World War IIDS Austri
The Norwegian DS Austri operated on the overnight route between Stavanger and Bergen. On 21 February 1945, the vessel was attacked by Allied aircraft off Eldøy, south of Leirvik on Stord, and caught fire. The lifeboats had been destroyed during the attack, but small boats came out from shore and participated in the rescue efforts once the air raid was over. Nine crew members and nine Norwegian passengers were killed. The ship was also carrying a large number of German passengers, many of whom also perished.
In addition, Austri was transporting 16 (the exact number is uncertain) female Soviet and Polish forced labourers (“Ostarbeiter”), who were locked in a cabin. All of these women died in the sinking. Two of the Polish women are buried at Stord Churchyard.
About DS Austri
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Nationality
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Built
1910
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Wrecked
21.02.1945
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Carrier
Det Stavangerske Dampskipsselskap A/S. Stavanger
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Tonnage
491 brt
