Dive Sites
SS Afrika, a German cargo freighter was sailing from Narvik to Germany when the war broke out in Scandinavia. The crew took the vessel to Bergen where the Germans were stationed, and stayed there until a German admiral thought they could take the chance to send the vessel further towards Germany. The ship sailed under a false Dutch flag and was camouflaged with the name Frik by taking away the two a`s in her original name. The same night the vessel was boarded by the Norwegian torpedo boat Stegg in the Korsfjorden, which then led Afrika in to Ulvik where the vessel was taken in custody and the crew interned. The Norwegian soldiers suspected that it wouldn't take long before the Germans came to Ulvik, and therefore they escorted the vessel out in the fjord and sank her on the 17th of April 1940. The wreck of Afrika rests on her hull in approximately thirty meters of water. The cargo was later salvaged, by blowing the sides of the cargo hatches. The wreck of Afrika is marked on sea map # 118 and rests in Ulvik at a depth of seven to thirty meters. The Jane'R' is needed to reach the wreck
The German ship Bärenfels was used as a supply freighter to the German forces based in Narvik. However, the vessel never arrived there but seeked shelter in Bergen harbour. During April 1940, several british airplanes attacked the german vessels in Bergen and Bärenfels was hit and later sank at the pier. The Germans put the vessel into service again after refloating her. On the 14th. of April 1944, Bärenfels was back in Bergen to load its cargo, when a big explosion hit the ship and the pier at Laksevåg. Bärenfels was heavy damaged and sank. Earlier in the morning the british mini sub X24 had dropped two time delayed mines at the bottom under what they believed was the great floating dock in the harbor. The australian skipper had mistaken the dock with the vessel Bärenfels. On the afternoon the mines exploded and Bärenfels sinks quickly. In the explosion 11 people die, 7 get wounded. Bärenfels was sunk again exactly on the day four years after the first sinking in 1940. Here the Bärenfels lies until the end of war. Then the Anda brothers arrive and salvage the bow part of the wreck and towed it to Stavanger. Norsk Bjergningskompani puts the stern part afloat later and starts to tow it towards Hauglandsosen, but unfortunately for the company it sinks on its way and they make no further attempts to save the remains of the vessel. The partial wreck of Bärenfels is outside Berland på Askøy. Hauglandsosen is located on the north side of Askøy in the Herdlefjorden outside Bergen, and you need a boat to reach the position where the wreck, where she can be found at a depth of twenty to thirty five meters
The steamship Elisabeth Bornhofen went down in the deep on October 4th 1944 after an attack by British bombers in Puddefjorden right outside Bergen harbor. The Royal Air Force had chosen this day to launch an attack on the German submarine pens in Bergen. During the attack the British pilots spotted the cargo freighter Elisabeth Bornhofen. The vessel was attacked with bombs and was soon on fire. The wreck of Elisabeth Bornhofen rest in a depth of sixty five to eighty meters right outside Bergen harbor, standing on her keel in a relatively good condition. To get out to the wreck site you must have a boat. Permission from Bergen harbor authority has been given to the Jane'R' to dive this site!
Bergen Harbour is littered with wrecks and its thanks to the second world war that Elsesro is an interesting site for wreck divers. The site contains seven wrecks of different sizes. As a plus to all the seven wrecks there also lies lots of ammunition spread around on the bottom which felt out of Königsberg when she tipped over and sank after several bomb attacks in April 1940. One of the wrecks in Elsesro is often marked with a buoy, and if you start here you can find another three wrecks which all lie next up to each other. One of these wrecks is in a terrible condition, but the two steel wrecks stand on the seabed in a good intact condition . There is a certain distance between the site where Königsberg was sunken and the wreck which is marked with a buoy
No.50 was a Tram used in the city of bergan. Over 160 trams were in service between 1893 and 1965. After the shut down of this service, the city discarded the remaining wagons. Some were sold, others were scrapped, while a few were dumped in the sea. At Knektholmen on Askøy outside Bergen city, two of these still lies on the bottom. They lie in thirty meters depth, intact and in good condition. The jane'R' is needed to reach the remains of these tram wagons.
