|fortification]] was erected by [[Haakon V of Norway|Haakon V Magnusson]] in 1306 and was called ''Varghøya''. It is not known how long this fort was manned, but in 1307 the Archbishop of [[Trondheim|Trondhjem]] went to Vardøhus to consecrate the new [[Vardø Church]]. The earliest record still extant which defines the border between Norway and Russia is from 1326. In 1340, records show the Archbishop made further efforts to improve conditions there.<ref name="Stagg61-65">Stagg 1952: p. 61-65</ref> |
The first [[List of Norwegian fortresses|fortification]] was erected by [[Haakon V of Norway|Haakon V Magnusson]] in 1306 and was called ''Varghøya''. It is not known how long this fort was manned, but in 1307 the Archbishop of [[Trondheim (city)|Trondhjem]] went to Vardøhus to consecrate the new [[Vardø Church]]. The earliest record still extant which defines the border between Norway and Russia is from 1326. In 1340, records show the Archbishop made further efforts to improve conditions there.<ref name="Stagg61-65">Stagg 1952: p. 61-65</ref> |
||
===Østervågen=== |
===Østervågen=== |
||
| Line 34: | Line 35: | ||
In 1583, the Norwegian rights to the [[Arctic Sea]] were formally recognized by [[England]]; the agreement stipulated that each vessel which passed into the [[White Sea]] was to stop at Vardøhus to pay duty.<ref name="Stagg83">Stagg 1952: p. 83</ref> |
In 1583, the Norwegian rights to the [[Arctic Sea]] were formally recognized by [[England]]; the agreement stipulated that each vessel which passed into the [[White Sea]] was to stop at Vardøhus to pay duty.<ref name="Stagg83">Stagg 1952: p. 83</ref> |
||
In 1597, [[Boris Godunov]] |
In 1597, [[Boris Godunov]], the regent of Russia, wrote to King [[Christian IV of Denmark|Christian IV of Denmark and Norway]], asserting that Vardøhus and "the Lapp country (as far as [[Tromsø (city)|Tromsø]]) was from ancient times a perpetual patrimony of the Czar." In 1600, Godunov, now the tsar of Russia, refused to ratify the [[Treaty of Tyavzino]] which resolved conflicting Swedish and Russian claims to the [[Kola peninsula]] to the east of Vardøhus as well as other territories both claimed. This treaty did not acknowledge the Norwegian presence at Vardøhus nor the Norwegian claims to this territory. As a result of these border conflicts with Russia, King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway asserted Norway's historic ownership and visited Vardøhus in 1599 to instruct the governor of Vardøhus to collect taxes from Russians in his province, including the Kola peninsula and to exclude the [[Sweden|Swedes]], who were also attempting to claim the territory based on the Treaty of Tyavzino.<ref name="Stagg84-90">Stagg 1952: p. 84-90</ref> At this time, Vardøhus was so decrepit that he continued to live on board his ship, ''Victor''. His name has been preserved as it was carved on a beam from the 1599 fort to commemorate the visit.<ref>Niemi 1988, p. ?</ref> As a further effort at improving his hold on Finnmark, Christian IV built the fortress of [[Altenhus Fortress|Altenhus]] near [[Alta (town)|Alta]] in 1610.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Altenhus |encyclopedia=[[Store norske leksikon]] |publisher=Norsk nettleksikon |location=Oslo |url=http://snl.no/Altenhus |access-date=17 May 2014 |editor-last=Godal |editor-first=Anne Marit |editor-link=Anne Marit Godal |language=no}}</ref> |
||
===Vardøhus=== |
===Vardøhus=== |
||
| Line 45: | Line 46: | ||
===Second World War=== |
===Second World War=== |
||
During the period from the beginning of the Second World War to the [[Operation Weserübung|German invasion of Norway]], Vardøhus Fortress was an active unit under the command of Naval District no. 3 in [[Tromsø]].<ref>{{ |
During the period from the beginning of the Second World War to the [[Operation Weserübung|German invasion of Norway]], Vardøhus Fortress was an active unit under the command of Naval District no. 3 in [[Tromsø (city)|Tromsø]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Niehorster |first=Leo |title=Scandinavian Campaign: Administrative Order of Battle Royal Norwegian Navy 3rd Naval District |url=http://niehorster.org/022_norway/navy_03.htm |access-date=6 January 2010}}</ref> For a time during the [[Winter War]], 15-20 Finnish soldiers were interned at the fortress after being pushed across the border from Northern Finland by Soviet offensives.<ref>Fjeld 1999: 210</ref> |
||
====Norwegian Campaign==== |
====Norwegian Campaign==== |
||
At the outbreak of the German invasion on 9 April 1940, Vardøhus was under the command of Captain Johan |
At the outbreak of the German invasion on 9 April 1940, Vardøhus was under the command of Captain Johan Basilier. The garrison consisted of one retired lieutenant, two privates, ten non-combatant military personnel, and two civilians.<ref name="Fjeld211" /> |
||
The weapons at the disposal of the garrison in 1940 were:<ref name="Fjeld211"/> |
The weapons at the disposal of the garrison in 1940 were:<ref name="Fjeld211" /> |
||
* Four [[Krupp 8.4 cm Model 1887|Krupp m/1887]]<ref>{{ |
* Four [[Krupp 8.4 cm Model 1887|Krupp m/1887]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robert Mårtensson |year=2002 |title=Norwegian weapons: Field artillery |url=http://hem.fyristorg.com/robertm/norge/Norw_weapons.html |access-date=6 January 2010}}</ref> 8.4 cm field guns |
||
* Two turn-of-the-century model 37 mm [[Armstrong Whitworth|Armstrong]] cannon (on loan from the [[Royal Norwegian Navy]] since 1914) |
* Two turn-of-the-century model 37 mm [[Armstrong Whitworth|Armstrong]] cannon (on loan from the [[Royal Norwegian Navy]] since 1914) |
||
* One [[Hotchkiss et Cie|Hotchkiss]] m/1896 [[Hotchkiss gun|65 mm cannon]] |
