# SS Henry

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**SS *Henry*** was a [Norwegian](/source/Norway) 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](/source/World_War_II).[2]

## Before the Second World War

*Henry* was built in 1907 for the Swedish company Ångfartygs-A/B Nornan of [Gothenburg](/source/Gothenburg). She sailed for her original owner until she was sold to Egil Krogh in Norway in 1925. After she was sold to the Norwegian company her tonnage was changed from 604 to 628 [gross tons](/source/Gross_tonnage). Following the [German invasion of Norway](/source/Operation_Weser%C3%BCbung) in 1940 she came under German overall control, continuing to sail along the coast of [occupied Norway](/source/Occupation_of_Norway_by_Nazi_Germany).[2]

## Sinking

See also: [SS Irma (1905)](/source/SS_Irma_(1905))

In the evening of 13 February 1944 *Henry* was sailing along the coast near [Hustadvika](/source/Hustadvika) Bay[3] by [Hestskjær Lighthouse](/source/Hestskj%C3%A6r_Lighthouse)[4] off the port of [Kristiansund](/source/Kristiansund) in [Møre og Romsdal](/source/M%C3%B8re_og_Romsdal) county. She was carrying a cargo of rocks from the [Aust-Agder](/source/Aust-Agder) town of [Risør](/source/Ris%C3%B8r_(town)) northwards along the coastline.[5] In addition to the Norwegians on board *Henry* she carried four [German Army](/source/German_Army_(Wehrmacht)) [Gefreiters](/source/Gefreiter).[6] At 1837hrs the [SS *Irma*](/source/SS_Irma_(1905)), a [Hurtigruten](/source/Hurtigruten) passenger ship that had just overtaken *Henry*, was struck and sunk by what later turned out to be [torpedoes](/source/Torpedo) fired from *[MTB 627](/source/MTB_627)*, a [Royal Norwegian Navy](/source/Royal_Norwegian_Navy) [Motor Torpedo Boat](/source/Motor_Torpedo_Boat). As *Henry* launched two of her [lifeboats](/source/Lifeboat_(shipboard)) she too was torpedoed, by the other Royal Norwegian Navy Motor Torpedo Boat present, *[MTB 653](/source/MTB_653)*.[7] One of the two lifeboats were brought ashore at Hestskjær Lighthouse by the [lighthouse](/source/Lighthouse) keeper and later brought into Kristiansund.[5]

Two of *Henry'*s crewmen were lost in the ship's sinking, her [captain](/source/Captain_(nautical)) John Olav Gustav Dommersnes and the [stoker](/source/Fireman_(steam_engine)) Johan Wåge Larsen.[2]

The loss of the two civilian Norwegian ships were utilised heavily in [propaganda](/source/Propaganda) by the Germans and the Norwegian [national socialist](/source/National_Socialism) collaborator party [Nasjonal Samling](/source/Nasjonal_Samling). One of the main uses of the incident in Nazi propaganda was in a recruitment drive aimed at convincing Norwegian sailors to join the German [Kriegsmarine](/source/Kriegsmarine).[8] The Nazi propaganda machinery blamed the British [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) for sinking *Henry* and *Irma*, it only becoming known after the war that Royal Norwegian Navy vessels were behind the operation that sank the two ships.[9]

## 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* were without lights or national markings and were sailing as a convoy escorted by a German [naval trawler](/source/Naval_trawler).[7][8][9] This has been disputed by the survivors of *Irma* and *Henry*.[9]

The MTB crews also claimed that *Henry* took evasive action after *Irma* was hit,[7] 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.[9]

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.[6]

## Post-war memorial

*Henry* was honoured together with *Irma* 16 September 2002 when King [Harald V of Norway](/source/Harald_V_of_Norway) unveiled a monument to the people lost on the two ships, and led a memorial ceremony at sea near the site of the 1944 sinking of the two vessels.[10]

## References

1. Lawson, Siri Holm. ["D/S Henry"](http://warsailors.com/homefleet/shipsh2.html#henry). *Warsailors.com*. Retrieved 24 January 2009.

1. Kleppa, Hermund (2000). ["Minnestein over lege Einar Djuvstein omkom ved Irma-forliset 1944"](http://www.sffarkiv.no/sffbasar/default.asp?p=result&db=dbatlas_leks&art_id=5997&spraak_id=1&ptype=single) (in Norwegian). *[Sogn og Fjordane](/source/Sogn_og_Fjordane) [County Municipality](/source/Sogn_og_Fjordane_County_Municipality)*. Retrieved 26 November 2008.

1. Krogstad, Peter (21 December 2007). ["På havets bunn står skutene…"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110724180203/http://www.isdykk.no/mSpider/_data/filarkiv/m1200746676.pdf) (in Norwegian). *[Bladet Vesterålen](/source/Bladet_Vester%C3%A5len)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.isdykk.no/mSpider/_data/filarkiv/m1200746676.pdf) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2009.

1. ["Henry"](http://www.minnehallen.no/ship_details.php?Skip=Henry) (in Norwegian). *[Sjømennenes minnehall i Stavern](/source/Minnehallen)*. Retrieved 2009-01-24.

1. Hegland 1989: 154

1. Hegland 1989: 153

1. Hegland&Lilleheim 1998: 97

1. Voksø 1994: 402

1. Schramm, Barbara (November 2002). ["Kongens besøk på M/S Midnatsol"](http://www.ohrv.net/medlem/medlemsblad/2002/04/OHRV_nytt__4_2002.pdf) (in Norwegian). *ØHRV-nytt*. **3** (4): 11.

## Literature

- Hegland, Jon Rustung (1989). *Angrep i skjærgården – Norske motortorpedobåters operasjoner fra Shetland 1941–1945* (in Norwegian). Oslo: Dreyers Forlag A/S. ISBN 82-09-10533-7.
- Hegland, Jon Rustung & Johan Henrik Lilleheim (1998). *Norske torpedobåter gjennom 125 år – MTB våpenets 125 års jubileumsbok 1873–1998* (in Norwegian). Hundvåg: Norsk Tidsskrift for Sjøvesen. ISBN 82-994738-1-0.
- Voksø, Per (1994). *Krigens Dagbok – Norge 1940–1945* (in Norwegian). Oslo: Forlaget Det Beste. ISBN 82-7010-245-8.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [SS Henry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Henry) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Henry?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.