The steamship Fusa went down on the 8th of January 1945 while steaming from Bergen to Tysnes. She was attacked by fifteen British airplanes in Korsfjorden. Fusa was attacked despite the fact that the vessel was clearly marked with nationality marks. While under attack the passengers try to get to safety, and during the three attacks Fusa receives, eight peoples perish and many others were injured. After the attack the vessel was still floating, with the crew trying to get ashore with the vessel, but at Korsneset the bowpart sunk in the waters and the crew abandon the vessel. The German forces in Norway use the incident in their propaganda. Today the wreck of Fusa lies on twenty to thirty meters depth
The steamship Heim went down at Hjelmevågen in the Hjeltefjorden on January 23rd 1942 after ramming a reef. Heim was heavily damaged in the collision, and it was not sure that she would be refloated of the reef again. The crew rowed back and forth between the vessel and land to salvage all they could manage from Heim. She later broke in two pieces and went down on the inside of the reef. Kjeflu can be located at the entrance to Hjelmevågen, where two iron poles mark the reef. The stern lies up side down, and the propeller, machine and the boiler lies on the south west side of the reef. Most of the hull is buried in the seabed, only the bow which is visible on thirty five meters depth. The wreck and the remains of Heim rests on a depth from fifteen to thirty five meters depth. The Jane'R' is needed to reach the wreck site.
The motorvessel Katja went down in the Fedjefjorden at Senoksen after the skipper lost his orientation towards land under harsh weather, stranded on Storebåen on the morning November 16th 1964. The vessel was on a journey from Mo i Rana to Bergen with a cargo of steel and a crew of six men when the accident occurred. In the stranding the bow received heavy damage. In the days that followed the cargo was salvaged and not many days after the accident the vessel disappeared in a storm. Today the wreck of Katja rest north east of Storebåen west of Lynguksen and north of Senuksen in a depth of ten to twenty meters. The wreck itself is partly broken up and the bow section lies upside down, but the stern is still in good shape. The wreck of Katja can only be reached by Janr'R' during favourable weather.
The motor vessel Kilbulk went down in Hjeltefjorden at Austrheim on the 27th of July 1987 under a journey from Årdal to Måløy with a cargo of sand and a crew of four. After the stranding emergency call was sent out and while the vessel stood stuck on the Mikkelsbåen the crew was washed over board by the harsh sea. The crew laid in the water for a while before they were picked up by another vessel which came to the site. Later that same day Kilbulk went down. Today the wreck of Kilbulk lies in two pieces, with the stern standing intact, complete with wheel house & fittings. The rest of the wreck is upside down. The depth is twenty six to thirty five meters.. The site can only be reached with the Jane'R' in favourable weather.
The steamship Rekstøy disappeared on the 25th of March 1923 after a stranding on Håkonshella outside Alvøen. Many believe the vessel had the name Kinn when she went down, but this may not be correct. When Rekstøy ended her history she was on a journey from Bergen to Kragerø with a cargo of limestone when she went on Håkonshella and disappeared in five minutes. The crew managed to get into the lifeboat then rowed to Bergen and reported the accident. The day after the wreck was investigated by divers, but Rekstøy was left alone. Today the wreck rests at a depht of twenty one to thirty meters on Håkonshella in a good condition. The visibility can often be quite poor thanks to silty conditions. Close by the wreck of Rekstøy there is also a number of cars which is worth a quick visit.
The steamship Roma went down at Hestholmen on the 19th of October 1919 during a journey from Bergen to Sarpsborg with a crew of thirteen men. In Vatlestraumen Roma became set by a strong current when it struck Hestholmen, the vessel started to take in water. Some hours later Roma sank despite the crews attempts to keep the vessel afloat. The crew then rowed to Bergen and reported that Roma has sunken. Roma is located on a depht of twenty four to thirty meters on the east side of Hestholmen. The wreck of Roma is totally broken up, but the steam engine and cargo can still be seen. The Jane'R' is needed to reach the wreck.
