In early November 2018, in the context of the 15th National Congress of Cartography “The Crisis Cartography“, a preliminary study on shipwrecks in Magnesia (the Pagasitikos Gulf – Pelion region) related to World War II was published. While significant efforts have been made to protect and promote ancient maritime sites (e.g. mapping, disclosure of maritime archaeological sites and a framework for visiting them), relevant evidence of our more modern history remains unknown (and therefore without appropriate protection) as they have not been studied to the same degree.
The work attempts to record the WWII shipwrecks in Magnesia and to facilitate further investigation. Its ultimate goal is to inform and encourage both visitors and the inhabitants of Magnesia to be directly involved in the processes of the protection, management and promotion of the area’s local cultural heritage.
Breakdown of WWII shipwrecks by location and cause of sinking (air attack; blue, boat attack; grey, submarine attack; blue, mine; red, deliberate sinking; orange, unknown attack; yellow, other causes; green)
According to the research undertaken for “Shipwrecks during World War II – Thematic Mapping in Pagasitikos – Pelion” (Papadimitriou, 2018), as many as 102 ships were sunk in the wider area from 1941 to 1945. This number corresponds to almost 10% of the estimated total of ships sailing in the Greek seas during the WWII period (see previous study).
The following are selected characteristics of shipwrecks (per year):
| Date | Vessel Name | Vessel Type |
Locations | Cause of Wreck |
| 1941 | Στάμος 8ος | diesel ship | Volos | – |
| 01/1941 | Kate (War Envoy) | tanker | Trikeri straight | mine |
| 04/1941 | City of Carachi↑ | cargo | Volos | run aground |
| 04/1941 | Brattdal↑ | cargo | Volos | air raid |
| 04/1941 | Αριάδνη | (small) cargo | Pagasitikos | intentional sunk |
| 04/1941 | Βαρβάρα | (small) cargo | Pagasitikos | intentional sunk |
| 04/1941 | Γεωργία | (small) cargo | Pagasitikos | intentional sunk |
| 04/1941 | Γραβιά | (small) cargo | Pagasitikos | intentional sunk |
| 04/1941 | Δαμασκηνός ή Δαμασκηνή | steam ship |
Trikeri straight | (bombing) |
| 04/1941 | Παρασκευούλα | (small) cargo | Pagasitikos | intentional sunk |
| 04/1941 | Στάμος 3ος | (small) cargo | Pagasitikos | intentional sunk |
| 04/1941 | Φλώρα | (small) cargo | Pagasitikos | intentional sunk |
| 04/1941 | Χατζής | (small) cargo | Pagasitikos | intentional sunk |
| 05/1941 | Larissa (Oderland, Avola) | steam ship | Trikeri straight | mine |
| 10/1941 | Άγιος Χαράλαμπος | diesel ship | Pelion | accident |
| 10/1941 | Ευαγγελίστρια | diesel ship |
Trikeri straight | – |
| Date | Vessel Name | Vessel Type | Location | Wreck Cause |
| 04/1942 | Άγιος Νικόλαος | diesel ship |
Volos | mine |
| 09/1942 | Συμεών ή Alex 20 | sailing boat |
Skiathos | submarine raid [ΝΗΡΕΥΣ] |
| 10/1942 | Τέτη Σιγάλα | cargo ship |
Pelion | run aground |
| 10/1942 | 10V 3 (Βύρων) | u-boat hunter |
Pelion | run aground |
| Date | Vessel Name | Vessel Type | Location | Wreck Cause |
| 03/1943 | Αετός | diesel ship |
Trikeri straight |
storm |
| 05/1943 | Rigel (Reaumur, Turcio Di Monte Jurra) | cargo ship | Trikeri straight | run aground |
| 06/1943 | Άγιος Γεώργιος | sailing boat |
Pelion | submarine raid [TAURUS] |
| 06/1943 | Άγιος Γεώργιος | diesel ship | Skiathos | boat raid |
| 07/1943 | Ερμής | diesel ship |
Pelion | – |
| 07/1943 | Κωνσταντίνος Λουλούδης | cargo ship | Trikeri straight | boat raid |
| 09/1943 | Μαρία Μ. | sailing boat |
Skiathos | boat raid |
| 09/1943 | Νικόλαος Μ. | towing boat |
Skiathos | boat raid |
| 09/1943 | Perigord (P.L.M. 24) | cargo ship | Pelion | mine (run aground) |
| 09/1943 | Κατσώνης | submarine |
Pelion | boat raid |
| 09/1943 | Ζωή | diesel ship |
Pelion | – |
| 11/1943 | Αμαλία ή 12M5 | floating dock |
Volos | air raid |
| Date | Vessel Name |
