We sailed into the extremely wide Ofotfjorden to Narvik, June 10. From there we took a mountain train to Katterat and then a pristine walk toward Rombaksbrua. Pictures of our walk follow:
Imagine the later scene being 70+ years ago filled with a fleet of destroyers coming around the point. In WWII, Finland was aligned with russia, Sweden with Germany, and both Norway and Denmark tried to remain neutral. Neither Great Britain nor Germany was willing to respect Norway's neutrality. Britain needed to protect its northeast coast, while Germany (a) needed warm water ports for its flfeet, (b) needed Norwegian fishiing stocks for wartime sustenance, and most importantly, (c) needed the output of the Swedish Kiruna mines (connected by rail to Narvik - the same rail we rode).
Even today, after a century of production, the mines send 60-car trains of 100 tons each, every two hours, 24/7 all year long, or 30 million tons of ore annually. The ore is 60% iron - most mines produce 6% iron. Here is a view of the Narvik loading dock:
As we returned by small boat to Narvik from our walk, we passed part of a sunken German destroyer. As we neared, we could smell leaking diesal fuel - leeaking 70 years after being sunk.
early in the war, the German navy including 11 destroyers, captured Narvik and then the Royal Navy with destroyers and a battleship sunk the whole German fleet in and near Narvik. This greatly hampered Germany's ability to iinvade both Great Britain and Russia in WWII.
Imagine the later scene being 70+ years ago filled with a fleet of destroyers coming around the point. In WWII, Finland was aligned with russia, Sweden with Germany, and both Norway and Denmark tried to remain neutral. Neither Great Britain nor Germany was willing to respect Norway's neutrality. Britain needed to protect its northeast coast, while Germany (a) needed warm water ports for its flfeet, (b) needed Norwegian fishiing stocks for wartime sustenance, and most importantly, (c) needed the output of the Swedish Kiruna mines (connected by rail to Narvik - the same rail we rode).
Even today, after a century of production, the mines send 60-car trains of 100 tons each, every two hours, 24/7 all year long, or 30 million tons of ore annually. The ore is 60% iron - most mines produce 6% iron. Here is a view of the Narvik loading dock:
As we returned by small boat to Narvik from our walk, we passed part of a sunken German destroyer. As we neared, we could smell leaking diesal fuel - leeaking 70 years after being sunk.
early in the war, the German navy including 11 destroyers, captured Narvik and then the Royal Navy with destroyers and a battleship sunk the whole German fleet in and near Narvik. This greatly hampered Germany's ability to iinvade both Great Britain and Russia in WWII.
1 comment:
It all looks remarkably beautiful.
Sounds like you are having a great time.
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