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Irma

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 6:46 pm
by shipstamps

Three Norwegian stamps were issued in 1944, depicting vessels being bombed or torpedoed. The stamps were issued ostensibly for the benefit of shipwrecked Norwegian mariners. Actually they were part of a Nazi propaganda campaign, a hopeless one, to stir up anti-British feeling in German-occupied Norway. Similar types of propaganda appeared in Holland and France where stamps were issued during the occupation showing Dutch and French admirals, with their ships, who had fought against Britain.
This stamp shows the torpedoing of the Irma, by the Royal Navy, on February 13, 1944, when 66 lives were lost. The Irma, sunk off the Norwegian coast close to the town of Christiansand (Kristian¬sund), was built in 1905 by Sir Raylton Dixon and Co., Ltd., Middlesbrough, for the Bergen Line. The stamp's value is 20 + 10 ore.
SG362 Sea Breezes 11/53

Re: Irma

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 3:39 pm
by D. v. Nieuwenhuijzen
Built in 1905 by Sir Raylton Dixon & Co. Ltd., Middlesbrough, #510, Gt:1392, Nt: 789, Length:74,37m. Breadth:9,99m. Depth:6,43m. Draft:6,43m. triple-exp. 1500 ihp. 243 nhp. 13.5 kn. Placed in service to England, later to Hamburg (1927-1931), then in Hurtigruten from 1931. Rebuilt that year and again the following year.

In the express cargo/passenger service (Hurtigruten) between Bergen and Trondheim. Sunk off Kristiansund on Febr. 13-1944 by Norwegian MTB-632 (or MTB 627?) and MTB 653. 61 died, incl. 25 passengers (numbers vary according to source).
The book, "Norsk presse under Hakekorset" (The Norwegian Press under the Swastika), Vol. II, 1946 by Gunnleik Jensson, which is a collection of newspaper articles from the war years, has a long article on the sinking of Irma and Henry. As the newspapers were under German control, they are full of propaganda and anti-British (anti-"bolsjevic") sentiment, so the account of this sinking is rather one-sided, and not necessarily based on the truth. One of the mates on D/S Henry says (in an interview) that Irma passed them at around 6:30 in the afternoon and shortly thereafter an enormous explosion was heard. They saw that she had been hit by a torpedo amidships, which broke her in 2, then immediately afterwards by another one. Henry's lifeboats were lowered, but while doing so an intense shelling occurred from the attacking torpedo boat, making it impossible for them to do anything. Then Henry too was hit by a torpedo, and as she started to sink right away they had to launch the rest of the boats, still under continuous shelling. While they were rowing away they succeeded in picking up some of the survivors in the water. Detailed, horrible scenes are described in this article. He goes on to say that one of the boats landed at Tjønnøy and another at Svaggsundet, where the survivors were well taken care of before being sent to Kristiansund. The article says that 25 survivors have arrived Kristiansund, 9 of whom are crew members, the rest passengers. It gives the names of some of the survivors and casualties from Irma and mentions Jason as one of the rescue vessels. It adds that 13 were rescued from Henry, while 2 were missing; Captain J. Dommersnes and Stoker Johan Larsen.
A follow-up newspaper article says that Irma had 31 passengers, 15 of whom were rescued. Her complement consisted of 45, 10 were rescued. Total number of casualties was estimated to about 50 people. A report from Hoplafjord said that 7 were picked out of the water by that ship, but 5 died. Pilot Torgersen says he found an oar that kept him afloat until he was rescued by one of Henry's lifeboats.
(Norway 1944, 20+10 öre, StG.362) Internet.