The Battle of Isefjord

The Battle of Isefjord took place on a fateful day in August 1943 when the policy of collaboration between Denmark and Germany collapsed and the German occupiers imposed a state of emergency.

During the month of August, tensions between Denmark and Germany had worsened, and there was a suspicion that a coup against the Danish naval and armed forces was imminent. Therefore, the artillery ship Niels Juel was in a state of alert.

On 29th August 1943, Niels Juel (original spelling Iuel) was anchored in the harbour Holbæk Havn after an exercise in the Isefjord.

Shortly after 4 AM, a message reached the ship. It was sent through secret radio signals and ordered the crew to either seek Swedish waters or scuttle the ship. Because of the weather, the ship was delayed, but around 6 AM, Niels Juel set course for Hundested. The crew got warning from the coast of German mines on their route, so it was decided to anchor the ship and wait for further orders from Commander Pontoppidan.

However, German reconnaissance planes discovered that the ship was running for Sweden, and the Germans initiated several air strikes on the artillery ship.

None of the many bombs hit the hull itself, but still the ship took heavy damage. One crew member of the around 329 on board died of his injuries, while four others were badly hurt.

The ship returned fire, but afterwards set course back into the fjord. The Germans ceased their attack, and Pontoppidan ordered the ship to Hundested. However, Captain Carl Westermann, who apart from being a senior grade commander was also Deputy Chairman of the Danish Parliament, decided to sail the ship to the opposite side of the Isefjord. At approximately 10.48, the ship was grounded off Annebjerg, where Odsherreds Museum is now located.

Here, the crew tried to destroy the ship to such a degree that the Germans would not be able to use her. They threw cannons, ammunition and other equipment overboard for that same reason.

The ship was so heavily damaged that the Germans had to salvage her. This took place in October 1943, and the German Navy, the Kriegsmarine, changed the name of the ship to Nordland and used her as a training ship.

In 1945, the ship’s story ended in Eckernförde Fjord. Some sources believe that the ship was scuttled in a bombing raid by the allied forces. Other sources say that it was the ship’s own crew who placed eight bombs on the ship and scuttled her. Niels Juel was potentially destroyed by her own crew.

The wreckage still lies in the German fjord to this day.

If you visit Odsherreds Museum, you can see one of the ship’s cannons that returned fire during the attack. You can also experience a nice exhibit about the Battle of Isefjord. The cannon has been lent to the museum by the Northern Jutland coastal museum Nordjyllands Kystmuseum in Frederikshavn, where four of Niels Juel’s  original cannons ended up after the Germans had taken over the ship and replaced the cannons.

Sources: Odsherreds Kulturhistoriske Museum and Dansk Militærhistorie

Picture: M/S Museet for Søfart / Hansen, Hans J.

Coordinates:  Latitude: 55.914125
Longitude: 11.822918