Wreck of a 1915 “X-lighter” that served at the WW1 Gallipoli campaign

By Pierre Kosmidis Period photos: Xiradakis Family Archives Wreck photos: Helen Tsouropoulou Research: Aris Mpilalis-Kostas Thoktaridis Near Makronissos island, Greece, a team of  experienced wreck divers, Kostas Thoktaridis, Nicholas Vassilatos and Helen Tsopouropoulou, explored a wreck of exceptional beauty and rich history. The motor ship “Barba Thomas” (Uncle Tom) has an interesting history as she was built in 1915 in the UK […]

Burdigala: 100 years since the sinking of the second largest shipwreck of the Greek Seas

By Pierre Kosmidis TEXT BY PIERRE KOSMIDIS PHOTOS BY DIMITRIS GALONOn November 14, 1916 the luxury liner S/S Burdigala, formerly known as “Kaiser Friedrich” struck a mine and sunk between Kea and Makronissos islands. 2016 marks the centenary of this shipwreck, the second largest in the Greek Seas, after the “Brittanic”, which was lost  in 1916 too. The […]

The amazing wrecks of Truk Lagoon, by Aleksei Kondratuk

By Pierre Kosmidis Light Japanese tank Ha-Go Truk Lagoon is considered as the “Holy Grail” of wreck diving worldwide, due to the wide variety of wrecks, many of them in nearly intact condition. PHOTO CREDITS: ALEKSEI KONDRATUK Aleksei Kondratuk in Chuuk (formerly known as Truk) Aleksei Kondratuk, a scuba diver and underwater photographer from Vladivostok, Russia, […]

Galilea: The 1942 shipwreck that took the lives of over 1,000 Italians

By Pierre Kosmidis George Karelas, a respected researcher from Patras, Greece unveiled a long forgotten naval tragedy that happened on the night of March 28, 1942, in the the Ionian Sea, Greece. “Galilea” is sailing back to Italy from Greece with 1,329 men on board. Just 279 Italians survived this wreck. The “Galilea” was a passenger ship of Adriatica Societa […]

Nαυάγιο “ΟΡΙΑ”: 4.000 Ιταλοί αιχμάλωτοι στο βυθό του Σαρωνικού

By Pierre Kosmidis CLICK TO READ THE STORY IN ENGLISH  Το ναυάγιο του ατμόπλοιου «Όρια» στο Γαϊδουρονήσι, μια τραγωδία στα σκοτεινά χρόνια της Κατοχής το Φεβρουάριο του 1944, η οποία είχε σχεδόν τριπλάσιο αριθμό θυμάτων σε σύγκριση με τον Τιτανικό, έχει μείνει ξεχασμένη στα συρτάρια της Ιστορίας. Λίγοι γνωρίζουν ότι περισσότεροι από 4.000 Ιταλοί αιχμάλωτοι […]

The WW2 shipwrecks that disappeared: Underwater explorer Kevin Denlay’s interview on the lost fleet of the Pacific – PART 2

By Pierre Kosmidis – August 2017 Photos by Kevin Denlay (unless otherwise noted) Historical Photos: Kevin Denlay Collection READ PART ONE OF KEVIN DENLAY’S UNDERWATER EXPLORATIONS: WW2 Shipwreck exploration by Kevin Denlay: “Going back in time and bringing the ships back to life” – PART 1 Kevin Denlay is a pioneer in underwater exploration and has witnessed […]

Found and identified: Two WW2 wrecks lost since April 1941

By Pierre Kosmidis Photos by Helen Tsopouropoulou, used by permission In the bustling port of Piraeus nowadays, thousands of tourists from all over the world are waiting every day to sail for a holiday to the Aegean islands and dozens of ships of all types are berthed at the docks. Credit Image:  John H Marsh Maritime, […]

“Oria” shipwreck, the watery grave of 4,000 POWs in 1944

By Pierre Kosmidis The sinking of the steamship “Oria” in Gaidouronisi, a tragedy in the dark years of the nazi occupation of Greece in February 1944, which  resulted in 4,115 drowned Italian POWs, almost three times as many victims as the Titanic, is largely forgotten and kept in the dark drawers of history. Few people […]