Vardøhus Fortress
Vardøhus Fortress | |
---|---|
Norwegian Campaign (1940) | |
Garrison information | |
Current commander | Major Tor Arild Melby |
Garrison | Commander and four soldiers[3] |
Vardøhus Fortress (
History
In 1251, an embassy from the
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
The first
Østervågen
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
In 1597,
Vardøhus
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
Vardøhus did not see enemy action until the 20th century. The last time the fortifications were on active anti-invasion duty was during the
Second World War
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
At the outbreak of the German invasion on 9 April 1940, Vardøhus was under the command of Captain Johan Basilier 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 6.5×55mm Kragcalibre
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
On 20 April 1940 the commander in chief of Northern Norway, General
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
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
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
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"
With the first Germans arriving only on 17 July, Vardøhus became the last armed unit under a
However, since the Norwegian interpreted the order as only to not raise the
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
German occupation
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
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 post-war legal purge. In 1947, Vardøhus was returned to fortress status manned by a commander and a few privates.[22]
Salute fortress
The command of the fort is now the responsibility of the
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
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
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
- ^ "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. ?
- 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
- 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 ISBN 0-582-06429-5
- Norges festninger by 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.