Kilbotn


Kilbotn is a village in Harstad Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located about south of the center of the town of Harstad, along the Vågsfjorden on the east side of Hinnøya island. The villages of Fauskevåg and Sørvika are just a few kilometres to the south of Kilbotn. The population of the village is 332, but since 2002 it has been considered a part of the Harstad urban area.

History

During World War II, Nazi Germany used Kilbotn as a U-boat base. On 4 May 1945, the last air raid of World War II in Europe took place when the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm attacked the Kilbotn anchorage with 44 aircraft from three offshore aircraft carriers in Operation Judgement. The harbour contained the submarine depot ship Black Watch with the moored alongside. The wreck of Black Watch lies in Kilbotn harbour close to the wreck of U-711.