Grønsvik coastal battery

The main task of the artillery group Sandnessjöen was to defend the fjords Sjona, Ranfjord and Vefsnfjorden against an allied invasion.

The main road and railway from the south of Norway to Northern Norway ran through the end of these fjords, and with them the supply route to the German Murmansk front and an important supply route for iron from the north of Sweden to Germany.

The secondary weapon was a 75 mm gun mainly used for warning shots at ships that passed the fort without signalling their intentions, and a 50 mm anti-tank gun used to defend a harbor built by the Germans next to the fort.The battery was built by 100 Russian and 75 Polish prisoners of war, together with a number of Norwegian workers under the leadership of German troops.

After the war the weapons were demolished and parts of the battery blown up and the rubble used to build a road nearby.

Guided tours and admission to the exhibitions outside opening hours can be arranged through Helgeland Museum or by contacting the tourist information office.