* One [[Hotchkiss et Cie|Hotchkiss]] m/1896 [[Hotchkiss gun|65 mm cannon]] |
||
| Line 58: | Line 59: | ||
* Two m/1915 [[Madsen machine gun]]s in [[6.5×55mm|6.5×55mm Krag]] calibre |
* Two m/1915 [[Madsen machine gun]]s in [[6.5×55mm|6.5×55mm Krag]] calibre |
||
During the evening of 9 April 1940 Captain Basilier received orders to mobilize a small number of additional soldiers to guard the fortress. With the announcement of general mobilization on 11 April further troops were called in for service.<ref name="Fjeld211"/> |
During the evening of 9 April 1940 Captain Basilier received orders to mobilize a small number of additional soldiers to guard the fortress. With the announcement of general mobilization on 11 April further troops were called in for service.<ref name="Fjeld211" /> |
||
Captain Basilier, who had been suffering from poor health since Easter that year, took sick leave on 13 April and was replaced by Navy Lieutenant B. Bjerkelund. From this date a full mobilization was carried out in the Vardø area, in addition the members of the local rifle association were deployed to guard duty at important objectives. Soon the entire island was under guard, and coast guard and air observation posts were operational. All the different outposts were connected to the fortress via telephone lines. The machine guns at the fortress were readied for use with improvised anti-aircraft mounts produced by a local [[blacksmith]].<ref name="Fjeld211"/> |
Captain Basilier, who had been suffering from poor health since Easter that year, took sick leave on 13 April and was replaced by Navy Lieutenant B. Bjerkelund. From this date a full mobilization was carried out in the Vardø area, in addition the members of the local rifle association were deployed to guard duty at important objectives. Soon the entire island was under guard, and coast guard and air observation posts were operational. All the different outposts were connected to the fortress via telephone lines. The machine guns at the fortress were readied for use with improvised anti-aircraft mounts produced by a local [[blacksmith]].<ref name="Fjeld211" /> |
||
A few days after the full mobilization began a force of 150 men were at the disposal of the commander of Vardøhus and by the 10 June cease-fire around 215 men sorted under Vardøhus Fortress.<ref name="Fjeld211"/> |
A few days after the full mobilization began a force of 150 men were at the disposal of the commander of Vardøhus and by the 10 June cease-fire around 215 men sorted under Vardøhus Fortress.<ref name="Fjeld211" /> |
||
=====POW camp===== |
=====POW camp===== |
||
On 20 April 1940 the commander in chief of Northern Norway, General [[Carl Gustav Fleischer]], issued orders to the 3rd Naval District that an internment camp for German [[Prisoner of War|prisoners of war]] was to be established at Vardøhus.<ref name=Steen250>Steen 1958: 250</ref> |
On 20 April 1940 the commander in chief of Northern Norway, General [[Carl Gustav Fleischer]], issued orders to the 3rd Naval District that an internment camp for German [[Prisoner of War|prisoners of war]] was to be established at Vardøhus.<ref name="Steen250">Steen 1958: 250</ref> |
||
Four days later, on 24 April, the 1,382 ton steamer [[SS Nova (1925)|''Nova'']]<ref>{{ |
Four days later, on 24 April, the 1,382 ton steamer [[SS Nova (1925)|''Nova'']]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lawson |first=Siri Holm |title=D/S Nova |url=http://www.warsailors.com/singleships/nova.html |access-date=6 January 2010 |website=Warsailors.com}}</ref> arrived in port with 155 German POWs. Most of the German prisoners were crew members from the [[Kriegsmarine]] [[German World War II destroyers|destroyer]] ''[[German destroyer Z13 Erich Koellner|Erich Koellner]]'', sunk at [[Djupvik]] on the southern side of the [[Ofotfjord]] during the [[Battles of Narvik]]. The prisoners included the destroyer's commander, ''[[Fregattenkapitän]]'' [[Alfred Schulze-Hinrichs]].<ref name=Steen250/> The prisoners were housed under guard at the Quarantine Detention building.<ref name="Fjeld211" /> The POW camp at Vardøhus was closed down after [[Skorpa prisoner of war camp|a central POW camp]] for German detainees was established at [[Skorpa, Troms|Skorpa]] in [[Troms]] county and the 155 prisoners shipped to Skorpa on ''Nova'' on 13 May. ''Nova'' was escorted southwards by the patrol boat [[HNoMS Ingrid|''Ingrid'']] – a captured German [[Fishing trawler|trawler]] operated by the Royal Norwegian Navy.<ref name=Steen250/> The prisoners were released from Skorpa on 12 June 1940, after the mainland Norwegian capitulation.<ref>Sandberg 1945: 174</ref> |
||
Other military activities at the fortress included the establishment of a 12-bed [[field hospital]] and a [[Radio broadcasting|radio station]]. From 23 May the fortress came under the command of the newly established East Finnmark Naval District responsible for all RNoN units in eastern Finnmark.<ref name="Fjeld211"/> |
Other military activities at the fortress included the establishment of a 12-bed [[field hospital]] and a [[Radio broadcasting|radio station]]. From 23 May the fortress came under the command of the newly established East Finnmark Naval District responsible for all RNoN units in eastern Finnmark.<ref name="Fjeld211" /> |
||
=====Air attack===== |
=====Air attack===== |
||
The fortress' sole action with the German invasion forces came on 4 June 1940. Since early May German aircraft had overflown the area without incident, but on 4 June a single Luftwaffe bomber made an attack. The bomber missed its intended target, the radio station, but damaged the church and the commandant's quarters. After expending its bomb load the bomber |
