Z2 Georg Thiele Shipwreck

The rusted hull of a German destroyer beached in 1940 and still partly visible above the waterline at the head of the Rombaksfjord

At the head of the Rombaksfjord, about 20 km east of town, the rusted remains of the German Type 1934 destroyer Z2 Georg Thiele are still partly visible above the waterline — one of the more haunting wartime relics in northern Europe. She was beached during the second Battle of Narvik in April 1940 and never recovered. Decades of salvage have removed most of the metal, but the bow section and the angled keel are still in place against the cliff.

Sport divers with dry-suit certification can visit her, along with several other wartime wrecks in the surrounding fjords, including the Erich Giese, the Hermann Künne, and the Wilhelm Heidkamp. Several operators in Narvik run boat-based dive trips between May and September. From shore, the most accessible viewing point is at Sildvik, signposted from the E6 just before the Hålogaland Bridge.

things to do sight diving
A story
The Z2 was one of nine German destroyers cornered in the fjords around Narvik during the second naval battle on 13 April 1940. Its captain ran her aground at full speed against the cliff at Sildvik to keep the British from capturing her intact. Most of the crew climbed off across the bow and walked back to Narvik along the railway tracks.

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