The steamship Saude went down in Vatlestraumen at Haakonshella south of Bergensfjorden on the 13th of November 1944 after a collision with the German submarine U 1052. Saude was in her regular route between Stavanger and Bergen when the vessel collided with the German submarine, and quickly sank. Nobody on board Saude was injured in the accident. The wreck of Saude rest today with her keel at a depth of thirty to forty two meters and well intact.
The German steamship Aquila disappeared at Midt-Gulen on November 8th 1944 after having been attacked by British airplanes while in convoy northwards along the Norwegian coast. On the afternoon on November 8th the convoy which included of the ships Aquila and Helga Ferdinand spotted by a British reconnoisance plane, and shortly after a group of British airplanes attacks the ships. Today the wreck of Aquila rest in a depth of thirty five to sixty meters with a port list. The stern is at sixty meters and is damaged but the rest of the wreck is very much intact with the masts and funnel still in place, a large gun is mounted on the bow. The wreck site is well protected against bad weather.
The allied planes, Bristol Beaufighter's, participated in many different missions during WW2. They played a major role attacking German shipping with many attacks launched on the Norwegian coastline. The greatest air battle over Norway during the war took place February 9th 1945 over Naustdal and Førde. The allied had 32 planes against 12 German Focke Wulf planes, and the total losses after the air battle counted ten allied planes against four German planes. During the war many planes crashed in the Høydalsfjorden, where many of them can be found. One of these is the the Beaufighter that took part in the air battle over Naustdal in 1945. The wreck of the plane lies on a shallow depth at the east side of Hjortøya in the Høydalsfjorden. The remains of the Beaufighter lies on a depth of eighteen to approximately thirty meters and is relatively intact. The Janr'R' is needed to visit the remains of this Beaufighter.
The Estonian steamship Begonia went down on the 25th of April 1940. Begonia was on a journey northwards from Rotterdam to Murmansk in a convoy with several other foreign vessels on the 19th of April, but after several attacks on the convoy set course towards the Norwegian coast, anchoring the vessel right by a steep mountain wall to protect against attacks from airplanes. On the afternoon on April 25th Begonia is spotted by a German reconnaissance plane, and later a group of German airplanes comes in the the fjord and attack the vessel with machine guns. The Norwegian forces sink the vessel with explosives after they have got the crew away from the vessel. Today the wreck of Begonia rest in a good condition outside Flåm in Aurlandsfjorden in a depth of fifteen to thirty two meter. The wreck of Begonia is a nice dive site and rests on her keel almost completely intact. You need the Jane'R' to get out to the wreck site.
On the 15th of December 1944 a German convoy of six ships crosses the Sognefjorden under cover of the dark withFerndale in the lead. The German Luftwaffe had no resources to spare to secure the air space, and this forced the German convoys to sail only during the night. Late at night the convoy have reached Krakhellesundet, but strong currents mislead the captain on Ferndale and Seglsteinen reef suddenly appears. All hope is lost for Ferndale, and the ship hits the reef hard. The other ships in the convoy manage to maneuver away form Seglsteinen and continues to Ålesund city without Ferndale. The german ship V5305 and the tugboat Fairplay X stays with Ferndale and awaits help. Later the rescue vessel Parat arrives, and Parat and Ferndale lies here until noon on the 16th of December 1944 when nineteen allied Mosquito planes attacks the ships with cannons and rockets. The attack only last for a few minutes, but this is more than enough to set Ferndale and Parat to fire. Under the attack only one plane is lost. The crews on Ferndale and Parat tries to put out the fire, but rapid explosions in the cargo of ammunition makes the hard work unsuccessful. One our later another eight new Mosquito's arrives and attacks the ships again. Again the German ship V5305 hits one of the planes which smashes straight in the mountain wall near Seglsteinen. But both Ferndale and Parat has received more then they can handle and the ships sinks rapidly after the attack. And today both ships lies next to Seglsteinen on a depth of 8 to 62 meters. Ferndale is broken from the bow back to bridge at a steep angle down the side of a underwater cliff stern stands high and is intact. Parat lies much deeper, and on a depth of forty meters from the stern of Ferndale you can look down on the wreck of Parat.The Jane'R' is needed to visit these wrecks.