The fortress' sole action with the German invasion forces came on 4 June 1940. Since early May German aircraft had overflown the area without incident, but on 4 June a single Luftwaffe bomber made an attack. The bomber missed its intended target, the radio station, but damaged the church and the commandant's quarters. After expending its bomb load, the bomber flew low and [[Strafing|strafed]] the area, riddling the radio hut and other buildings with bullets. In response to the attack, Corporal Olav Børve returned fire using the 65 mm Hotchkiss gun with [[case-shot]],<ref name="Fjeld211" /> firing 13 rounds.<ref name="Stjern19">Stjern 2003: 19</ref> After a while, the fortress' machine guns also fired back at the aircraft. With at least one of the case-shot rounds damaging the German bomber's hull<ref name="Fjeld211" /><ref name="Stjern19" /> it limped away from the area<ref name="Fjeld211" /> with a wounded [[Flight officer|navigator]].<ref name="Hist">{{Cite web |title=Historie |url=http://www.nasjonalefestningsverk.no/vardohus/Artikler/Historie |access-date=8 January 2010 |website=Nasjonale Festningsverk |language=no}}</ref> |
||
Following the attack work began on the construction of a new anti-aircraft position on the nearby |
Following the attack, work began on the construction of a new anti-aircraft position on the nearby Kirkeberget hill. The position was completed, but no armaments were installed before the cease-fire went into effect.<ref name="Fjeld211" /> |
||
====Surrender and transitional period==== |
====Surrender and transitional period==== |
||
On 8 June Lieutenant Bjerkelund was informed that the fighting in Norway was coming to a close and given the opportunity to evacuate to the United Kingdom. Seizing |
On 8 June Lieutenant Bjerkelund was informed that the fighting in Norway was coming to a close and given the opportunity to evacuate to the United Kingdom. Seizing the opportunity, Bjerkelund left for [[Rosyth]] that same day on the patrol boat ''Nordhav II''. Bjerkelund was replaced as commander by [[coastal artillery]] lieutenant H. Johannesen later in the day. Of the ten officers and [[Non-commissioned officer|NCO]]s and 214 men at the fortress all but 12 of the men were demobilized on 9 June. The officers, NCOs and the dozen privates were to continue to serve until the arrival of German occupation forces.<ref name="Fjeld211" /> |
||
====="Flag war"===== |
====="Flag war"===== |
||
With the first Germans arriving only on 17 July, Vardøhus became the last armed unit under a [[Flag of Norway|Norwegian flag]] to lay down their arms during the [[Norwegian Campaign]].<ref>Fjeld 1999, p. 212</ref> This occurred on 20 July, when German soldiers took down the Norwegian flag. Between 20 and 25 July no flag flew over Vardøhus, as the Germans had ordered the Norwegian soldiers not raise the flag again.<ref name="Fjeld213">Fjeld 1999, p. 213</ref> |
With the first Germans arriving only on 17 July, Vardøhus became the last armed unit under a [[Flag of Norway|Norwegian flag]] to lay down their arms during the [[Norwegian Campaign]].<ref>Fjeld 1999, p. 212</ref> This occurred on 20 July, when German soldiers took down the Norwegian flag. Between 20 and 25 July no flag flew over Vardøhus, as the Germans had ordered the Norwegian soldiers not raise the flag again.<ref name="Fjeld213">Fjeld 1999, p. 213</ref> |
||
However, since the Norwegian interpreted the order as only to not raise the [[List of flags |
However, since the Norwegian interpreted the order as only to not raise the [[List of Norwegian flags#Flags of the Government|State flag]], they instead raised the [[List of Norwegian flags#National flag|Civil ensign]] on 25 July. From that day until 7 November the Norwegian flag flew at least part of every day, five times being removed by German soldiers who raised [[Flag of Nazi Germany|their own]], which was replaced when they left. Each time the Nazi flag was burnt.<ref name="Fjeld213" /> |
||
During this time Captain Rynning was the fortress commander and served as a symbol of Norwegian sovereignty and as a buffer between German military authorities and the Norwegian military and civilian authorities. This, and "the flag war", continued until Rynning was arrested on the order of [[Reichskommissar]] [[Josef Terboven]] on 7 November. Rynning spent the next two years as a [[political prisoner]] at [[Grini concentration camp|Grini]] and [[Møllergata 19]] in Norway. In December 1942 Rynning was given prisoner of war status and deported to [[Internment|camps]] in Germany and [[German-occupied Poland|occupied Poland]] for the rest of the war, returning on 7 June 1945.<ref name="Fjeld213"/> |
During this time Captain Rynning was the fortress commander and served as a symbol of Norwegian sovereignty and as a buffer between German military authorities and the Norwegian military and civilian authorities. This, and "the flag war", continued until Rynning was arrested on the order of [[Reichskommissar]] [[Josef Terboven]] on 7 November. Rynning spent the next two years as a [[political prisoner]] at [[Grini concentration camp|Grini]] and [[Møllergata 19]] in Norway. In December 1942 Rynning was given prisoner of war status and deported to [[Internment|camps]] in Germany and [[German-occupied Poland|occupied Poland]] for the rest of the war, returning on 7 June 1945.<ref name="Fjeld213" /> |
||
====German occupation==== |
====German occupation==== |
||
During the occupation the Germans improved the fortifications in the Vardø area, |
