Naval Gun Battery Trondenes

The battery sits on the wooded Trondenes peninsula and was built by the Germans in 1942 as part of the Atlantic Wall. It protected the northern entrance to the port of Narvik, whilst its sister battery, on the island of Engeløya, protected the western entrance.

Each battery had four 406 mm. guns, built by Krupp and originally intended for six new super battleships. The guns, nicknamed ‘Adolf’ guns, had 70 foot barrels with a lifespan of 250-300 firings. They could fire a 1300 lb. shell 34 miles and a standard 2200 lb. grenade 26 miles. The Trondenes guns were operational in August 1943, although the expansion of the battery continued until the end of the War.

Russian prisoners of war, from Organization Todt, built the battery, and it’s estimated that 800 Soviets died during the construction period.

After the war, the Norwegian Navy took over the battery and it remained operational until 1964.

Today, the battery can be visited on a guided tour.