Brettingen fort

(See below for Norwegian text)
Construction of Brettingen fort was started in 1897, at the same time as Hysnes and Hambåra forts which together formed the Agdenes constellation of fortifications. The construction was a part of a larger military build-up towards the dissolution of the union with Sweden in 1905. Luckily, although the army was put on a an alert and partial mobilization was enacted, no hostilities ever broke out. At least outside of the negotiation rooms 🙂

The cannon positions was constructed between 1897 and 1900 while the camp facilites like barracks, administrative buildings etc wasn’t constructed until later and finished around the start of the first world war. During WW1 the fortress was manned by a neutrality guard.

During second world war, Brettingen was briefly involved in combats with the invading forces but was unable to make any useful contribution towards the defence of Norway, only managing to get a few shots off before power to the fortress was severed by returning fire from the passing German ships, rendering the flood lights inoperable and communication with central command at Hysnes difficult. After the invasion and some land battles between Norwegian and German forces, the fortress eventually surrendered. During the war between 1940 and 1945 the fortress was occupied by German forces and was expanded and with stronger fortifications and more modern guns. The original armament from the turn of the century was 3 15cm Armstrong L/47,5 M 1897 cannons and 2 21cm Armstrong L/45 M 1896 cannons. This was replaced in 1942 with 4 15cm SKC/28 Skoda cannons and the original cannons from Brettingen moved to Hysnes and Hambåra.

After the war, the Norwegian coastal artillery once again took possession of the fort. During the following 50 years, further enhancements was made, but in 1997, 100 years after it’s establishment, the fortress was finally disbanded. The camp area was used sporadically for training and by the home guard for a few more years before it was eventually sold off. During the period between July and October 2011, most of the remains of the fortress will be removed. Concrete bunkers will be torn down and hauled away. Underground bunkers will be filled up and bricked shut. Little of this unique piece of military history will remain once the last machines leave the area in a few months time, leaving the area ready for redevelopment as a area for holiday homes.

Norsk tekst
Brettingen fort ble påbegynt i 1897, sammen med Hysnes fort og Hambåra fort som en del av Agdenes befestninger og den generelle opprustningen mot unionsoppløsningen i 1905. Kanonstillingene ble ferdigstilt i perioden 1897 til 1900, mens det sentrale leirområdet ikke ble reist før 1916.

Fortet ble overtatt av tyskerne under okkupasjonen av norge i 1940 til 1945, og ble iløpet av denne perioden ytterlige forsterket. Etter krigen overtok kystartilleriet fortet, og gjorde ytterlige utbygninger. Fortet fortsatte å være en del av kystartilleriet, inntil det ble nedlagt i 1997.

Brettingen ble opprinnelig oppsatt med et 15 cm batteri, bestående av 3 stk 15cm middelstunge Armstrong L/47,5 M 1897 kanoner, og et 21 cm batteri, bestående av 2 stk tunge Armstrong L/45 M 1896 kanoner. I 1942 byttet tyskerne ut 15cm-kanonene med 4stk 15 cm SKC/28 Skoda-kanoner. 15cm Armstrong-kanonen fra Brettingen ble deretter fordelt på Hysnes og Hambåra fort.