During the occupation the Germans improved the fortifications in the Vardø area, among other things building two coastal artillery [[Artillery battery|batteries]]. Vardøhus was utilised by the occupiers as a [[barracks]] for the crews manning the modern German-built fortifications.<ref name="hisdoc">{{Cite web |title=Historisk tabell Vardøhus Festning |url=http://www.nasjonalefestningsverk.no/filer/fil_Historisk_tabell__Vardohus.doc |access-date=8 January 2010 |website=Nasjonale Festningsverk |language=no}}</ref> In 1944, as the Germans retreated from [[Finland]] through Finnmark before the advancing Finns, General [[Lothar Rendulic]] ordered a [[scorched earth]] policy. Vardø was burned, with only a few houses remaining.<ref>Stagg 1952, p. 197</ref> Even though the German coastal artillery batteries were demolished before the Germans left, Vardøhus was left intact, although in a miserable state of disrepair.<ref name="hisdoc" /> |
||
===Post-World War II=== |
===Post-World War II=== |
||
====Prison==== |
====Prison==== |
||
During the immediate post-war period, from 1945 to 1947, the fortress was demilitarised and used as a prison for people convicted of [[treason]] in the [[Legal purge in Norway after World War II|post-war legal purge]]. In 1947, Vardøhus was returned to fortress status manned by a commander and a few privates.<ref name="hisdoc"/> |
During the immediate post-war period, from 1945 to 1947, the fortress was demilitarised and used as a prison for people convicted of [[treason]] in the [[Legal purge in Norway after World War II|post-war legal purge]]. In 1947, Vardøhus was returned to fortress status manned by a commander and a few privates.<ref name="hisdoc" /> |
||
====Salute fortress==== |
====Salute fortress==== |
||
The command of the fort is now the responsibility of the [[Royal Norwegian Navy]], with a |
The command of the fort is now the responsibility of the [[Royal Norwegian Navy]], with a commanding officer and four seamen stationed there. Today the fort has few practical military purposes and serves primarily as a [[21-gun salute|salute fortress]], firing [[Salute#Heavy arms: gun salutes|gun salutes]] on [[Norwegian Constitution Day]] (17 May), [[Dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905|dissolution of the Union with Sweden Day]] (7 June) and on all royal birthdays.<ref name="Hist" /> |
||
The fortress is unique for the fact that, on the winter day that the sun can again be seen from the fortress walls after [[Climate of the Arctic#Solar radiation|the period of continuous darkness]], the fortress guns fire a two-round salute. The gunshots announce to the school pupils of Vardø that they have the rest of the day off in celebration of the return of the sun.<ref name="Hist"/> |
The fortress is unique for the fact that, on the winter day that the sun can again be seen from the fortress walls after [[Climate of the Arctic#Solar radiation|the period of continuous darkness]], the fortress guns fire a two-round salute. The gunshots announce to the school pupils of Vardø that they have the rest of the day off in celebration of the return of the sun.<ref name="Hist" /> |
||
====Museum==== |
====Museum==== |
||
| Line 103: | Line 104: | ||
== Commanding officers == |
== Commanding officers == |
||
[[File:Vardohus festning.jpg|thumb|Officer's quarters at Vardøhus Fortress]] |
[[File:Vardohus festning.jpg|thumb|Officer's quarters at Vardøhus Fortress]] |
||
{{ |
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2021}} |
||
(incomplete listing) |
(incomplete listing) |
||
* Lieutenant Colonel [[Carl Albert von Passow]] (1739-1755) |
|||
* [[John Cunningham (explorer)|John Cunningham]] (1619–1651) |
|||
* Major Peter Hanson With (Huid) (1755-1757) |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
* Jørgen Rosenkrantz (1757-1759) |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
* Major Conrad Henrich Ecklef (1759-1780) |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
* Major [[Otto Christian Rosenkrantz]] (1780-1785) |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
* Major Hartvig Segelcke (1786-1787) |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
* Major Hans Friderich Gemtze (Giemtze) (1788-1793) |
|||
* First Lieutenant Ross Peter Heiberg (born 1789–died 1838) July 12, 1833–November 2, 1838) |
|||
* No commander (1793-1800) |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
* Captain |
* Captain Hans Jørgen Jacob Trost (1800–1802) |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
* Captain Johan |
* Captain Johan Audensen (Anderson) Frey (1815–1818) |
||
* Lieutenant |
* First Lieutenant Gottfried Pleym (1818–1823) |
||
* Lieutenant |
* First Lieutenant Hermann Niciolai Scharfenberg (1823–1829) |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
* Lieutenant |
* First Lieutenant Reinert Ulfers(1832–1833) |
||
* Lieutenant |
* First Lieutenant Petter Heiberg Ross (born 1789–died 1838) July 12,1833–November 2, 1838) |
||
* Captain Paul Conradi (1839–1852) |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
* Captain [[Christian Fredrik Wilhelm Scharffenberg]] (1853–1859) |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
* Captain Nicolai Beichmann (1859–1865) |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
* Lieutenant |
* First Lieutenant Hans Juell Borchgrevink (1865–1866) |
||
* |
* Captain J.A. William T. Apenes (1866–1868) |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
* Captain Johan Basilier Basilier (1935–13 April 1940)<ref name="Fjeld404" /> |
|||
* Lieutenant (Navy) B. Bjerkelund (13 April–8 June 1940)<ref name="Fjeld404" /> |
|||
* Lieutenant H. Johannesen (8–18 June 1940)<ref name="Fjeld404" /> |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
* Major Erik Presterud (1947–1955) |
|||
* Major H. Willoch (1955–1957) |
|||
* Major (War Captain) K. Munck (1959–1970) |
|||
* War Captain A.J. Toreid (1970) |
|||
* Commander Captain J. R. Nordli (1971–1974) |
