Built under yard No 131 as a steel hulled passengership by Christiansands Mek. Verksted, Kristiansand S. for Indre Nordhordland Dampskibsselskap, Bergen, Norway.
Launched under the name OSTER.
Tonnage 167 grt, dim. 106.1 (bpp.) 21.7 x 9.7ft.
Powered by one triple expansion steam engine 54nhp. Coal fired.
Accommodation for 265 passengers.
1908 Completed.
29 November 1908 arrived for the first time in Bergen. Thereafter used in the service from Bergen to the northern part of the county of Hordaland.
1915 Rebuilt and lengthened by A/S Mjellem & Karlsen, Bergen.
Tonnage 191 grt., dim. 118.6 (bpp) 21.7 x 9.9ft.
Accommodation for 312 passengers.
1923 Company named altered to Indre Nordhordland Dampbaatlag LL, Bergen.
Between 1928 and 1932 rebuilt.
September 1939 requisitioned by the Norwegian Navy, and equipped with armament.
Crew 18. Used as patrol ship in the southern part of Hjeltefjord, between Ramsøy and Kalvanes.
On the evening of 8 April 1940 ordered to Blomvåg and used for intelligence service.
Sailed to Telavåg.
6 May 1940 command cancelled and ship abandoned.
22 May 1940 taken over by the Kriegsmarine at Televåg, and put in the service on 24 May 1940 with number NB04 (Hafenschutz-Flotille, Norwegen Bergen) and renamed MARDER.
Altered in the period up until December 1940, probably with more armament, and was mainly in patrol service for Hafenschutz-Flotille Bergen until the spring of 1944.
17 January 1941 NB04 MARDER ran aground east of Alvøen. Towed away by UNITAS on 21 January (U-Boot Versorgingsschiff).
In the evening of 5 June 1941 MARDER rescued the crew of a German DO 18 aircraft which had emergency landed, taking the aircraft in tow.
Various other incidents have happened.
05 June 1943 MARDER got involved in a battle with 2 Norwegian MTB’s where D/S ALTENFELS, 8.132 gross ton was sunk by MTB 626 in position 60 20N 05 15E, off Austevoll in Korsfjord.
In the course of the spring of 1944 was she modified in order to accommodate a 37mm gun which was mounted on a platform between the bridge and the 76mm gun on the foredeck.
Alternations to incorporate depth charges were also made. Modifications were completed in May and she was put into service in the 55 Vorposten-Flotille with the new number V5504, based in “Stutzpunkt Florvaagbucht”, headquarters for the 55 Vorposten-Flotille (Florvåg Ungdomsskole today, a school)
This Flotilla was under 5.KSV (Kusten Sicherungs Verband), as were the 51st and 53rd Vorpostenflotille.
She participated as Flak ship in the anti aircraft defence of the Narvik class destroyer Z33 in Førdefjord on 09 February 1945, “Black Friday” where 10 allied aircraft were shot down in 9 minutes, while 4 German aircraft went down.
After the war she was returned to owner in 1945 in a very bad state, and needed urgent repair.
Repaired and rebuilt partly at Storemøllens Mek. Verksted, Sandviken, Bergen. Further rebuilt in 1950.
April 1964 sold to Berge Sag & Trelastforretning (Brødrene Berge Ølensvåg), converted in a freighter at owner’s yard in Ølensvåg. Tonnage 199 gross, powered with a Caterpillar 300 bhp diesel engine.
Entered coastal service in 1966 as M/S VAKA.
June 1974 sold to Oddmund Tjoflot, Vikebygd, thereafter used in the local sand trade.
August 1988 sold to Kristoffersen & Gundersen/Thor Åke Kristoffersen, Flekkerøy, and used in coastal service.
March 1996 to Nordhordland Veteranbåtlag, Ostereidet, renamed GAMLE OSTER.
Laid up at Bjørsvik. Restored and later renamed again in OSTER.
Eastern 2002 completion of restoration work. Her diesel engine is replaced by stem engine again, but oil fired.
Source: mostly copied from http://www.warsailors.com/homefleet/shipso.html