Fangeskipet “Danube” siste rice – Aftenposten

Ship name “Danube” brings forth a wide range of memories, associations and tales from the years of occupation. The most dramatic was the “Danube” part of the story of the deportation of Jews from Norway. When the ship’s bell struck the departing November 26, 1942, left the “Danube” pier 1 at the America docked in Oslo with 532 Jews on board: 302 men, 188 women and 42 children. Only nine men from this transport survived WW2.

More’d been with

idea was that the “Danube” should have brought more Jews on November 26, but many transports from other parts of the country missed out on time. Jews on board the “Danube” was arrested by Norwegian police officers and representatives of the Germanic SS Norway and crews from Hird, by order of the German occupying forces.

guard force on board consisted of 50 men. It was Hauptsturmführer Wilhelm Wagner as November 24 ordered that all Jews with “J” in the passport should be arrested and deported from the country. Wagner himself was present at Pier 1 along with police inspector Knut Red, who had led the arrests of Jews in Oslo and Aker.

Conditions on board the 532 Jews were miserable. They were crammed into two holds, women and children in one and men in the other.

Simply by Drøbak was blowing up a storm, and “Danube” therefore remained a while out in the Oslo Fjord. Once out in the open sea the ship rolled violently, and several were seasick.

Many on board saw that transport should go north to a work camp in Norway, but the “Danube” was heading south through the Øresund. They could eventually see the illuminated Sweden on the port side and the darkened Denmark on the starboard side.

Because of the strong storm in the Baltic Sea was “Danube” delayed and arrived in the port city of Stettin on the morning of November 30. At the dock were Jews from Norway left to the German security police and security guards from the uniformed police.

Killed same day

transport proceeded by train and 1 December arrived Jews from Norway extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau . All children, women and men who were defined as unable to work, was killed the same day – a total of 346 people. A total of 186 men aged 15-50 years were registered as able-bodied prisoners. Only nine survived the war.

Of the total of 772 Jews who were deported from Norway in the three vessels “Danube”, “Monte Rosa” and “Gotenland” survived only 34 About 250 Jewish families were wiped out.

D / S Donau was built by Deutsche Schiff-und Maschienbau in Hamburg in 1929. ship was owned by the German company Nord-Deutscher Lloyd and was the 9035 gross register tons. Danube was basically a civilian cargo ship, but was at the 2nd World War erupted requisitioned by the German war navy and equipped with anti-aircraft guns and underwater bombs.

After the invasion of Norway, the ship was put into transport between Stettin and Oslo. Primarily brought the “Danube” German troops and quantities of supplies to Norway, but the ship was also used to dislodge German troops from Norway to bet on the Eastern Front.

Slave Ship

“Danube “was under occupation referred to as” slave ship “, when it was used to transport starving Russian prisoners for forced labor in Norway, and to carry Norwegian prisoners to Germany and occupied Poland. Among these were Norwegian students and officers were sent to prisoner of war in Germany.

officers were sent in two groups: One group was transported by ship “Isar” of Stettin. The second group was sent in September 1943 aboard the “Danube”, where they landed in the big, dirty cargo holds on the stern. They were divided into three decks connected by means of makeshift stairs through door openings. Straw mattresses with papirlakener lay on large racks and on the door.

officers told after the war that everywhere the “Danube” could read the names and inscriptions from former prisoners, including Jews and Russians. Also arrested police officers were sent with this ship. In December 1943, 271 policemen sent to capture the ship “Donau”, they ended up in concentration camp Stuffhof near Danzig.

“Danube” transported several hundred arrested Norwegian sailors returned to Norway in May 1941 after they were captured by German warships and forcibly sent home.

Sunk by Manus and Nielsen

night of 16 January 1945 placed Max Manus and Roy Nielsen nine limpets on the “Danube” vessel bottom. These explosives were connected in parallel and some in series, all with good latency. “Danube” left Pier 1 on the day on 16 January. Two pilots landed in Drøbak to 16 o’clock. Shortly after powerful explosions sounded.

ship was landed with the bow and foredeck well up on the mainland bedrock, while the stern sank to the seabed at 40 degree angle. Approximately 1,500 Germans and 450 horses found themselves on board. In a note from 1950 about capturing the ship “Danube” final journey called the cash, “screams sounded until Drøbak. Furthermore, the process nach das Vaterland was stopped. “

After the war took over management of Enemy Property casualty. It was negotiated with several skipsbergere no results. In the early 1950s, a consortium of Bergen negotiated a salvage contract with German salvors. In March 1952, the ship was registered as “Bergensiana,” and in April docked at Akers Mek, after the equal and horse carcasses were removed. It was found that the hull and machinery was in such a condition that the repair was considered. But it was uncertain times, in August 1952 the ship was sold and towed to “Eisen und Metall”, Hamburg, where it was scrapped.

Two ships clocks were left in Norway. A small clock that stood on the “Danube” Bridge has been Linge club’s ownership. Main ships clock that stood on the “Danube” tires, has for decades been exhibited at Norway’s Resistance Museum at Akershus Fortress.

It was this bell was used to signal the departure and arrival and other activity on “Danube” and it is this clock that has now come to the HL-center at Bygdøy.

More than anything symbolizes the ship’s bell from the “Danube” the attempt to annihilate all Jews in Norway.

deportations of the Norwegian Jews were part of a European extermination project, where the Nazis would purge Europe of Jews – from east to west and north to south. To enter into a small ship’s bell in the big story.