|||
* Lieutenant Commander P. M. Jakobsen (1974–1980)<ref name="Fjeld404" /> |
|||
* Lieutenant Commander Per Evensen (1980–1987)<ref name="Fjeld404" /> |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
* Lieutenant Commander R. S. Kvien (1993–1999)<ref name="Fjeld404" /> |
|||
* Commander Ivar Olaf Halse (1999–2003) |
|||
* Commander Lasse Haughom (June 2003–June 2005) |
* Commander Lasse Haughom (June 2003–June 2005) |
||
* Commander Lars Andreas Rognan (June 2005–August 2008) |
* Commander Lars Andreas Rognan (June 2005–August 2008) |
||
* Major Tor Arild Melby (August 2008 |
* Major Tor Arild Melby (August 2008–2010) |
||
* Commander Åge Leif Godø (August 2010 |
* Commander Åge Leif Godø (August 2010–2011). |
||
* Commander Elisabeth Eikeland (August 2011 |
* Commander Elisabeth Eikeland (August 2011–2014). |
||
* Commander Tor Arild Melby (August 2014 |
* Commander Tor Arild Melby (August 2014–2015). |
||
* Commander Odd Inge Haravik (August 2015 |
* Commander Odd Inge Haravik (August 2015–August 2020) |
||
* Orlogskaptein Roger Hoel (August 2020–present day) |
|||
==Footnotes== |
==Footnotes== |
||
{{Reflist |
{{Reflist}} |
||
==Bibliography== |
==Bibliography== |
||
* {{ |
* {{Cite book |last=Fjeld |first=Odd T. |title=Klar til strid - Kystartilleriet gjennom århundrene |publisher=Kystartilleriets Offisersforening |year=1999 |isbn=82-995208-0-0 |location=Oslo |language=no}} |
||
* {{ |
* {{Cite book |last=Hafsten |first=Bjørn |title=Flyalarm – luftkrigen over Norge 1939–1945 |last2=Ulf Larsstuvold |last3=Bjørn Olsen |last4=Sten Stenersen |publisher=Sem og Stenersen AS |year=2005 |isbn=82-7046-074-5 |edition=2nd, revised |location=Oslo |language=no}} |
||
* Stjern, Ivar: ''Ingeniørvåpnet i Nord-Norge gjennom hundre år'', Forsvarets Overkommando/InfoMediaHuset AS, Oslo 2003 {{ISBN|82-07-02060-1}} {{in lang|no}} |
* Stjern, Ivar: ''Ingeniørvåpnet i Nord-Norge gjennom hundre år'', Forsvarets Overkommando/InfoMediaHuset AS, Oslo 2003 {{ISBN|82-07-02060-1}} {{in lang|no}} |
||
*''The Northern Wars, 1558-1721'' by [[Robert I. Frost]]; Longman, Harlow, England; 2000. {{ISBN|0-582-06429-5}} |
*''The Northern Wars, 1558-1721'' by [[Robert I. Frost]]; Longman, Harlow, England; 2000. {{ISBN|0-582-06429-5}} |
||
*''Norges festninger'' by [[Guthorm Kavli]]; Universitetsforlaget; 1987; {{ISBN|82-00-18430-7}} |
*''Norges festninger'' by [[Guthorm Kavli]]; Universitetsforlaget; 1987; {{ISBN|82-00-18430-7}} |
||
*''Christian 4.s Finnmarkreise in 1599'' by [[Einar Niemi]], Foreningen til Norske Fortidsminnesmerkers Bevaring, Oslo, 1988. |
*''Christian 4.s Finnmarkreise in 1599'' by [[Einar Niemi]], Foreningen til Norske Fortidsminnesmerkers Bevaring, Oslo, 1988. |
||
* {{ |
* {{Cite book |last=Sandberg |first=Rei |author-link=Rei Sandberg |title=Vi ville slåss |publisher=[[Gyldendal Norsk Forlag]] |year=1945 |location=Oslo |language=no}} |
||
*''North Norway'' by Frank Noel Stagg, [[George Allen and Unwin]], Ltd., 1952. |
*''North Norway'' by Frank Noel Stagg, [[George Allen and Unwin]], Ltd., 1952. |
||
* {{ |
* {{Cite book |last=Steen |first=E. A. |author-link=Erik Anker Steen |title=Norges sjøkrig 1940-45: Sjøforsvarets kamper og virke i Nord-Norge i 1940 |publisher=[[Gyldendal Norsk Forlag]] |year=1958 |volume=4 |language=no}} |
||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
* [http://www.nasjonalefestningsverk.no/vardohus/Artikler/sommer_2006_vardohus Vardøhus Fortress] {{in lang|no}} |
* [http://www.nasjonalefestningsverk.no/vardohus/Artikler/sommer_2006_vardohus Vardøhus Fortress] {{in lang|no}} |
||
* https://forsvaretsforum.no/ny-kommandant-pa-vardohus/161011 |
|||
{{National Fortifications Heritage}} |
{{National Fortifications Heritage}} |
||
{{Authority control}} |
|||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vardoehus Fortress}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vardoehus Fortress}} |
||
| Line 160: | Line 186: | ||
[[Category:Star forts]] |
[[Category:Star forts]] |
||
[[Category:Royal Norwegian Navy bases]] |
[[Category:Royal Norwegian Navy bases]] |
||
[[Category:World War II prisoner |
[[Category:World War II prisoner-of-war camps in Norway]] |
||
[[Category:History of |
[[Category:History of Finnmark]] |
||
[[Category:Military installations in |
[[Category:Military installations in Finnmark]] |
||
[[Category:Tourist attractions in |
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Finnmark]] |
||
[[Category:1306 establishments in Europe]] |
[[Category:1306 establishments in Europe]] |
||
[[Category:14th-century establishments in Norway]] |
[[Category:14th-century establishments in Norway]] |
||
Latest revision as of 19:27, 12 December 2024
| Vardøhus Fortress | |
|---|---|
| Vardø, Finnmark, Norway | |
 Fortress as seen from air | |
| Coordinates | 70°22′20″N 31°05′41″E / 70.37222°N 31.09472°E |
| Type | Star fort[1] |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Norway (1306–1380; 1814–1940; 1944–present) Denmark–Norway (1380–1814) Nazi Germany (1940–1944) |
| Website | Vardøhus Fortress |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1306, 1450–1500, 1940–1944 |
| In use | 1306–present |
| Materials | Brick, earth, sand, stone and wood[2] |
| Battles/wars | Norwegian campaign (1940) |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander | Orlogskaptein Roger Hoel |
| Garrison | Commander and four soldiers[3] |
Vardøhus Fortress (Norwegian: Vardøhus festning), called "Wardhouse" in English historical navigations, is located in Vardø Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. It is located in the town of Vardø on the island of Vardøya on the Barents Sea near the mouth of the Varangerfjord in northeastern Norway near the Russian border.
