SS Irma (1905)
Encyclopedia
SS Irma was a 1,322-ton steamship built by the British shipyard Sir Raylton Dixon & Co. Ltd.
in Middlesbrough
in the north-east of England
. She was delivered to the Norwegian passenger ship company Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab of Bergen
in 1905. Irma sailed for the company until she was attacked and sunk by two MTB
s belonging to the Royal Norwegian Navy
on 13 February 1944.
After delivery, Irma served on the Bergen
–Newcastle
route until she was transferred to Norway in the autumn of 1921 to carry out tourist voyages to the North Cape
and Spitsbergen
in the summer seasons. In 1927, she was put on the Norway–Hamburg
route, replacing SS Neptun and SS Mira. A new heating system was installed in 1913 and wireless radio
in 1914. Irma had a new streamlined rudder put in place in 1928. In 1931, she joined the Hurtigruten
route in Norway, replacing SS Hera after the latter's shipwreck in March that year. Irma was rebuilt that year and once again the year after that. In a series of upgrades she received a refrigeration system in 1933, improved navigational equipment in 1938 and an echo sounding
device in 1939. Irma was a very popular ship amongst her passengers, with her smoking salon receiving particular praise. She had only one serious accident in the pre-war years, which occurred when she hit a reef off Kabelvåg
in the Lofoten
islands in 1937. Although suffering leaks in her port side, Irma managed to make port in Kabelvåg and put ashore all of her 120 passengers. Repairs were carried out at a shipyard in Bergen.
in late November 1939 Norway reinforced her northern border forces and Irma was dispatched from the Nordland
port of Mosjøen
on 11 December 1939, transporting a load of Norwegian troops to the border with the Soviet-occupied Finnish district of Petsamo
. The troops transported on Irma belonged to the first battalion of Infantry Regiment 14. Initially the orders from the military had been that the entire battalion was to board Irma for the journey to Finnmark
, even though the ship was only certified to carry less than half the number of people involved. After vivid protests from both soldiers and officers over safety concerns and overcrowding, the original plan was abandoned and only half the battalion shipped off on Irma, the other half transported days later on the fellow Hurtigruten steamer Richard With. The incident with Norwegian conscripts being subjected to attempts at forcing them to board an overcrowded ship led to a public outcry in Mosjøen. The Mosjøen-based newspaper Helgeland Arbeiderblad
published an article shortly after the incident criticizing the Norwegian military leadership's handling of the troop transport.
When the German invasion of Norway
was initiated on 9 April 1940, Irma was at Bergen, one of the Norwegian cities captured by German forces that day. She continued to sail along the Norwegian coast with passengers and freight during the German occupation of Norway
.
under the command of Captain
Sofus Strømberg. That day she had a 43 strong crew and was carrying 40 Norwegian passengers as well as probably seven Germans. Her cargo consisted of freight, mail and 1,800 tons of herring
.
Bay by Hestskjær Lighthouse off the port of Kristiansund
in Møre og Romsdal
, suffered a large explosion in the bow area. The initial explosion, which caused massive damage, was followed by another amidships shortly thereafter, the ship immediately starting to sink. During the incident Irma was in the same area as the 1907 Norwegian cargo ship SS Henry
. Henry was sunk shortly after Irma. In addition to what turned out to be torpedo
strikes the two ships were subjected to in total 2,034 rounds of heavy machine gun
fire. Sixty-one civilian Norwegians died on Irma, another two on Henry. Only 25 people survived the sinking of Irma and for days afterwards dead bodies washed ashore on the Norwegian coast as far north as Namsos
. Before Henry was sunk she had been able to launch two of her lifeboats
and these first saved several of their own crewmen before moving to the location where Irma had gone down and rescuing some survivors from floating rafts. About an hour into the incident the tugboat
Hopplafjord passed the scene and rescued further survivors from rafts. The fishing boat
Sveggøy also rescued 12 survivors from a raft after the sinking.