The SS Frankenwald ended her days in the waters outside Ytre Sula in the Sognefjorden on the 6th of January 1940. The German vessel lost control and drives straight in to Brattholmen, where the vessel quickly starts to take in water. The crew were ordered into the lifeboats and thereafter taken onboard by the fishing vessels who comes to assist. In April the same year, the second world war breaks out in Norway, and people forget about Frankenwald. Then by the Anda Brothers whom cuts of the propeller. Not much more happens thereafter to Frankenwald until sports diving becomes popular several decades later. In the recent years the wreck has been much visited by sports divers and is a popular dive site in this area of the country The wreck of Frankenwald is situated in a depth of fifthteen to thirty meters on the west side of Ytre Sula. The Janr'R' is needed to reach the area.
The ship Havda was sunk by British airplanes outside the Luta island on the 9th of December 1944, while the vessel was on a journey from Måløy to Bergen. Havda arrived at Måløy on the 9th of December 1944 with twelve passengers on board. Later that same day on her journey towards Bergen, Havda was attacked by British airplanes at Askvoll. Under the attck the vessel was hit by bombs and machinegun fire and quickly disappeard. Today the wreck of Havda lies west of the island Luta in a depth of sixteen to thirty meters. The Jane'R' is needed to reach the wreck.
The steamship Helga Ferdinand went down after being attacked by British airplanes under a journey in convoy northwards along the Norwegian coast on November 8th 1944. The convoy took cover in Midt-Gulen to await further in the dark before they could continue their journey north. On the afternoon the ships were spotted by a British reconnoisance plane, and shortly after Aquila and Helga Ferdinand are sunk by a group of British airplanes. Today the wreck of Helga Ferdinand stands on her keel intact at a depth of forty five to sixty meters. The bow and stern still have the antiaircraft guns attached. The Jane'R' visits this site during bad weather.
The steamship Ilse Fritzen disappeared on the 26th of January 1945 after having been attacked by British airplanes in Eidsfjorden. Ilse Fritzen was originally built in France in 1922, but was put to service by the Germans. Today the wreck of Ilse Fritzen rest in Eidsfjorden outside Askvoll at a depth of forty five to sixty five meters, listing to her starboard side. The wreck is in good condition with exceptions of the stern The position of the wreck can be a little difficult to find, but local divers known the position of the wreck. To get out to the wreck site you need a boat and nice weather
The steamship Inger Seks went down after an allied air attack in Instefjorden on the 23rd of April 1945. The ship had stranded the day before, and was quickly spotted by the British who attacked this large freighter. It is said that Inger Seks was standing on the reef burning for several days before she disappeared into the sea. Inger Seks was requisitioned by the German occupation force in Norway in May 1940, and had almost survived the second world war under German flag when she was sunk. The wreck of Inger Seks rest in a depth of twenty six to sixty meters on the west side of Instefjorden. The Jane'R' is needed to visit this site.
The steamship Inger Tre went down after a stranding in snowy weather on the 12th of January 1936 in Stavfjorden on a journey north towards Narvik. Inger Tre was stuck on the reef but the slided of the reef later and disappeared. Inger Tre was on a journey from Bergen to Narvik when the accident occurred. The wreck of Inger Tre rests at a depth of fifteen to thirty meters with the stern as the deepest part at Trefotskjæret. The Jane'R' is needed to dive this site and is extremely weather dependant.
The steamship Klaus Fritzen disappeared fter having been attacked by British airplanes from squadron 608 on May 4th 1942. Klaus fritzen was laid at anchor when British airplanes arrived over Måløy and opened fire on the ship. She was heavily damaged by the fire and three bombs then quickly sank with nineteen casualties. Today the wreck of rests in Måløy harbor, right west of Måløy city on a depth of forty to fiftyfive meters. The wreck is relatively intact, but damages from the attack in 1942 can easily be seen. A boat is needed to visit the site.
