Nazi Germany planes found at the bottom of a Norwegian fjord

Two German planes from the time of the Third Reich were found by researchers at the bottom of the Norwegian Trondheimsfjord. Now scientists have managed to bring them to earth for study. One of the two aircraft turned out to be the Blohm & Voss transport giant, which could cover enormous distances. It is considered one of the most famous aircraft, sought after by historians and archaeologists.

On Friday, October 27, it became known that the planes were found at the bottom of the Trondheims Fjord. They lay at a depth of several hundred meters for 78 years.

When World War II ended in 1945, a German Blohm & Voss BV 222 Viking transport aircraft was reportedly sunk near Trondheim.

It was one of the largest seaplane reconnaissance aircraft used during Nazi Germany, but after the Germans abandoned it in Norway it was never used again. They decided to destroy it by shooting a hole in it and sinking it.

“This is a famous aircraft that has been sought for decades,” says Jonas Folleso, technical director at drone maker Blueye Robotics.

How were the planes discovered? In 2022, the Navy crew of the Hugin was cruising the Trondheimsfjord to explore the seabed when something special appeared on sonar: a German transport plane appeared at a depth of 318 meters. When scientists discovered the wreckage, they had to find out what kind of aircraft it was: “Previously it was an unknown aircraft, so we delved into the archives and turned to the museum for expert help. Then we learned that it was a very interesting discovery,” says deputy commander Morten Gjerde Standal.

In the “neighborhood” they found another plane. It was a Heinkel HE-115, located at a depth of 253 meters. None of the planes had previously been found.

Such discoveries are a surprise and, as Standahl notes, “in normal work it was fun to find something like this that also had a historical perspective.”

As NRK notes, there are many planes from World War II in Trondheimsfjord, but what makes the latest finds special is that none of them have been touched since they fell. Other planes have been “looted” and picked up by sport divers and other interested parties, but these planes are at such depths that this is impossible.

Therefore, only with the help of special technologies were aircraft discovered by chance.

Jonas Folleso, upon hearing about the findings, immediately noted: “The investigation of war debris in Trondheimsfjord is a very important driving force for the Blueye staff. Since we started working with drones, we have explored many of the shipwrecks located here. Every time something new is discovered, we want to get out and see what was found as quickly as possible. We also looked for this accident and read about it during the seven years that I worked at Blueye.”

The Viking was originally intended to operate on the transatlantic routes of Deutschen Lufthansa (DLH). But by the time it was ready to go into service, World War II had begun. The Viking was one of the largest aircraft of the Second World War, it was both a cargo ship and a reconnaissance aircraft. The BV 222 VI had no weapons, and was usually accompanied on flights by a pair of Bf 110s. It is noteworthy that once it flew without its “guards” and met with British Beaufort patrolmen who, for unknown reasons, did not open fire. During its time, Viking not only flew from Hamburg to Kirkenes (Norway), but also operated Athens-Derna flights. Additional “Vikings” were also created, but their fate was sad: they destroyed British troops, were eliminated by their own team in Kiel, Travemünd, some were seriously damaged during flights.

The name of the aircraft was fully consistent with Nazi ideology, which often turned to mythology. Let us recall that the formation of national identity in Nazi Germany was largely based on Old Scandinavian mythology, which has come down to us in its most complete form, in contrast to the actual myths of the ancient Scandinavians. As the researchers write, “the mythological type of thinking contributed to the cultivation of unconditional devotion to Nazi ideals, apologized violence and cruelty towards other peoples and led to the moral decline of the nation.”

The discovery of the once famous giant is considered lucky for scientists and engineers. “Many World War II wrecks are gradually being eroded by salt water, tides and waves. Therefore, actively documenting WWII military history and artifacts is important. We have some time before many of the wrecks are completely destroyed,” Folleso told NRK.

Historian and advisor to the Museum of Justice in Trondheim, Knut Syvertsen, is glad that the planes were found: Airplanes were lost before, during, and after the war. And perhaps, especially in war, because the content may be so-so. Resources were scarce, people were in a hurry, and things often went awry. But Sivertsen doesn’t think it’s possible to fly the planes because “nature is starting to take them back.”