Irmas sinking constituted the last major loss for the Hurtigruten service during the Second World War, with numerous coastal passenger ships having up to that point been lost to mines
, air
and submarine
attacks since the April 1940 German invasion of Norway.
The wreck of Irma was discovered by a geological survey vessel
on 3 November 1999 north of Averøy
at a depth of 200 metres (656.2 ft).
The first official word to come out about the sinking of Irma and Henry in Norway was from the Norwegian national socialist party Nasjonal Samling's official publication Fritt Folk
on 15 February 1944. The national socialist newspaper used the word Skjendselsdåd (Disgraceful deed) in the headline. The next day, 16 February, Fritt Folk stated that British
Motor Torpedo Boats had been responsible for the attack. Only after the end of the Second World War did it become known that the ships responsible belonged to the Royal Norwegian Navy, MTB 627 sinking Irma and MTB 653 sending Henry to the bottom. The two warships had been towed from Shetland to Hustadvika by the converted whaler
HNoMS Molde, departing Shetland on 11 February, and were on a mission to intercept German and German-controlled shipping.
The loss of Norwegian lives in the incident was exploited by the Nasjonal Samling propaganda machine, Thorleif Fjeldstad of the party's naval arm calling for Norwegians to join the ranks of the Kriegsmarine
.
As was also the case with the Hurtigruten ship SS Sanct Svithun
sunk the previous year, and SS Barøy
sunk in 1941, Irma was depicted on one of the three postage stamp
s commemorating war-related shipwrecks released on 20 May 1944 by the Norwegian Postal Service. Irma was portrayed on the 20 øre
stamp. The shipwreck stamps were designed by German-born Norwegian pro-Nazi propaganda artist and war reporter Harald Damsleth
.
. This has largely been disputed by the survivors of Irma and Henry. All Allied
forces were under strict orders not to attack Norwegian coastal liners travelling alone on the Norwegian coast.
The MTB crews also claimed that Henry took evasive action after Irma was hit, while the survivors claimed that she had stopped to launch two of her lifeboats to assist the survivors from Irma when she herself was hit and sunk.
One explanation for the presence of the naval trawler reported by the crews of MTB 627 and MTB 653 has been fronted by several researchers. In the Hustadvika area was a small tugboat, the Hopplafjord, which rescued survivors after the sinking of the two ships. Hopplafjord, being similar to a naval trawler in size and profile, may have been misinterpreted as an escort vessel by the MTB commander.
first attended a church service in Bremnes Church together with bishop Odd Bondevik
, and then unveiled a memorial monument at Røeggen on the island Sveggen in Averøy
listing the names of the 65 Norwegians who lost their lives in the incident. The day's events concluded with the King leading a ceremony with around 180 invited guests on board the Hurtigruten ship MS Midnatsol
at the site of the shipwrecks. Two Royal Norwegian Navy Motor Torpedo Boats participated in the ceremony by lowering a flower wreath into the water.
Sir Raylton Dixon
Sir Raylton Dixon , was a shipbuilder at Middlesbrough on the River Tees. He was one of the seven children of Jeremiah Dixon and Mary Frank of Cockfield, County Durham who were married on 21 July 1833 in St. Cuthberts, Darlington...
in Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
in the north-east of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. She was delivered to the Norwegian passenger ship company Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab of Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
in 1905. Irma sailed for the company until she was attacked and sunk by two MTB
Motor Torpedo Boat
Motor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"...
s belonging to the Royal Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...
on 13 February 1944.
