Wreck of a German airplane from the second world war
The old airfield in Adventdalen and the wreck of the JU 88 are not far away from Longyearbyen.
German Ju 88 at Adventelva
Planes used to land in Adventdalen, about 4 km east of Longyearbyen, until the new airport at Hotellneset (the one we know and use today) was built in 1973 and opened in 1975.
The first landing in Adventdalen was made during the second world war, on September 25, 1941, by a German Ju 52 to land a reconnoissance patrol which should investigate the situation in Longyearbyen, which had recently been evacuated. Soon therafter, the German air force started to establish the weather station Bansö in a Norwegian hut in Adventdalen, between Endalen and Todalen, which was operated over the winter 1941-42.
On June 14, 1942, a German Ju 88 from Banak in north Norway landed on the airstrip in Adventdalen, but was damaged because the ground was soft. 12 days later, it was additionally seriously damaged during an attack by an allied Catalina, so it was left behind. Today, the wreck of the German Ju 88 is next to Adventelva (-river), directly behind the building at the old airstrip.
The horizon in the last panorama takes a bit of getting used to, but as the aircraft wreck can be seen well here from an unusual perspective, I decided to include it here anyway.
Photo gallery: The old airfield in Adventdalen: the wreck of the JU 88
A few pictures of the wreckage of the JU 88 on the banks of the Adventelva at the old airfield in Adventdalen. The pictures are from 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2022.
This and other publishing products of the Spitsbergen publishing house in the Spitsbergen-Shop.
Norwegens arktischer Norden (1): Spitzbergen
Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German. [shop url="https://shop.spitzbergen.de/en/polar-books/70-norwegens-arktischer-norden-1-aerial-arctic-9783937903262.html"] ← Back
Lofoten, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen from the air - Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German, but there is very little text, so I am sure that you will enjoy it regardless which languages you read (or not).
The companion book for the Svalbardhytter poster. The poster visualises the diversity of Spitsbergen‘s huts and their stories in a range of Arctic landscapes. The book tells the stories of the huts in three languages.
Comprehensive guidebook about Spitsbergen. Background (wildlife, plants, geology, history etc.), practical information including travelling seasons, how to travel, description of settlements, routes and regions.
Join an exciting journey with dog, skis and tent through the wintery wastes of East Greenland! We were five guys and a dog when we started in Ittoqqortoormiit, the northernmost one of two settlements on Greenland’s east coast.
12 postcards which come in a beautifully designed tray. Beautiful images from South Georgia across Antarctica from the Antarctic Peninsula to the Ross Sea and up to Macquarie Island and Campbell Island.