Vessel Type | Location | Wreck Cause |
| 1944 | Άγιος Ελευθέριος | cargo ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 1944 | Άγιος Ιωάννης | cargo ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 1944 | Άγιος Σπυρίδων | cargo ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 1944 | Αθανάσιος | cargo ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 1944 | Αλέξανδρος↑ (Θέτις, Mazesta, Mazorie, Salem) | towing boad | Volos | mine |
| 1944 | Βόλος | cargo ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 1944 | Βόλος | cargo ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 1944 | Γεώργιος | cargo ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 1944 | Δημήτριος | cargo ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 1944 | Θεσσαλία | cargo ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 1944 | Κωνσταντίνος | cargo ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 1944 | Παναγία | cargo ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 1944 | Πάτρα | cargo ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 1944 | Περικλής | cargo ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 1944 | Χριστόδουλος | cargo ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 02/1944 | Ευαγγελίστρια | sailing boat | Pagassitikos | boat raid |
| 02/1944 | Αγία Τριάς | diesel ship | Pelion | – |
| 03/1944 | Αγία Παρασκευή | diesel ship | Pelion | intentional sunk |
| 04/1944 | Σαμσών | σλέπι | Pelion | submarine raid |
| 05/1944 | Αγλαϊα | καταδιωκτικό | Skiathos | torpedo |
| 06/1944 | Rigel (Reaumur, Turcio Di Monte Jurra) | cargo ship | Pagasitikos | torpedo |
| 06/1944 | GN 61 (10M 12, M4, Αγία Μαρίνα Αικατερίνη) | patrol | Skiathos | submarine raid |
| 06/1944 | GN 62 (GM 62, 10M 13, Κωνσταντίνος) | patrol | Skiathos | submarine raid |
| 08/1944 | Άγιος Γεώργιος↑ (Seadog, Stal Ward) | towing boat | Volos | intentional sunk [recovered] |
| 08/1944 | Άγιος Γεώργιος | – | Pelion | run aground |
| 09/1944 | Peter (Elbe, P.L.M. 16) | cargo ship | Skiathos | run aground [submarine raid VAMPIRE] |
| 10/1944 | Zar Ferdinand ή Tzar Ferdinand | hospital ship | Pelion | submarine raid [CURIE] |
| 10/1944 | Σαλαμίς (ή Neiztender XII) | auxiliary | Skiathos | submarine raid [CURIE] |
| 10/1944 | GW 03 (Perasto, Avala, Suzuki II, Rayon Vert, Clitene, Vanikoro, Sea Fay) | steam ship | Skiathos | torpedo |
| 10/1944 | Ελένη↑ (Harlingen, Ανατολικός Αστήρ) | diesel ship | Pagasitikos | – |
| 10/1944 | Θεολόγος | diesel ship | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | IO 05 | landing craft | Volos | air raid |
| 10/1944 | IO 54 (L 1554) | landing craft | Volos | air raid |
| 10/1944 | SF 293 | landing craft | Volos | air raid |
| 10/1944 | Αριστέα | diesel ship | Volos | air raid |
| 10/1944 | Λέρος | dredger | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | Anna↑ (Adriana) | cargo ship | Volos | air raid |
| 10/1944 | Annie (Neo) | cargo ship | Volos | air raid |
| 10/1944 | F 123 | landing craft | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | Famiglia Merica | sailing boat | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | GA 03 | patrol boat | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | GK 57 | patrol boat | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | GK 91 (KFK 7) | patrol boat | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | GK 92 (KFK 8) | patrol boat | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | GN 92 (GM 92, KFK 30) | patrol boat | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | GN80 | patrol boat | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | HP 55 | towing boat | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | Irene | munition carrier | Volos | explosion |
| 10/1944 | Laudon | cargo ship | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | LS 10↑ | speed boat | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | Nordpol | cargo ship | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | Suda 34 | auxiliary | Pagasitikos | – |