Before the Second World War
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
–Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
route until she was transferred to Norway in the autumn of 1921 to carry out tourist voyages to the North Cape
North Cape, Norway
North Cape is a cape on the island of Magerøya in Northern Norway, in the municipality of Nordkapp. Its 307 m high, steep cliff is often referred to as the northernmost point of Europe, located at , 2102.3 km from the North Pole. However, the neighbouring point Knivskjellodden is actually...
and Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
in the summer seasons. In 1927, she was put on the Norway–Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
route, replacing SS Neptun and SS Mira. A new heating system was installed in 1913 and wireless radio
Two-way radio
A two-way radio is a radio that can both transmit and receive , unlike a broadcast receiver which only receives content. The term refers to a personal radio transceiver that allows the operator to have a two-way conversation with other similar radios operating on the same radio frequency...
in 1914. Irma had a new streamlined rudder put in place in 1928. In 1931, she joined the Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten or Hurtigruta is a Norwegian passenger and freight line with daily sailings along Norway's western and northern coast. Sometimes referred to in English as Norwegian Coastal Express, Hurtigruten ships sail almost the entire length of the country, completing the roundtrip journey in 11...
route in Norway, replacing SS Hera after the latter's shipwreck in March that year. Irma was rebuilt that year and once again the year after that. In a series of upgrades she received a refrigeration system in 1933, improved navigational equipment in 1938 and an echo sounding
Echo sounding
Echo sounding is the technique of using sound pulses directed from the surface or from a submarine vertically down to measure the distance to the bottom by means of sound waves. This information is then typically used for navigation purposes or in order to obtain depths for charting purposes...
device in 1939. Irma was a very popular ship amongst her passengers, with her smoking salon receiving particular praise. She had only one serious accident in the pre-war years, which occurred when she hit a reef off Kabelvåg
Kabelvåg
Kabelvåg is a village in Vågan municipality on the southern shore of Austvågøy island, one of the Lofoten island group in the county of Nordland, northern Norway....
in the Lofoten
Lofoten
Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.-Etymology:...
islands in 1937. Although suffering leaks in her port side, Irma managed to make port in Kabelvåg and put ashore all of her 120 passengers. Repairs were carried out at a shipyard in Bergen.
Troopship duties
Following the outbreak of the Finnish-Soviet Winter WarWinter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
in late November 1939 Norway reinforced her northern border forces and Irma was dispatched from the Nordland
Nordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
port of Mosjøen
Mosjøen
-History:Mosjøen was founded in the 17th century as local farmers met here to trade, and has been growing since then. Sawmills were built here in 1866 by a British company, and Mosjøen got township rights in 1875. It is the oldest town in the Helgeland region and the second oldest town in Nordland...
on 11 December 1939, transporting a load of Norwegian troops to the border with the Soviet-occupied Finnish district of Petsamo
Pechengsky District
Pechengsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the five in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is located to the northwest of the Kola Peninsula on the coast of the Barents Sea and borders with Finland in the south and southwest and with Norway in the west, northwest, and north...
. The troops transported on Irma belonged to the first battalion of Infantry Regiment 14. Initially the orders from the military had been that the entire battalion was to board Irma for the journey to Finnmark
Finnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
, even though the ship was only certified to carry less than half the number of people involved. After vivid protests from both soldiers and officers over safety concerns and overcrowding, the original plan was abandoned and only half the battalion shipped off on Irma, the other half transported days later on the fellow Hurtigruten steamer Richard With. The incident with Norwegian conscripts being subjected to attempts at forcing them to board an overcrowded ship led to a public outcry in Mosjøen. The Mosjøen-based newspaper Helgeland Arbeiderblad
Helgeland Arbeiderblad
Helgeland Arbeiderblad is a daily, regional newspaper published in Mosjøen, with additional offices in Sandnessjøen and Brønnøysund. In 2008, it had a circulation of 8,842....
published an article shortly after the incident criticizing the Norwegian military leadership's handling of the troop transport.
When the German invasion of Norway
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
was initiated on 9 April 1940, Irma was at Bergen, one of the Norwegian cities captured by German forces that day. She continued to sail along the Norwegian coast with passengers and freight during the German occupation of Norway
Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
.
Last voyage
On 13 February 1944 Irma was sailing northwards from Bergen to TrondheimTrondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
under the command of Captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
Sofus Strømberg. That day she had a 43 strong crew and was carrying 40 Norwegian passengers as well as probably seven Germans. Her cargo consisted of freight, mail and 1,800 tons of herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
.