History
[edit]In 1251, an embassy from the Republic of Novgorod to King Haakon IV Haakonson of Norway complained of clashes between the Norwegians and the Karelians in northern Finnmark. A Norwegian embassy was dispatched to Novgorod where a treaty (the original of which is now lost) was signed to conclude a peace between the two countries, including the Novgorod tributary land of Karelia.[4]
The Finnmark coast was originally important as a source of furs from the trade with the Karelians, but this trade dropped off as the Hanseatic League increased the fur trade through their Novgorod centre. Finnmark remained important as a fishery; the fish was shipped as stockfish to Bergen and traded there with the Hansa merchants.[4]
Varghøya
[edit]The first fortification was erected by Haakon V Magnusson in 1306 and was called Varghøya. It is not known how long this fort was manned, but in 1307 the Archbishop of Trondhjem went to Vardøhus to consecrate the new Vardø Church. The earliest record still extant which defines the border between Norway and Russia is from 1326. In 1340, records show the Archbishop made further efforts to improve conditions there.[5]
Østervågen
[edit]The second fortification to be built was in Østervågen (the "East Bay") which was erected between 1450 and 1500. This fortification was rectangular with two corner bastions.[6] It appears on various maps from the 14th and 15th century.
The Captain of Vardøhus owned a share of the fishery. While visiting the fort in 1511, Erik Valkendorf wrote: "the country would not be habitable for Christians were it not that the catch of fish is so plentiful as to attract people to settle down there. And this dried fish, which they call 'stockfish', is so valuable and excellent that it is exported to nearly every Christian country."[7]
In 1583, the Norwegian rights to the Arctic Sea were formally recognized by England; the agreement stipulated that each vessel which passed into the White Sea was to stop at Vardøhus to pay duty.[8]
In 1597, Boris Godunov, the regent of Russia, wrote to King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway, asserting that Vardøhus and "the Lapp country (as far as Tromsø) was from ancient times a perpetual patrimony of the Czar." In 1600, Godunov, now the tsar of Russia, refused to ratify the Treaty of Tyavzino which resolved conflicting Swedish and Russian claims to the Kola peninsula to the east of Vardøhus as well as other territories both claimed. This treaty did not acknowledge the Norwegian presence at Vardøhus nor the Norwegian claims to this territory. As a result of these border conflicts with Russia, King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway asserted Norway's historic ownership and visited Vardøhus in 1599 to instruct the governor of Vardøhus to collect taxes from Russians in his province, including the Kola peninsula and to exclude the Swedes, who were also attempting to claim the territory based on the Treaty of Tyavzino.[9] At this time, Vardøhus was so decrepit that he continued to live on board his ship, Victor. His name has been preserved as it was carved on a beam from the 1599 fort to commemorate the visit.[10] As a further effort at improving his hold on Finnmark, Christian IV built the fortress of Altenhus near Alta in 1610.[11]
Vardøhus
[edit]By the 1730s, Vardøhus had become decrepit. The seat of government of Finnmark was transferred from Vardøhus to Altengaard. Major upgrades to the current fortress began in 1738.[citation needed]
Modern history
[edit]Vardøhus did not see enemy action until the 20th century. The last time the fortifications were on active anti-invasion duty was during the First World War. The Second World War saw the fortress used as an anti-aircraft site and as a POW camp before the German occupation.[12]
Second World War
[edit]During the period from the beginning of the Second World War to the German invasion of Norway, Vardøhus Fortress was an active unit under the command of Naval District no. 3 in Tromsø.[13] For a time during the Winter War, 15-20 Finnish soldiers were interned at the fortress after being pushed across the border from Northern Finland by Soviet offensives.[14]
Norwegian Campaign
[edit]At the outbreak of the German invasion on 9 April 1940, Vardøhus was under the command of Captain Johan Basilier. The garrison consisted of one retired lieutenant, two privates, ten non-combatant military personnel, and two civilians.[12]
The weapons at the disposal of the garrison in 1940 were:[12]
- Four Krupp m/1887[15] 8.4 cm field guns
- Two turn-of-the-century model 37 mm Armstrong cannon (on loan from the Royal Norwegian Navy since 1914)
- One Hotchkiss m/1896 65 mm cannon
- One Maxim m/1898 37 mm autocannon
- Initially one heavy machine gun of unknown make, several more added to the arsenal during the campaign
- Two m/1915 Madsen machine guns in 6.5×55mm Krag calibre
During the evening of 9 April 1940 Captain Basilier received orders to mobilize a small number of additional soldiers to guard the fortress. With the announcement of general mobilization on 11 April further troops were called in for service.[12]
Captain Basilier, who had been suffering from poor health since Easter that year, took sick leave on 13 April and was replaced by Navy Lieutenant B. Bjerkelund. From this date a full mobilization was carried out in the Vardø area, in addition the members of the local rifle association were deployed to guard duty at important objectives. Soon the entire island was under guard, and coast guard and air observation posts were operational. All the different outposts were connected to the fortress via telephone lines. The machine guns at the fortress were readied for use with improvised anti-aircraft mounts produced by a local blacksmith.[12]
A few days after the full mobilization began a force of 150 men were at the disposal of the commander of Vardøhus and by the 10 June cease-fire around 215 men sorted under Vardøhus Fortress.[12]
POW camp
