Seattle gikk ned i Korsvikfjorden under den tyske invasjonen Weserubung 9. April 1940. Skipet var på vei inn til Kristiansand da hun kom i kryssild mellom den tyske krysseren Karlsruhe og Odderøya fort, og de norske styrkene trodde at dette var et forsyningsfartøy som støttet de tyske styrkene og begynte å skyte på skipet med sine 150 mm`s kanoner. Seattle tok i løpet av få minutter fyr etter flere treff fra fortet, og mannskapet gikk til slutt fra borde og ble tatt til fange av de norske styrkene hvor de satt i fangenskap frem til 10. april. I mellomtiden fortsatte skipet å brenne i flere dager før hun drev over fjorden og sank i dypet ved Dvergsnestangen rundt den 13 april. Vraket av Seattle ble lokalisert av Erling Skjold/NSA i 1988, og er blitt et meget populært dykkemål i Norge. Men det har også vært en del dødsfall under sportsdykking på vraket gjennom årene, så populæriteten er noe slitt hos de lokale myndigheter. Skipet hviler idag på en dybde av tyve til sytti meter godt intakt, og du må ha båt for å komme ut til vrakstedet. Det arrangeres turer til vrakene utenfor Kristiansand fra dykkeforretninger i byen...

Seattle went down in the Korsvikfjorden under the German invasion Weserubung 9. April 1940. The ship was on its way in to Kristiansand when she came under crossfire between the German cruiser Karlsruhe and the norwegian coastal fortress Odderøya, and the Norwegian forces thought this was a vessel that supported the German forces and started to shoot on the vessel with their 150 mm cannons. Seattle caught within a few minutes fire after several hits from the norwegian fort, and the crew abandoned the ship and were captured by the norwegian forces, were they were kept captive until the 10th of April. In the meantime the vessel continued to burn in several days before she drifted over the fjord ans sank in the the deep at Dvergsnestangen. around April 13. The wreck of Seattle was located by Erling Skjold/NSA in 1988, and has become a very popular dive site in Norway. But there has also been several deaths during sports diving on this wreck, so the popularity is a bit drained from the local authorities. The vessel rest today on a depth of twenty to seventy meters in good condition, and you need a boat to get out to the wreck site. Dive shops in Kristiansand arranges trips to the wrecks outside Kristiansand....

 

Name:
Former names:
 Material:
Dimensions:
Seattle
  
Steel
140,9x 18,6x 7,9 m.
       
Brt \ Nrt: Built: Homeport: Cargo:
7369 \ Hamburg ( D ) 1928 Hamburg ( D )  Petroleum, wood

 

GPS: N 58 07,668 E 8 03,139
Thanks to Runar Holm for the GPS position.

Erling Skjold \ NSA, posted at the forum at www.warsailors.com;
Capt. Lehmann believed the Karlsruhe was British and tried to seek shelter in Kristiansand, he then became the first vessel in the German assult force into the Kristiansandsfjord. When he recognised his major blunder, he was able to seek shelter behind the island Kinn, and waited to the shelling ended. When he then tried to sail out to the sea again he was shelled by Odderöya fortress (East battery - 15 cm) and the Seattle was struck by a shell in the superstructure amidship. Possibly in the bow section too. The Odderöya believed the gray painted vessel was a German supply vessel, and opened fire. Due to stored gasoline barrels (for scuttling purposes) the Seattle was ablase in just minutes. She was then ancored near Flekkeröya, burning and abandoned by the crew. Later she drifted over the fjord and sank about April 13 1940. She was then still burning and a total wreck. Her marvelous screw blade is located in the HAPAG-LLOYD office in Hamburg.

Edited 29.06.2007