Aegir – A warship with a cargo of cars

The majestic armoured ship Aegir was launched in 1896 in Kiel, and was part of the Imperial Fleet. In 1922 she was converted into a cargo ship and operated between England and major ports in the Baltic Sea.

In December 1929, Aegir had been loaded with cars and vehicle parts in England. In strong winds and dense fog, the ship ran aground at Stora Karlsö. A Swedish salvage boat quickly arrived at the scene, but Aegir’s captain refused to accept help. Two days later a storm began to rage, sending the bottom of the ship slashing against the rocks. A salvage operation was impossible.

The lighthouse crew on Stora Karlsö managed to rescue 15 crew members. Four crew members tried to get ashore in a small lifeboat, but it flipped over and one of the men died. The captain and another man remained on board.

As the storm subsided, extensive efforts were initiated to salvage the precious cargo. After several months’ work, 137 cars had been salvaged and sent to the port of Visby.

Willy Gaiser returned to Germany but began working on a ship that was to collect scrap from Aegir. Arriving in Klintehamn, he quit and took a job at a smokehouse in the community before getting a job as a carpenter, a profession he was trained for.