Time flies like it’s racing towards something - I really can’t believe the speed at which each day flies by. I have had a really good week with a lot of great moments to look back at. It’s been an easter week with lots of cold but clear weather filled with sunshine. According to an article in the local paper, we haven’t had an easter like this (with so much sunny weather) since 1991.
Here are some of my image-catches over the past week. Most images are from my phone camera, but there is also one taken with my flying C-Gull too.
In the final image, you see the new plaque placed on Dora in Trondheim, with text in both Norwegian and English. I also noticed that a painted "Rauchen Verboten” (from WW2) still visible on one of the walls had now been placed behind the protection of glass. Clearly, the owners of Dora have already realized it’s position in our history.
If you are interested, here is the English version of the inscription:
DORA 1
Originally a German submarine pen constructed during the 2nd World was. The foundation of DORA 1 was laid down in the spring of 1941 and the bunker handed over to the German Kriegsmarine ready to be used in June 1943. The bunker with all its technical installations was not completed until 1945.
The name DORA derives from the first letter in the German name of Trondheim: Drontheim. D in german phonetic alphabet is pronounced DORA.
DORA 1 is 153 m long and 105 m wide. The base of the building measures 16.000m2. The solid roof made of reinforced concrete is 3,7 m thick while outer walls are about 2,5 m. The construction is resting on an enormous concrete foundation. DORA is larger below ground /sea level than above.
DORA 1 originally had 5 submarine pens and could dock three submarines in three dry-docks and four submarines in two wet-docks. In addition to the 100 m long pens, the DORA 1 submarine bunker contained (on the south side) of a number of workshops qualified for the task of performing advanced repair and maintenance work. Inside DORA 1 there was among other things a specialised periscope workshop as well as an artillery workshop dealing with the guns fitted on the submarines.
When DORA 1 came into use in 1943, the 13. German submarine fleet was formed under the command of Fregatten-kapitän Rolf Rüggeberg. From 1943 to 1945 this squadron operated a total of 55 submarines and sailed some 141 sorties representing all kinds of missions. The submarine crews had their quarters at the purpose-built submariner’s camp named Persaunet, some 10 km east of the bunker.
The construction work of DORA 1 was overseen Organisation Todt. Prisoners of war were to some extent used as labour during the construction of DORA 1, but the main workforce was made up by Norwegians as well as workers from all over the German occupied Europe.
Today DORA 1 is in use for peaceful purposes. A number of cultural heritage institutions safe keep their archives and collections behind the heavy walls. In addition the bunker host a variety of other public and private tenants.
Today DORA 1 emerge as a landmark in the Nyhavna waterfront area and the most visual part of the Second World War German navy-shipyard in Trondheim.
The operation of the Norwegian merchant navy were Norway’s most important single contribution tot he Allied war effort against the Axis powers. During World War II the partly government controlled shipping company Nortraship lost approximately 500 ships and approximately 3000 sailors mainly due to the German submarine warfare.
This information board is mounted on a heavy steel plate. This once formed a part of the huge armoured gates that could be lowered in front of the submarine docks.
