Help for identifying a shipwreck

[Karsten]

From the shape of the bow I would say this is a British LCT. The bow is not from a MFP. Also from the shape of the stern and the fact, that there are only two shafts/propellers, I would guess that this is a British LCT Mark 1, 3 or 4.

See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_craft_tank

This would fit to this fact:

Bei 2:32 Min. sieht man das Fahrwerk von einem Sherman Tank.

Greetings,

Karsten

[IIWO]

Hello Mario,
you might find some usefull information about types of lost british landing crafts on this site:
http://www.naval-history.net/WW2BritishLosses4Amphib.htm

Maybe one of the types lost in the meds fits your wreck. If the tanks are six Sherman tanks (weight about 30t each), then you might be looking for a Mk III LCT able to carry 5-40t or 11-30t tanks or possibly a Mk IV LCT able to carry 6-40t or 9-30t tanks.

Mk IV LCT: http://www.dday-overlord.com/eng/landing_craft_tank.htm

kind regards
Joern

[arena]

Sirs,

I kindly ask your help for identifying the wreck of a big German WW2 freighter we recently found in the Mediterranean sea. Here are some info:

- the wreck is in the area of Kerkennah, on the routes from Italy to Libya.
- It carries Afrika Corps supplies, like vehicles, fuel, AA guns and projectors, and German Army personal equipments like helmets, bottles, etc.
- It is broken into two parts, cut at the end of the central superstructure: the stern section includes the central superstructure and is on its keel, meanwhile the bow section is capsized.
- it has a four blades single propeller
- it features a very special stern steering gear with two big wheels
- it has either a triple or quadruple expansion egine
- estimated dimensions are about 5000 tonns or in any case a big freighter. It has four cargo holds, 3 levels each.
- we recovered a dish belonging to the ship, not to the cargo, which shows a logo with the letters "W L"; we think it is the logo of the Woermann Linie. I think this can be the key in order to get to a restricted number of possible ships, but we are not able to find any sunken freighter belonging to WL or to DAL or to DOAL while searching on the net. We really hope in your kind and expert help

thanks in advance for it

Arena

[Dimitris Galon]

Hello Mario,

neither Woermann Linie and neither Deutsche Afrika Linie or Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie, in accordance to the very accurate Miramar Ship Index (http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz/), had any loss in the Kerkennah area.

A possible candidate for your list, although is pretty small, only 2.452 GRT, could be ARTA (ex NAIMES, ex AEGINA) built 1922 and carrying the signals of the Atlas Levante Linie. The vessel was gunfired off Kerkennah on 16.4.1941 and after that was attacked again by HMS UPHOLDER on 26.4.1941. Please check http://www.historisches-marinearchiv.de/projekte/asa/ausgabe.php?where_value=1849

If you have the possibility check also Rohwer, Jürgen: Allied Submarine Attacks of World War Two, European Theatre of Operations 1939-1945, Naval Institute Press Annapolis, Maryland 1997 for the months February – September 1941 and further more the exceptionall http://historisches-marinearchiv.de/projekte/asa/beschreibung.php.

Good luck
DG

P.S.
For the ARTA data ckeck the LRS: http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name=41b0066.pdf

[Dimitris Galon]

Dear Mario,

here are some more ships for your list (s. attachment) but I would rather tip on LEVERKUSEN owned by HAPAG (Hamburg-Amerika Line).

Name: LEVERKUSEN
Type: Passenger/Cargo
Flag: German
Launch Date: 26.5.1928
Date of completion: 21.7.1928
GRT: 7386
LPP: 141,3
Beam: 18,3
Builder: Deutsche Werft, Finkenwerde (Hamburg), Germany
Yard Nr.: 107
Propultion: 1 prop.
Speed: 13 knots
End: Torpedoed on 01.05.1941 by submarine HMS UPHOLDER 4 sm SE of Kerkennah

Regarding the attack check: http://www.historisches-marinearchiv.de/projekte/asa/ausgabe.php?where_value=1855
Check also page 134 in Rohwer, Jürgen: Allied Submarine Attacks of World War Two, European Theatre of Operations 1939-1945, Naval Institute Press Annapolis, Maryland 1997

Regarding the ship´s technical issues check the LRS: http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name=41b0514.pdf

Check specially and compare with the wreck the following data:

Forecastle (on Bridge) = 11,58 meters
Bridge = 129,84 mtr
Poope = 8,22 mtr

For farther information and a photo check:
http://www.google.de/imgres?start=94&um=1&hl=de&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:de:official&biw=1912&bih=958&tbm=isch&tbnid=kwy2r6XB8BhxeM:&imgrefurl=http://www.schiffe-maxim.de/leverkusen.htm&docid=5rDaP_Kr8ck-7M&imgurl=http://www.schiffe-maxim.de/Leverkusen.jpg&w=394&h=227&ei=uHM3UMyUIdHBswa404DwCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=589&vpy=472&dur=6440&hovh=170&hovw=296&tx=146&ty=90&sig=114716905817431474911&page=3&tbnh=108&tbnw=188&ndsp=48&ved=1t:429,r:42,s:94,i:138

Are you sure that the wreck was a steamer?
I ask because LEVERKUSEN had oil engines and a cruiser stern.

Could you upload some U/W photos of the wreck in this topic?

Regards
DG

[Urs Heßling]

hi, Arena,

- we recovered a dish belonging to the ship, not to the cargo, which shows a logo with the letters "W L"; we think it is the logo of the Woermann Linie. I think this can be the key in order to get to a restricted number of possible ships, but we are not able to find any sunken freighter belonging to WL or to DAL or to DOAL while searching on the net. We really hope in your kind and expert help

freighter ADANA ex ATTO (4205 grt, 1922), sunk of Kerkennah on April 16, 1941 in the attack on convoy TARIGO, was run by Woermann line for one year (1934-35); the disc may have been a "residue".

see http://www.schiffe-maxim.de/atto.htm

greetings, Urs

[arena]

Sirs, thanks you very much for your precious help. The track of the Adana seems promising and is exciting to me. It would be great to find more pics of this ships, or technical data that can help id the wreck. I will post some underwater picture of the wreck as soon as I understand how to do it.

thanks again and whish you all a great day

Arena

[Dimitris Galon]

It would be great to find more pics of this ships, or technical data that can help id the wreck.

Hello Mario,

for a photo look at: http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20A/slides/Adana-01.jpg

for technical data look at: http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name=42b0021.pdf
under ADANA.

All the best
DG