DORA 1

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The main entrance to DORA 1

DORA 1 is a former German submarine base and bunker built during World War II in Trondheim. In German, Trondheim was called Drontheim, and the name DORA is the letter "D" in the German phonetic alphabet.

1 History
2 After WWII
3 More Images
4 External links

[edit] History

Construction of what was going to be the biggest German naval base in Northern Europe started in the autumn of 1941, one year after the invasion of Norway. The concrete roof was 3.5 metres thick, and armored with steel to repel any bomber attacks. The walls were also made of concrete, but these were only 3 metres thick. The whole bunker was 153×105 metres. The work was done by the Organisation Todt Einsatzgruppe Wiking and the Sager & Wörner building company of Munich. Organisation Todt employed slave labour extensively, and five Serbian workers died when a wall fell over them. This incident has fueled a widespread urban legend where the Germans simply let the bodies be left inside the wall. While German engineers did calculate that the five bodies would not weaken the construction considerably, they were removed before the building continued.

DORA 1 was handed over to the Kriegsmarine on June 20, 1943, now the home base of the 13. Unterseebootsflottille (13th submarine flotilla). The bunker, which could be hermetically sealed if attacked, had room for 16 U-boats and housing for many soldiers.

Construction of a smaller bunker situated to the west of the existing one, the DORA 2 was started in 1942, but only half completed by the end of the war. The building is presently used by a shipyard.

[edit] After WWII

Submarines could enter the base using these pens, for a closeup, click here

After the war, the DORA 1 was to be blown up using dynamite, but this was eventually cancelled. Because of the massive construction and the sheer size of the bunker, blowing it up would have caused serious damage to the surrounding buildings as well. The base was used briefly by the Norwegian military, and the two extra floors painted in blue were built. Today, the former naval base is home to the city and state archives, a bowling alley and several other businesses. The pens made for holding German submarines are now being used as a harbour area for civilian boats and commercial tugboats