Trondheim - Dora

In Trondheim, 1941, the Germans began to build a submarine base called Dora I, which was completed in 1943. The base consisted of five pens that together could house seven submarines. In 1942 the construction of Dora II began, but it was never completed. The idea was that Dora II would consist of 4 pens with a total capacity of six submarines. Both bases was built by Organisation Todt. When Dora I was ready, the base became the German 13th submarine flotilla’s main base. The flotilla consisted of about 55 submarines, some at sea on missions, some at base for maintenance and service. It was mainly the Northern Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean that were the primary operating areas for submarines based in Norway. The goal was to sink allied convoys on their way to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk in the Soviet Union. The base was bombed at one point during the war but without any major damage.