[edit]On 20 April 1940 the commander in chief of Northern Norway, General Carl Gustav Fleischer, issued orders to the 3rd Naval District that an internment camp for German prisoners of war was to be established at Vardøhus.[16] Four days later, on 24 April, the 1,382 ton steamer Nova[17] arrived in port with 155 German POWs. Most of the German prisoners were crew members from the Kriegsmarine destroyer Erich Koellner, sunk at Djupvik on the southern side of the Ofotfjord during the Battles of Narvik. The prisoners included the destroyer's commander, Fregattenkapitän Alfred Schulze-Hinrichs.[16] The prisoners were housed under guard at the Quarantine Detention building.[12] The POW camp at Vardøhus was closed down after a central POW camp for German detainees was established at Skorpa in Troms county and the 155 prisoners shipped to Skorpa on Nova on 13 May. Nova was escorted southwards by the patrol boat Ingrid – a captured German trawler operated by the Royal Norwegian Navy.[16] The prisoners were released from Skorpa on 12 June 1940, after the mainland Norwegian capitulation.[18]
Other military activities at the fortress included the establishment of a 12-bed field hospital and a radio station. From 23 May the fortress came under the command of the newly established East Finnmark Naval District responsible for all RNoN units in eastern Finnmark.[12]
Air attack
[edit]The fortress' sole action with the German invasion forces came on 4 June 1940. Since early May German aircraft had overflown the area without incident, but on 4 June a single Luftwaffe bomber made an attack. The bomber missed its intended target, the radio station, but damaged the church and the commandant's quarters. After expending its bomb load, the bomber flew low and strafed the area, riddling the radio hut and other buildings with bullets. In response to the attack, Corporal Olav Børve returned fire using the 65 mm Hotchkiss gun with case-shot,[12] firing 13 rounds.[19] After a while, the fortress' machine guns also fired back at the aircraft. With at least one of the case-shot rounds damaging the German bomber's hull[12][19] it limped away from the area[12] with a wounded navigator.[3]
Following the attack, work began on the construction of a new anti-aircraft position on the nearby Kirkeberget hill. The position was completed, but no armaments were installed before the cease-fire went into effect.[12]
Surrender and transitional period
[edit]On 8 June Lieutenant Bjerkelund was informed that the fighting in Norway was coming to a close and given the opportunity to evacuate to the United Kingdom. Seizing the opportunity, Bjerkelund left for Rosyth that same day on the patrol boat Nordhav II. Bjerkelund was replaced as commander by coastal artillery lieutenant H. Johannesen later in the day. Of the ten officers and NCOs and 214 men at the fortress all but 12 of the men were demobilized on 9 June. The officers, NCOs and the dozen privates were to continue to serve until the arrival of German occupation forces.[12]
"Flag war"
[edit]With the first Germans arriving only on 17 July, Vardøhus became the last armed unit under a Norwegian flag to lay down their arms during the Norwegian Campaign.[20] This occurred on 20 July, when German soldiers took down the Norwegian flag. Between 20 and 25 July no flag flew over Vardøhus, as the Germans had ordered the Norwegian soldiers not raise the flag again.[21]
However, since the Norwegian interpreted the order as only to not raise the State flag, they instead raised the Civil ensign on 25 July. From that day until 7 November the Norwegian flag flew at least part of every day, five times being removed by German soldiers who raised their own, which was replaced when they left. Each time the Nazi flag was burnt.[21]
During this time Captain Rynning was the fortress commander and served as a symbol of Norwegian sovereignty and as a buffer between German military authorities and the Norwegian military and civilian authorities. This, and "the flag war", continued until Rynning was arrested on the order of Reichskommissar Josef Terboven on 7 November. Rynning spent the next two years as a political prisoner at Grini and Møllergata 19 in Norway. In December 1942 Rynning was given prisoner of war status and deported to camps in Germany and occupied Poland for the rest of the war, returning on 7 June 1945.[21]
German occupation
[edit]During the occupation the Germans improved the fortifications in the Vardø area, among other things building two coastal artillery batteries. Vardøhus was utilised by the occupiers as a barracks for the crews manning the modern German-built fortifications.[22] In 1944, as the Germans retreated from Finland through Finnmark before the advancing Finns, General Lothar Rendulic ordered a scorched earth policy. Vardø was burned, with only a few houses remaining.[23] Even though the German coastal artillery batteries were demolished before the Germans left, Vardøhus was left intact, although in a miserable state of disrepair.[22]
Post-World War II
[edit]Prison
[edit]During the immediate post-war period, from 1945 to 1947, the fortress was demilitarised and used as a prison for people convicted of treason in the post-war legal purge. In 1947, Vardøhus was returned to fortress status manned by a commander and a few privates.[22]
Salute fortress
[edit]The command of the fort is now the responsibility of the Royal Norwegian Navy, with a commanding officer and four seamen stationed there. Today the fort has few practical military purposes and serves primarily as a salute fortress, firing gun salutes on Norwegian Constitution Day (17 May), dissolution of the Union with Sweden Day (7 June) and on all royal birthdays.[3]
The fortress is unique for the fact that, on the winter day that the sun can again be seen from the fortress walls after the period of continuous darkness, the fortress guns fire a two-round salute. The gunshots announce to the school pupils of Vardø that they have the rest of the day off in celebration of the return of the sun.[3]
Museum
[edit]As the Fortress has mainly the same appearance today as in 1738 it serves as a piece of cultural and military history. The fortress is open to the public and houses a museum.
