1943 Filipstad explosion
Encyclopedia
The 1943 Filipstad explosion was a fire in an ammunition store at Filipstad
in Oslo
on Sunday, 19 December 1943, during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
. The fire started during the unloading of ammunition
from the transport ship SS Selma. The estimated amount of exploded ammunition varies from 800 to 1,200 tons. A large number of shells
and grenades
were tossed into the air and spread over the city. There were around 40 Norwegian casualties and around 75 Germans were killed, and 400 wounded. About 400 buildings were severely damaged.
store of 20,000 tons had been set on fire and burned for three weeks. The ship Selma did not explode during the Filipstad fire. The ship was towed away from Filipstad. It exploded and sank in another explosion on 11 January 1944.
and grenades
being thrown over Oslo, but most of them did not explode. The Filipstad area was severely damaged by the explosion and resulting fires. An area of about 60 decares was completely destroyed. A disastrous fire developed in the neighbouring districts, which was the largest fire in Oslo since the establishment of a permanent fire brigade in 1861. Around 350 firefighters from Oslo and 60 from Aker
participated in the firefighting operations. Pressure waves resulted in glass being damaged in large areas of Oslo and Aker
. According to the city architect
, the amount of shattered glass was 53,000 square metres in residential houses, 28,000 square metres in offices and shops, and 9,000 square metres in public buildings such as hospitals and schools. The total amount of shattered glass was 90,000 square metres spread over 1,600 premises
. The effect of the explosion was felt as far the southern part of Nordmarka
, where the windows of Skjennungstua were shattered.
Filipstad, Norway
Filipstad is a neighborhood in the borough Sentrum in Oslo, Norway. It serves as a container port for Oslo.The neighborhood grew from a single property, named after the pharmacist Philip Moth around 1650 - the last element is stad m 'farm'...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
on Sunday, 19 December 1943, during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
. The fire started during the unloading of ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
from the transport ship SS Selma. The estimated amount of exploded ammunition varies from 800 to 1,200 tons. A large number of shells
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
and grenades
Rifle grenade
A rifle grenade is a grenade that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than would be possible if the grenade was thrown by hand...
were tossed into the air and spread over the city. There were around 40 Norwegian casualties and around 75 Germans were killed, and 400 wounded. About 400 buildings were severely damaged.
Course of events
The first explosion occurred at around 14:30 local time, and killed 20 dock workers, two crane operators, several German guards and crew from Selma. Workers that were not killed immediately managed to escape from the area or find shelter among large cement blocks on the wharf. The main explosion occurred two hours later, at around 16:30, when an estimated 400 tons of ammunition exploded within a few seconds, five firefighters were killed and sixteen severely injured. The explosive fire lasted several hours. The dangerous situation was declared over at 21:45 the same night. A nearby coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
store of 20,000 tons had been set on fire and burned for three weeks. The ship Selma did not explode during the Filipstad fire. The ship was towed away from Filipstad. It exploded and sank in another explosion on 11 January 1944.
Damage
The fire resulted in a large number of shellsShell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
and grenades
Rifle grenade
A rifle grenade is a grenade that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than would be possible if the grenade was thrown by hand...
being thrown over Oslo, but most of them did not explode. The Filipstad area was severely damaged by the explosion and resulting fires. An area of about 60 decares was completely destroyed. A disastrous fire developed in the neighbouring districts, which was the largest fire in Oslo since the establishment of a permanent fire brigade in 1861. Around 350 firefighters from Oslo and 60 from Aker
Aker, Norway
Aker is a former municipality in Akershus, which lends its name to a municipality and a county in Norway. The name originally belonged to a farm which was located near the current Old Aker Church...
participated in the firefighting operations. Pressure waves resulted in glass being damaged in large areas of Oslo and Aker
Aker
Aker is a surname.Aker can also refer to:In places:* Aker, Norway, a former municipality in NorwayIn other uses:* Aker , mentioned only in the Greek Apocalypse of Ezra* Aker , a god in ancient Egyptian mythology...
. According to the city architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, the amount of shattered glass was 53,000 square metres in residential houses, 28,000 square metres in offices and shops, and 9,000 square metres in public buildings such as hospitals and schools. The total amount of shattered glass was 90,000 square metres spread over 1,600 premises
Premises
Premises are land and buildings together considered as a property. This usage arose from property owners finding the word in their title deeds, where it originally correctly meant "the aforementioned; what this document is about", from Latin prae-missus = "placed before".In this sense, the word is...
. The effect of the explosion was felt as far the southern part of Nordmarka
Nordmarka
Nordmarka is the mostly forested region which makes up the northern part of Oslo, Norway. The area called "Nordmarka" also extends into the municipalities of Hole, Ringerike, Lunner, Jevnaker and Nittedal. It is the largest part of the Marka borough. The forests are popular sites for hiking and...
, where the windows of Skjennungstua were shattered.