Wassertanker (Leichter) NIKOPOLIS

[London1]

Hallo zusammen,

das o.g. Fahrzeuge (1905/232BRT) soll im Oktober 1944 durch alliierte Flugzeuge in Syros versenkt worden sein.

Hat jemand Angaben zum VerlustTAG und ob das Fahrzeug für eine deutsche Dienststelle im Einsatz war?

Gruß u. besten Dank.
London1

[TD]

Habe nicht den geringsten Hinweis zum Schiff finden können.

Bei der Größe und den Typ würde ich sicher von einer KM Verwendung ausgegen.

Hast Du irgendwelche Daten zum Schiff und den Verlust ?

Gruß

Theo

[Zerstörerfahrer]

Moin moin,

die einzige Meldung die ich finden konnte, ist:
"...Die am 07.11.1943 vorgesehene Überführung des Ersatz-Wasserleichters NIKOPOLIS mit etwa 200 to Wasser am 07.11. nach Syra mußte wegen Wetterlage bis auf weiteres verschoben werden..."
Es ging hier um die Wasser-Versorgung der für das Unternehmen gegen Leros beteiligten TA-Boot in Syra. Der Leichter fuhr also zumindestens für dt. Rechnung. Der Verlust im Okt. 1944 läßt sich so erstmal durch dt. Akten nicht belegen. vermutlich gibt's irgendwo nur 'ne Meldung, daß ein Wasserleichter oder nur Leichter versenkt worden ist, ohne nähere Namensangabe. Aber vielleicht findet sich ja noch irgendwann mal etwas dazu.

Grüße
René

[London1]

Hallo Theo und Rene,

besten Dank für die Infos.

Das einzige was ich noch habe: 232 grt, 154 nt. 50.05 X 5.45 X 3.4 m. 1923: NIKOPOLIS P. Vaianis, Piraeus /Gr .05.1942: NIKOPOLIS P. Vaianis & G.M. Moundreas & Bros., Piraeus /Gr. Nichts weiteres über den Verlust.

Gruß
Jochen

[Dido]

Das einzige was ich noch habe: 232 grt, 154 nt. 50.05 X 5.45 X 3.4 m. 1923: NIKOPOLIS P. Vaianis, Piraeus /Gr .05.1942: NIKOPOLIS P. Vaianis & G.M. Moundreas & Bros., Piraeus /Gr. Nichts weiteres über den Verlust.

Gruß
Jochen

The story of the water lighter NIKOPOLIS is an interesting one. The ship is no other than the former Greek torpedo boat NIKOPOLIS, captured from the Ottomans at Preveza in 1912.
She was build by Ansaldo, Armstrong & Cie at Sestri Ponente in 1905 as ANTALYA and along with the torpedo boat TOKAT and two small gunboats they were based in 1912 in the Turkish Naval Base at Preveza. Once the Greek Army liberated the are on 3.11.1912 the two torpedo boats were scuttled.
Following is an extract from the article "Greek War Prizes" published also by Okrety Wojenne magazine (attachment 1)

ANTALYA was in a better condition and was promptly salvaged with the assistance of the salvage tug COSTANCE GRECH (soon renamed ΤΕΝΕDΟS). The salvaged ANTALYA was towed to Salamis Naval Base arriving on 14/27 November. Once repaired she was renamed NIKOPOLIS and commissioned in January 1913 under the command of N.Votsis, until then commander of torpedo-boat 11 that had sunk the ironclad FETH-I BULEND in Salonika. ΝΙΚΟPΟLIS was pressed in patrols and inspections in the Saronic Gulf and the Ionian Sea. She was decommissioned in 1919[/size]

The torpedo boat NIKOPOLIS (attachment 2; probably next to TENEDOS http://www.forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/index.php?topic=25171.0 ) was auctioned in 1923 to Prodromos Vaianis and was converted into a barge, without a name change. Vaianis was a prominent figure in the Piraeus bunkering business during the itnerwar years. He owned several barges, water carriers and tankers like PRODROMOS http://www.forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/index.php/topic,24763.msg280181.html#msg280181
In May 1942, 50% of the ship's ownership went to G.Moundreas & Bros (along with the barge PIPINA, ex-Turkish torpedo-boat TOKAT!)

Although not mentioned in Greek registers, Adm. Dounis mentions the loss of NIKOPOLIS in his book as "sunk by aerial bombing in Syros in October 1944" but without giving any data on her past story. According to Syros' newspapers "the German water carrier" was sunk at Syros harbour in 29.9.1944 during the same Allied attack that sunk LOKFAHRE http://www.forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/index.php/topic,24537.0.html. The diary of Admiral Aegean is not mentioning the loss of NIKOPOLIS but there is a piece of information about a vessel named I-56 that was hit at Syros and leaking (attachment 3). It needs further research to find if there is a relation between I-56 and NIKOPOLIS.

NIKOPOLIS was the last wreck that was raised from Syros harbour, being refloated on 7.3.1946 by O.A.N.'s (Wreck Salvage Organisation) crews and with the use of the salvage tug CYCLOPShttp://www.nautilia.gr/forum/showthread.php?98684-%CA%FD%EA%EB%F9%F8-Wrecker-Cyclope-Cyclops-Nicos-Itea (ex-Italian prize of war). O.A.N. records report the wreck as a 600-tons tanker while local press mention her as a "1000-tons tanker, German auxiliary". Another contemporary newspaper (attachement 4) mentioned the position of the wreck which corresponds with the position of a wreck depicted in the photo in attachment 5. Given that there were only two other wrecks at Syrοs (COSTAS http://www.forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/index.php?topic=25322.0 and LOKFAHRE) which differed in appearance from the half sunk ship in the photo, this leads to identify her as the NIKOPOLIS.

In 10.1946 the Piraeus Registry mentions that the other 50% of the ship's ownership was also sold to G.Moundreas & Bros. Apparently the vessel was still around but since there are no further entries in the Register, we can assume that she was soon disposed off.

[kgvm]

Wieder ein Superbericht, Dido, danke.
Aber "I-56" hat nichts mit "Nikopolis" zu tun, sondern war ein Infanterietransporter:
http://www.historisches-marinearchiv.de/projekte/landungsfahrzeuge/infanterietransporter/ausgabe.php?where_value=13

[Darius]

Hallo zusammen,

Datensatz I-O-56 habe ich gerade aktualisiert.

Danke & 

Darius