Commanding officers
[edit]
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2021) |
(incomplete listing)
- Lieutenant Colonel Carl Albert von Passow (1739-1755)
- Major Peter Hanson With (Huid) (1755-1757)
- Jørgen Rosenkrantz (1757-1759)
- Major Conrad Henrich Ecklef (1759-1780)
- Major Otto Christian Rosenkrantz (1780-1785)
- Major Hartvig Segelcke (1786-1787)
- Major Hans Friderich Gemtze (Giemtze) (1788-1793)
- No commander (1793-1800)
- Captain Hans Jørgen Jacob Trost (1800–1802)
- Captain Ole Christopher Broch (Brock) (–June 24,1812)
- Captain Christian Andreas Hiorth (June 24, 1812–1815)
- Captain Johan Audensen (Anderson) Frey (1815–1818)
- First Lieutenant Gottfried Pleym (1818–1823)
- First Lieutenant Hermann Niciolai Scharfenberg (1823–1829)
- First Lieutenant Haldor Lykke (1829–1830)
- First Lieutenant Eilert Hegrem (1830–1832)
- First Lieutenant Reinert Ulfers(1832–1833)
- First Lieutenant Petter Heiberg Ross (born 1789–died 1838) July 12,1833–November 2, 1838)
- Captain Paul Conradi (1839–1852)
- Captain Christian Fredrik Wilhelm Scharffenberg (1853–1859)
- Captain Nicolai Beichmann (1859–1865)
- First Lieutenant Hans Juell Borchgrevink (1865–1866)
- Captain J.A. William T. Apenes (1866–1868)
- Captain Carl Schulz (1868–1890)
- Captain V. Graf Lonnevig (1890–1894)
- Major Maurice Cock Arnesen (1884–1914)[24]
- Major Axel Fredrik Holter (1915–1934)[24]
- Captain Johan Basilier Basilier (1935–13 April 1940)[24]
- Lieutenant (Navy) B. Bjerkelund (13 April–8 June 1940)[24]
- Lieutenant H. Johannesen (8–18 June 1940)[24]
- Captain (Navy) Roald Rye Rynning (June 18, 1940–November 7, 1940)[24]
- 1945–1947: No commander, used as prison.[22]
- Major Erik Presterud (1947–1955)
- Major H. Willoch (1955–1957)
- Major (War Captain) K. Munck (1959–1970)
- War Captain A.J. Toreid (1970)
- Commander Captain J. R. Nordli (1971–1974)
- Lieutenant Commander P. M. Jakobsen (1974–1980)[24]
- Lieutenant Commander Per Evensen (1980–1987)[24]
- Lieutenant Commander F. Th. Erichsen (1987–1988)[24]
- Lieutenant Commander A. Hallaren (1988–1991)[24]
- Lieutenant Commander S. H. Kristiansen (1991–1993)[24]
- Lieutenant Commander R. S. Kvien (1993–1999)[24]
- Commander Ivar Olaf Halse (1999–2003)
- Commander Lasse Haughom (June 2003–June 2005)
- Commander Lars Andreas Rognan (June 2005–August 2008)
- Major Tor Arild Melby (August 2008–2010)
- Commander Åge Leif Godø (August 2010–2011).
- Commander Elisabeth Eikeland (August 2011–2014).
- Commander Tor Arild Melby (August 2014–2015).
- Commander Odd Inge Haravik (August 2015–August 2020)
- Orlogskaptein Roger Hoel (August 2020–present day)
Footnotes
[edit]- ^ "4.2 Festningens utvikling". Nasjonale Festningsverk (in Norwegian). Retrieved 8 January 2010.
- ^ "7.4 Trebygninger og tredetaljer på murbygninger". Nasjonale Festningsverk (in Norwegian). Retrieved 8 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Historie". Nasjonale Festningsverk (in Norwegian). Retrieved 8 January 2010.
- ^ a b Stagg 1952: p. 61-63
- ^ Stagg 1952: p. 61-65
- ^ Kavli 1987
- ^ Stagg 1952: p. 75
- ^ Stagg 1952: p. 83
- ^ Stagg 1952: p. 84-90
- ^ Niemi 1988, p. ?
- ^ Godal, Anne Marit (ed.). "Altenhus". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Fjeld 1999, p. 211
- ^ Niehorster, Leo. "Scandinavian Campaign: Administrative Order of Battle Royal Norwegian Navy 3rd Naval District". Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ^ Fjeld 1999: 210
- ^ Robert Mårtensson (2002). "Norwegian weapons: Field artillery". Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ^ a b c Steen 1958: 250
- ^ Lawson, Siri Holm. "D/S Nova". Warsailors.com. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- ^ Sandberg 1945: 174
- ^ a b Stjern 2003: 19
- ^ Fjeld 1999, p. 212
- ^ a b c Fjeld 1999, p. 213
- ^ a b c d "Historisk tabell Vardøhus Festning". Nasjonale Festningsverk (in Norwegian). Retrieved 8 January 2010.
- ^ Stagg 1952, p. 197
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Fjeld 1999, p. 404
Bibliography
[edit]- Fjeld, Odd T. (1999). Klar til strid - Kystartilleriet gjennom århundrene (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kystartilleriets Offisersforening. ISBN 82-995208-0-0.
- Hafsten, Bjørn; Ulf Larsstuvold; Bjørn Olsen; Sten Stenersen (2005). Flyalarm – luftkrigen over Norge 1939–1945 (in Norwegian) (2nd, revised ed.). Oslo: Sem og Stenersen AS. ISBN 82-7046-074-5.
- Stjern, Ivar: Ingeniørvåpnet i Nord-Norge gjennom hundre år, Forsvarets Overkommando/InfoMediaHuset AS, Oslo 2003 ISBN 82-07-02060-1 (in Norwegian)
- The Northern Wars, 1558-1721 by Robert I. Frost; Longman, Harlow, England; 2000. ISBN 0-582-06429-5
- Norges festninger by Guthorm Kavli; Universitetsforlaget; 1987; ISBN 82-00-18430-7
- Christian 4.s Finnmarkreise in 1599 by Einar Niemi, Foreningen til Norske Fortidsminnesmerkers Bevaring, Oslo, 1988.
- Sandberg, Rei (1945). Vi ville slåss (in Norwegian). Oslo: Gyldendal Norsk Forlag.
- North Norway by Frank Noel Stagg, George Allen and Unwin, Ltd., 1952.
- Steen, E. A. (1958). Norges sjøkrig 1940-45: Sjøforsvarets kamper og virke i Nord-Norge i 1940 (in Norwegian). Vol. 4. Gyldendal Norsk Forlag.
