Staveneset was a key point during the Second World War. British agents watched the sea traffic and were helped by the local population, which caused dramatic incidents.
On Monday 28 July, 2003 a memorial of a wartime occurrence was unveiled in Solund. It was sixty years to a day after the seizure of the Norwegian motor torpedo boat MTB 345 and the execution of the crew in Bergen a short time later. Member of the Storting (Parliament) and leader of the defence committee, Marit Nybakk, gave the unveiling speech.
Askvoll is centrally located on the sea lane, and in the surrounding area several sea battles were fought during the Viking Period. The Norse saga literature gives more information.