Sinking
At 1837hrs Irma, sailing in HustadvikaHustadvika
Hustadvika is a long section of coastline outside the municipality of Fræna in Romsdal, Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the shipping route between Molde and Kristiansund. The area is shallow and is full of little islands and reefs...
Bay by Hestskjær Lighthouse off the port of Kristiansund
Kristiansund
Kristiansund is a city and municipality on the western coast of Norway, in the Nordmøre district of Møre og Romsdal county. It was officially awarded township status in 1742, and it is still the major town for the region. The administrative center of the municipality is the city of Kristiansund...
in Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
, suffered a large explosion in the bow area. The initial explosion, which caused massive damage, was followed by another amidships shortly thereafter, the ship immediately starting to sink. During the incident Irma was in the same area as the 1907 Norwegian cargo ship SS Henry
SS Henry
SS Henry was a Norwegian steam-powered cargo ship best known for being one of the two ships sunk in one of the most controversial incidents in Norway during the Second World War.-Before the Second World War:...
. Henry was sunk shortly after Irma. In addition to what turned out to be torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
strikes the two ships were subjected to in total 2,034 rounds of heavy machine gun
Heavy machine gun
The heavy machine gun or HMG is a larger class of machine gun generally recognized to refer to two separate stages of machine gun development. The term was originally used to refer to the early generation of machine guns which came into widespread use in World War I...
fire. Sixty-one civilian Norwegians died on Irma, another two on Henry. Only 25 people survived the sinking of Irma and for days afterwards dead bodies washed ashore on the Norwegian coast as far north as Namsos
Namsos
is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Namsos. Other villages in the municipality include Bangsund, Klinga, Ramsvika, Skomsvoll, and Spillum....
. Before Henry was sunk she had been able to launch two of her lifeboats
Lifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
and these first saved several of their own crewmen before moving to the location where Irma had gone down and rescuing some survivors from floating rafts. About an hour into the incident the tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
Hopplafjord passed the scene and rescued further survivors from rafts. The fishing boat
Fishing vessel
A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Many different kinds of vessels are used in commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing....
Sveggøy also rescued 12 survivors from a raft after the sinking.
Irmas sinking constituted the last major loss for the Hurtigruten service during the Second World War, with numerous coastal passenger ships having up to that point been lost to mines
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
, air
Aerial warfare
Aerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare, including military airlift of cargo to further the national interests as was demonstrated in the Berlin Airlift...
and submarine
Submarine warfare
Naval warfare is divided into three operational areas: surface warfare, air warfare and underwater warfare. The latter may be subdivided into submarine warfare and anti-submarine warfare as well as mine warfare and mine countermeasures...
attacks since the April 1940 German invasion of Norway.
The wreck of Irma was discovered by a geological survey vessel
Survey vessel
A survey vessel is any type of ship or boat that is used for mapping. It is a type of research vessel.-Role:The task of survey vessels is to map the bottom, benthic zone, full water column, and surface for the purpose of:* hydrography* general oceanography...
on 3 November 1999 north of Averøy
Averøy
Averøy is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bruhagen. Other villages in the municipality include Sveggen, Bremsnes, Vebenstad, Kvernes, Kornstad, Kårvåg, and Langøy.The...
at a depth of 200 metres (656.2 ft).
Reactions to the sinking of Irma and Henry
Fritt Folk
Fritt Folk was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Oslo. It was the official organ of the Fascist party Nasjonal Samling, and came to prominence during the Second World War.-History:...
on 15 February 1944. The national socialist newspaper used the word Skjendselsdåd (Disgraceful deed) in the headline. The next day, 16 February, Fritt Folk stated that British
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Motor Torpedo Boats had been responsible for the attack. Only after the end of the Second World War did it become known that the ships responsible belonged to the Royal Norwegian Navy, MTB 627 sinking Irma and MTB 653 sending Henry to the bottom. The two warships had been towed from Shetland to Hustadvika by the converted whaler
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
HNoMS Molde, departing Shetland on 11 February, and were on a mission to intercept German and German-controlled shipping.