The steamship Lynx was heavily damaged when attacked by Allied bombers close to Stavenes lighthouse on September 19th 1941 when on passage from Hamburg to Hammerfest. During the attempt to rescue the vessel she stranded at Stavenes. Lynx was registered in Norway and owned by Bergenske Dampskipsselskap, but sailed under German flag from April 1940. A salvage attempt was mounted but Lynx slid and sank into deep water. The wreck of Lynx rest at a depth of ninety to one hundred meters. The wreck stands on her keel, intact with the deck on ninety to ninety five meters depth. The stern section of Lynx has obviously had a rough ride down the mountain wall, but the hull is in a good condition. Some inventory and the masts were removed under the attempts to rescue the vessel after the attack. The Jane'R' has located part of the wreckage on the cliff but the main wreck, at 90 meters is a technical dive.
In 1914 to 1918, Germany sea supply routes were totally blocked resulting in the armistice on November 1918. Many German civil vessels had cannons and machineguns, the Oldenburg was the most successful commerce raiders and sunk 40 allied vessels. After the armistice the ship was put in civil traffic again, until the outbreak of the second world war. And again the ship was subdued to the German navy. In the war years during the second world war, Oldenburg went nearly twenty times in transport missions along the Norwegian coast, and her last journey ended in March 1945. Outside Vadheim in the Sognefjorden the ship was discovered by British Bristol Beaufighters and attacked with rockets and bombs. The Germans responded the attack with intensive AA-fire. Some time later the Oldenburg sank in forty meters depth. Today the wreck of Oldenburg rest in pretty good condition at a depth of twenty four to sixty meters, almost fifty meters from land outside the pier where she was sunk.
The steamship Optima a German supply from 1926 had many trips along the Norwegian coast. Under her last journey Optima had as her mission to supply the German high command in northern Norway, and rumors says that it was the Easter supply which was under the way to the high officers in Wehrmacht. Optima laid at anchor in Florø harbor when the Norwegian MTB 619 attacked her with torpedoes on the 14th of March 1943, and in short time the German supply vessel disappeared. Today the wreck of Optima rest in a good condition right outside the pier at Ankerløkken in Florø at a depth of thirty to forty-two meters.
The steamship Radbod was sunk by British Beaufighters on the 5th of December 1944 outside Selbergvika in the Ørstafjorden after taking shelter to avoid the danger of air plane attack. Radbod was on a journey southwards for reparations after an accident outside Bodø in September the same year. A short while after Radbod is attacked by several British Beaufighters, and the vessel receives heavy hits from rockets and machine cannons in the engine room and sinks. The crew on Radbod goes over to the vessel Dockenhunden, and no one perish on Radbod. A British air plane is shot down and hit the German guard boat V-6805 who takes damages, and another Beaufighter also get hits and must make an emergency landing. Today the wreck of Radbod rest on a depth of twenty five to seventy meters with the stern part as the deepest part just outside Selbergvika straight west of Ørsta and is a popular dive site.
The steamer Sanct Svithun was sunk on the 30th of September 1943 by six British airplanes. Sanct Svithun was on a journey from Ålesund to Måløy. The vessel was clearly marked with national colors which indicated that the target was a civilian and unarmed vessel. During the attack the vessel caught fire and many perished in the fire that occured, After the attack the vessel was still floating but eventually went down. Today there is not much left of this vessel, which has been broken up by the hard weather. The remains of Sanct Svithun lies at Buholmen outside Ervika at a depht of five to thirty meters.
The SS Sterk was lost on the 13th of September 1909 in Skatestraumen by Bremanger after the ship had got into a heavy storm. The ship was on a routine mission from Larsnes to Fredrikstad with a cargo of stone and a crew of sixteen men when they ran into a heavy storm.The Sterk hit a reefs and water pumped in to the ship. It only toke a few minutes before the vessel sunkk. Seven men died but tghe rest of the crew was rescued by the vessel Astrea who witnessed the tragedy. The wreck can be found today at Skatestraumen north east of Bremanger at a depth of twenty-five to thirty-seven meters. The wreck of Sterk is very nice to dive on and is strongly recommended. The Jane'R' is needed to dive on the wreck.
