“The war is going to start properly soon, and I’m going to start it.” That’s what Capt. Warburton-Lee of the British destroyer HMS Hardy said in a letter to his wife on 5th April, 1940. He wasn’t wrong. Wrecks of German and British destroyers, merchant vessels and aircraft now litter Narvik harbour. This is wreck heaven!
Expedition details
This expedition will be running from 27th July to 2nd August, 2008.
The current cost estimate is £1000. This includes return flights from the UK, all in-country transport, food, accommodation, diving (Nitrox) and gear freight from the UK. Please contact us if you wish to dive trimix or travel to Norway from outside of the UK.
The diving is suitable for anyone with a Fundamentals certification. However, there may be opportunities to do some Tech 1 level dives if the group is suitably qualified and interested.
We’ll be using a liveaboard boat called Galten. This 24m long ex-Swedish minesweeper has accomodation, catering, nitrox and trimix filling, an enclosed kitting up area, 240V for charging cameras and scooters, a drying room, and a sauna (no, really). The owner/skipper is Anders Jansson, a diver himself, an all-round great guy with superb local knowledge. Since 1997, they have only had to cancel three trips due to bad weather. The sheltered nature of the harbour allows diving in almost any conditions.
History
On April 9th 1940, Germany invaded Norway. Her prime objective was to secure the port of Narvik which, warmed by the gulf stream, remains ice-free throughout winter. Narvik was the route by which iron ore produced in the mines of Sweden was exported during the winter when the Baltic was frozen and as such was a vital resource to both the allied and axis war machines, At 0145 on 10th April, 1940, Captain Bernard A. W. Warburton-Lee, captain of HMS Hardy, headed east up Oftfjord, no more than 2 miles wide, at a speed of 12 kts. It was snowing heavily, dark, and visibility was less than 30m. Dead reckoning and luck were their only navigational aids. Following him were HMS Hunter, Havoc, Hotspur and Hostile. At 0423 Hardy, Hunter and Havoc turned into the entrance of Narvik harbour. Warburton-Lee turned Hardy broadside on, and fired his torpedoes. The resulting battles left a long list of shipwrecks, both German and British naval vessels, along with several merchantmen.
The Diving
Today, these wrecks form a divers playground. They have been well protected by the Norwegian authorities, and remain very intact. Many of them lie in shallow water, and dive times of over one hour are not uncommon. Artefacts from the sailors litter these wrecks, reminding us of the real cost of war, and are present again due to the vigilance of the Norwegians in protecting their heritage.
Here’s a taster to get you going.
Wreck diving in Narvik from Rich Walker on Vimeo
Visibility is generally very good, in the region of 20m or so, and water temperatures in summer are around 10-12C.
Narvik
Norway is a beautiful country, typified by long dark and deep fjords, surrounded by high green, often snow-capped, mountains. To say the scenery is breathtaking is not doing it justice at all. Small, brightly coloured houses dot the landscape, and their density gradually increases as you get closer to the town of Narvik. The town itself is nestled at the end of a fjord, surrounded by either water or mountain. The dive boat Galten has a mooring here, and is a short walk from the vibrant town centre which boasts bars, nightclubs and restaurants selling outrageously priced beer. The local museum is a fascinating look back at the history of Narvik, in particular the war-time years. This is a worthwhile visit as it really puts the dives you’ll do into historical perspective.