The loss of Norwegian lives in the incident was exploited by the Nasjonal Samling propaganda machine, Thorleif Fjeldstad of the party's naval arm calling for Norwegians to join the ranks of the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
.
As was also the case with the Hurtigruten ship SS Sanct Svithun
SS Sanct Svithun
SS Sanct Svithun was a 1,376 ton steel-hulled steamship built by the German shipyard Danziger Werft and delivered to the Norwegian Stavanger-based shipping company Det Stavangerske Dampskibsselskab on 1 July 1927...
sunk the previous year, and SS Barøy
SS Barøy (1929)
SS Barøy was a 424 ton steel-hulled steamship delivered from the Trondhjems mekaniske Værksted shipyard in Trondheim in 1929. She had been ordered by the Norwegian shipping company Ofotens Dampskibsselskab for the local route from the port city of Narvik to the smaller towns of Lødingen and Svolvær...
sunk in 1941, Irma was depicted on one of the three postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s commemorating war-related shipwrecks released on 20 May 1944 by the Norwegian Postal Service. Irma was portrayed on the 20 øre
Øre
Øre is the centesimal subdivision of the Norwegian and Danish krones. The Faroese division is called the oyra, but is equal in value to the Danish coin. Before their discontinuation, the corresponding divisions of the Swedish krona and the Icelandic króna were the öre and the eyrir...
stamp. The shipwreck stamps were designed by German-born Norwegian pro-Nazi propaganda artist and war reporter Harald Damsleth
Harald Damsleth
Harald Damsleth was a Norwegian cartoonist, illustrator and ad-man. He is best known for his posters for Nasjonal Samling during World War II.-Early life and work:...
.
Controversy
The sinking of Irma and Henry has been controversial ever since the Second World War, with disagreements over the exact nature of the events. The Royal Norwegian Navy remains adamant that Irma and Henry sailed without lights or national markings and were sailing as a convoy escorted by a German naval trawlerNaval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
. This has largely been disputed by the survivors of Irma and Henry. All Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
forces were under strict orders not to attack Norwegian coastal liners travelling alone on the Norwegian coast.
The MTB crews also claimed that Henry took evasive action after Irma was hit, while the survivors claimed that she had stopped to launch two of her lifeboats to assist the survivors from Irma when she herself was hit and sunk.
One explanation for the presence of the naval trawler reported by the crews of MTB 627 and MTB 653 has been fronted by several researchers. In the Hustadvika area was a small tugboat, the Hopplafjord, which rescued survivors after the sinking of the two ships. Hopplafjord, being similar to a naval trawler in size and profile, may have been misinterpreted as an escort vessel by the MTB commander.
Post-war memorials
The sinking of Irma and Henry received a official memorial on 16 September 2002 when King Harald V of NorwayHarald V of Norway
Harald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...
first attended a church service in Bremnes Church together with bishop Odd Bondevik
Odd Bondevik
Odd Bondevik was the bishop of Møre in the Church of Norway from 17 November 1991 until retirement in 2008. In retirement, he is putting together a new Norwegian translation of the Old Testament...
, and then unveiled a memorial monument at Røeggen on the island Sveggen in Averøy
Averøy
Averøy is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bruhagen. Other villages in the municipality include Sveggen, Bremsnes, Vebenstad, Kvernes, Kornstad, Kårvåg, and Langøy.The...
listing the names of the 65 Norwegians who lost their lives in the incident. The day's events concluded with the King leading a ceremony with around 180 invited guests on board the Hurtigruten ship MS Midnatsol
MS Midnatsol
MS Midnatsol is a Hurtigruten vessel built by Fosen mekaniske verksted in Rissa, Norway in 2003. It is the fourth ship to sail for Hurtigruten to bear this name...
at the site of the shipwrecks. Two Royal Norwegian Navy Motor Torpedo Boats participated in the ceremony by lowering a flower wreath into the water.