Georg Thiele

If you look towards the fjord, you can now see the remains of the German destroyer Georg Thiele. The wreck is a visible reminder of the events that took place here during the Second World War. On the 13th of April 1940, Georg Thiele was involved in the naval battles of Narvik. During the fighting, the destroyer launched a torpedo that struck the British destroyer HMS Eskimo, severely damaging her bow. With little ammunition remaining and no way to escape, the crew eventually ran Georg Thiele aground here in Rombaksfjord. More than 80 years later, parts of the wreck can still be seen from the railway. Most of the ship now lies beneath the surface, but the visible remains give us a direct connection to a dramatic chapter in Narvik’s history.