| 10/1944 | TA 38 (Spada) | torpedo boat | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 10/1944 | UJ 2102↑ (12V 6, Birgitta) | u-boat hunter | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | Uknown | diesel ship | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | Εισόδια | diesel ship | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | San Michele | diesel ship | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | Ιάσων | diesel ship | Volos | intentional sunk |
| 10/1944 | GA 73 (R 14 / Commandante Maddalena) | patrol (mine sweeper) | Trikeri straight | air raid |
| 10/1944 | GA 76 (R 159 / Giovannino) | patrol (mine sweeper) | Trikeri straight | air raid |
| 10/1944 | General Jacob III | concrete ship | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | General Lambert↑ | concrete ship | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | Seeräuber (Novatie) | (small) cargo | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | Seestern (Orion) | (small) cargo | Volos | – |
| 10/1944 | TA 18 (Solferino) | destroyer | Trikeri straight |
mine |
| 10/1944 | Αετός II | diesel ship | Pagasiticos | intentional sunk |
| 12/1944 | Ιωνία↑ | passenger | Skiathos | run aground |
| Date | Vessel Name | Vessel Type | Location | Wreck Cause |
| 01/1945 | Treern T451 (T51) | whaler | Trikeri straight |
mine |
| 03/1945 | Uknown | fishing | Skiathos | mine |
Symbol “↑” next to the ship name represents that wreck has been recovered.
Latin characters represent data to be cross-checked with other sources.
Sources used to characterize shipwrecks include the publication entitled “Shipwrecks in the Greek Seas, 1900-1951” (Dounis, 2001) and online articles “Gesamtverluste 1939-1945” (Hoffmann, 2015), “War Shipwrecks in the Volos Registry of Boats” (Kartapanis, 2015) and “South Pelion Shipwrecks” (Galon, 2012).
References
Galon D., 2012. “South Pelion Shipwrecks”, www.scubadive.gr, URL: http://www.scubadive.gr/forum/showthread.php?t=5828 (11/11/2018)
Kartapanis Gr., 2015. “War Shipwrecks in the Volos Registry of Boats”, www.taxydromos.gr, URL: http://www.taxydromos.gr/%CE%93.%CE%9A%CE%B1%CF%81 % CF% 84% CE% B1% CF% 80% CE% AC% CE% BD% CE% B7% CF% 82/192626-grhgorhs-kartapanhs-nayagia-pole% CE% BCoy-% CE% BCe-pleoy% CE% BCena-nhologioy-boloy.html (11/11/2018)
Dounis Ch., 2001. Shipwrecks in the Greek Sea. 1900-1950 (vol. A), Athens: Finatec
Papadimitriou K., 2018. Shipwrecks during World War II – Thematic Mapping of Pagasitikos – Pelion. Proceedings of the 15th National Cartography Congress “The Crisis Cartography”. Thessaloniki, 31 / 10-2 / 11/2018
Hoffmann K., 2015. “Gesamtverluste 1939-1945”, Schiffsverluste 01.09.1939 – 02.09.1945, URL: http://www.schiffswrackliste.de/index.htm (11/11/2018)
[*] Ross J. Robertson is an Australian who has lived in Greece for the past thirty years. He has a BSc (Biology) and is an EFL teacher. He is the co-owner of two private English Language Schools and instructs students studying for Michigan and Cambridge University English Language examinations. He has written various English Language Teaching books for the Hellenic American Union (Greece), Longman-Pearson (UK) and Macmillan Education (UK). He published his debut novel (fiction/humour) entitled ‘Spiked! Read Responsibly’ in 2016. Moreover, he has written several spec screenplays and a number of newspaper articles, including an extensive series on the 75th anniversary of the WWII Liberation of Greece. A keen AOW and Nitrox diver, he is also a shipwreck and research enthusiast and has written features for UK Diver Magazine, US Diver and the Australian newspaper, Neos Kosmos. Ross continues to combine his expertise in English with his love of storytelling and local WWII history to produce exciting materials.