The German motorvessel Wilhiem was a suplly vessel for the German forces under the second world war, and was loaded with coal when she was torpedoed on 28th of November 1944 south of Tansøy in Brufjorden. In a swift assault she is torpedoed by the Norwegian MTB 717, and the vessel starts quickly to take on water. Welheim sets the course towards Tansøy, but goes down in the deep after a short time. Today the wreck of Welheim rest in a very good condition on a depth of thirteen to seventy meters. On the bridge you can still see anti aircraft position, and the only visible damage is on the hull where the torpedo hit. The Jane'R' can reach this wreck in favourable weather.
The Dutch vessel Akerendam had left from the island Texel in the Netherlands on the 19th of January 1825 with two other vessels and Batavia as the target, but during a storm in the North Sea, Akerendam looses her fellowship and ends up on the north side of Runde where she goes down. Onboard the vessel had nineteen cases of coin designated for the far East where spices was one of the big merchandises. The actual date when Akerendam went down is not fully known, but on the 8th of March peoples on Runde discovers wreck debris which was washed ashore and thereafter Akerendam is quickly forgotten. In 1972 Akerendam is rediscovered by sportsdivers who finds coins and a cannon which was onboard the vessel in shallow waters near Kvalneset. In the time that follows the divers manage to salvage several hundred kilos with coin and the year after Bergen maritime museum launch an expedition where they salvage nearly 135 kilo with coins. Most of the value from the wreck site was given to the sportsdivers who found the place, but both the Dutch and Norwegian authorities took percentage from the findings. Today there is nothing left of this vessel but sometimes sports divers still finds a coin or two on the wreck site. The Jane'R' is required to visit this site.
The motorvessel Altair was a originaly a ship from Holland, but was taken by Germany who used her as a transport vessel for German troops. On April 4th 1943 Altair sailed under protection of a German aa-vessel ( flakschiffe ) north along the Norwegian coast when she was attacked by three aircraft's outside Vevang. With gunfire and torpedoes the airplanes initiate an attack on Altair and hit the vessel with several torpedoes. Altair sank slowly into the sea. It is estimated that it were close to 190 men on board when she was attacked. Today the wreck of Altair in open waters outside Vevang at Eknesskjærfluene. The wreck is relatively broken down, but both the stern and the bow section is still intact. Wreck debris is scattered around the whole area, and it is rumored that an amount of ammunition still remains on the site. The remains of Altair are scattered at a depth of approximately twenty meters, while the stern rest on forty meters with her keel up. Altair is a popular dive site but can only be reached by boat.
MV Arisan ended her days as in a storm outside Runde on January 12th 1992. The vessel which were on a journey to the Netherlands with iron ore from Narvik stranded, and in the weeks that followed the ship got big media coverage. The vessel had big engine problems before the accident, and the only light that the crew had to work with were flashlights and oil lamps. Two tugboats were in the area but the skipper refused to receive help from these boats. Soon after the vessel stranded on Geitmaren straight west of Runde. The vessel went down slowly in the days to come, and on the 15th of March Arisan had disappeared. Today the wreck of Arisan lies mostly crushed on a depth of ten to twenty meters. Just like the other wrecks in this area, you need a boat to reach the remains of the wreck
The steamship Barcelona was sunk on the 29th of October 1941 outside Ålesund harbor. Barcelona was used by the Germans as a cargo freighter and troop transporter during the second world war. Until she was sunk outside Ålesund city in 1941 she was used for troop transport of German soldiers. On the 29th of October 1941 in the morning a British reconnaissance from Scotland flew over the city and observed the German cargo freighters which laid at anchor outside Ålesund harbor. It was thereby decided that they should launch a "Anti-shipping" attack on these vessels that same night. At 2100 hrs that night the air alarm rings through Ålesund city when nine British Lockheed bombers attacked the vessel. Barcelona is heavily damaged and one civilian and two antiaircraft soldiers are kille. Barcelona sank shortly after the attack. Today the wreck of Barcelona lies on a depth of forty two to seventy meters relatively intact nortwest of Ålesund city, and in 1993 the ship bell was found and salvaged by sportsdivers. The wreck is listing on port side nearly three hundred meters from ashore out from Kongens gate. The Jane'R' frequents this site.