By Pierre Kosmidis Photos submitted by Dr. Peter Schenk and used by permission Dr. Peter Schenk is an acclaimed author, whose research has shed light on a rather obscure chapter of World War 2, the War in the Aegean Sea, which resulted in the last victory of strategic importance for the Germans in 1943. Dr. Peter Schenk’s book […]
By Vincenzo Giacomo Toccafondi I recently found on a well-known online auction website a very interesting image of the port of Thessaloniki 1. It shows the French ocean liner Theophile Gautier in the background, and two units that were directly involved in Operation Merkur: The small hospital ship Brigitte and the Regia Marina Torpedo Boat Lira. Photos of Brigitte are quite rare […]
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos and videos by Stratos Koufos used by permission Additional information on the wreck by Dr. Peter Schenk Today the Greek islands of the Dodecanese are popular tourist destinations. However in 1943 they were the scene of the last successful German airborne assault and naval operations of the Second World War in the Mediterranean Sea. The […]
By Pierre Kosmidis Lying at a depth of just 11 metres, this Arado wreck is an ideal snorkeling destination (Photo: Costis Mantzoris) On September 17, 1943 this specific Arado 196 went on a mission to protect a convoy consisting of three ships (UJ 2104, Paula and Pluto) on their way from Piraeus to Rodos. Photo […]
By Lt. Gen. (ret.) Androulakis Giorgos On the north sandy coast of Kos Island, approximately 600 meters east of Marmari, a shipwreck is laying a few metres off the beach. It is a WW 2 shipwreck, destroyed shortly after the occupation of Kos by German invasion troops in October 1943. The boat is the F-131 (Ferry-131) landing […]