RV Belgica 1940
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Marker: recorded wreck position (Second World War).
Key facts
| Name | RV Belgica | Wikidata label |
|---|---|---|
| Year lost | 1940 | Wikidata P793 significant event, point-in-time qualifier |
| Era | Second World War | derived from year |
| Ship type | sailing ship, research vessel | Wikidata P31 instance of |
| Cause of loss | War action | Wikidata P828 has cause (on P793 event): airstrike |
| Nationality / flag | Norway | Wikidata P8047 country of registry |
| Operator | Kristian Holst, Belgian Antarctic Expedition, Prince Philippe, Duke of Orléans | Wikidata P137 operator |
| Sea / ocean | Norwegian Sea | Natural Earth marine areas (public domain), point-in-polygon |
| Nearest coast | Norway | Natural Earth (public domain); approx. 5 km from land |
| Position | 68.7950, 16.5936 | Wikidata P625 coordinate location (CC0) |
About the wreck
Belgica was a barque-rigged steamship that was built in 1884 by Christian Brinch Jørgensen at Svelvik, Norway as the whaler Patria. In 1896, she was purchased by Adrien de Gerlache for conversion to a research ship, taking part in the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897–1901, becoming the first ship to overwinter in the Antarctic. In 1902, she was sold to Philippe, Duke of Orléans and used on expeditions to the Arctic in 1905 and from 1907 to 1909.
In 1916, she was sold and converted to a passenger and cargo ship, serving Spitsbergen from the Norwegian mainland under the name Isfjord. In 1918, she was sold and renamed Belgica, being converted to a factory ship. Requisitioned by the British in April 1940, she was used as a depôt ship, being scuttled when the Franco-British Expeditionary Force evacuated Harstad in northern Norway. In 2007, plans to build a modern replica of Belgica were announced.
Location
- Recorded position: 68.7950, 16.5936 (Wikidata P625 coordinate location (CC0); may be approximate)
- Sea / ocean: Norwegian Sea
- Nearest coast: Norway
Wreck positions on this site are for interest only and are not for navigation. Many wrecks are war graves or legally protected: never disturb human remains or remove artefacts, and check local law before diving.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article RV Belgica (1884) (revision 1361594130), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; condensed by selecting paragraphs; citations and formatting removed. No text added. This excerpt is available under the same licence.
Wreck facts from Wikidata (CC0).
Nearby wrecks
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Browse more: Europe wrecks · wrecks off Norway · Norwegian Sea · Second World War