Site Records

Site Name: Femore Fort (Femörefortet)

Oxelösund
Sweden

Sub Brit site visit 1st June 2004

The decontamination showers are located in an airlock within this tunnel. This leads in turn to a 450-metre central tunnel, off of which are the three gun emplacements, radar post, main command centre and reserve command centre at the western end of the fort where the Fort's Second in Command would operate.

The whole complex was constructed within a granite outcrop, tunneled by civilian mining engineers using standard mining techniques - rock drills and blasting. Work began in 1961 amid great secrecy and continued through to 1963. The area which formerly had been a public access nature reserve was summarily closed during the construction phase. The entire installation is built above sea level, with its main entrance to the underground fort cleverly and convincingly disguised as a house.

To provide for the basic needs of the occupants, there are two bore holes for water; one for salt water (toilets, and showers in emergency), and one for fresh water. There are two Volvo diesel generators, each with approximately 970 hours showing on the clock, supplied by two 20-cu metre diesel tanks (20,000 litres each) giving 30 days continuous use. They would cut in as a result of a power failure from the grid, and one of the generators could supply all of the fort's power requirements. They were however to be run in tandem to reduce the load on the generators.

The kitchen could cater for the full contingent, plus the 30 soldiers outside, using a large potato peeler, an even larger food mixer/bread maker, cooker (steam), massive refrigerator, and large larder/food store. There are two toilet blocks (male only) and two shower cubicles; with separate WC cubicle room for kitchen staff, to stop any chance of infections or diseases being passed through the fort.

With six bays of ten triple bunks, each man had his own bunk. Within the fort there is a sick bay, officers accommodation, Senior officers room, telephone room, encryption room (next to Senior officers room, with a hatch for passing confidential messages), various storage rooms for food and spare parts, a large common room/dining area is at the centre of the fort, a workshop with machine tools for engineering repairs of the fort and its guns, a full air conditioning and filtration plant room, a drinking water storage and filtration room which also contains the fire detection system. There is an emergency exit leading off of the main spine corridor up to the surface via a spiral staircase and multiple blast doors.

On the surface above the western command post is a protected concrete tower housing a fully functioning laser range finder. The tower was first equipped with a stereobinocular system. In the 1970s a laser range finder was added. This laser range finder would have come into play if the radar was put out of action. In the 1970's a laser was installed to give an even more accurate distance to target measurement. This tower was the most western part of the fort, and is connected by the long spine tunnel. Here the 2nd in command was placed as a stand-by for the Commanding Officer in the battle control.

There is also a large wooden 'shed' containing the radar for the site. The shed was an original feature of the site as it was needed not only to provide camouflage but also to protect the radar from the harsh winter climate. All the control gear for the radar is still in its original place in the bunker.

The surface turrets had fibreglass camouflaged covers over the guns. The guns were manufactured by Bofors in 1959 and were equipped with newly developed smoke extractors on the barrels. These devices ensured that fumes were extracted to outside rather than pollute the (sealed) air inside. Each of the working turrets was linked by semaphore so that targets could be accurately pinpointed by the range officer.

Two periscopes above the underground command centre (click to enlarge)

There were also at least two periscopes used on this site, both of which are still fully functional. A common problem in the severe Swedish winters was for the glass on the periscopes to freeze over, thus making them useless, so they were fitted with fine wire heating elements on the internal surface of the glass. There were also various lightweight metal dummy 'Bofors' guns, which were heated and could be rotated, sited around the fort to fool enemy satellite cameras and thermal imagers, giving the impression of further weaponry.

There was also a fake radar situated in the nearby lighthouse to draw attention from the real one

For further information and pictures of Femöre Fort click here

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