World War IIDS Irma
The Norwegian coastal express vessel DS Irma was shelled and torpedoed on 13 February 1944 on Hustadvika by the Norwegian motor torpedo boat MTB 627. Irma was sailing alongside the Haugesund steamer Henry, which was also sunk in the attack. Sixty-one Norwegians aboard Irma were killed, and only 25 survived. The survivors were brought ashore in Kristiansund. The sinking has been described as one of the most tragic incidents along the Norwegian coast during the war.
Irma had a Norwegian crew of 43, of whom 35 perished. In addition, the vessel was carrying around 100 Norwegian and German passengers. Not all of the rescued ultimately survived the ordeal. The tug Hoplafjord arrived on the scene and rescued ten people, while another 12 were saved by the vessel Sveggøy.
Irma was struck by a torpedo amidships, which split the vessel in two. A second torpedo was fired shortly thereafter. The nearby ship Henry of Haugesund launched lifeboats and took part in the rescue operation, successfully saving several people from Irma before Henry too was torpedoed and sank.
The torpedoing of Irma has since been regarded as a tragic mistake. The Norwegian MTB unit based in Shetland had standing orders not to attack Norwegian civilian coastal vessels sailing alone. One possible explanation is that the officers aboard the MTB misidentified the ships as part of a German convoy, since a freighter (Henry) and a tug were in close proximity to Irma at the time.
About DS Irma
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Nationality
Norway
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Built
1905
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Wrecked
13.02.1944
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Carrier
Det Bergenske Dampskipsselskap, Bergen
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Tonnage
1392 brt
