WW2 Wrecks by Pierre Kosmidis

Πέμπτη 14 Ιουλίου 2016

Salvaged! An Arado Ar196 (No. 216) lost in 1944 recovered in the Aegean Sea, Greece!

A German Arado Ar 196 seaplane, which was lost on February 28, 1944, at a depth of about 480 meters between Naxos and Ikaria islands in the Aegean Sea, Greece, was the unexpected catch of a fishing boat, the "Fearless II".

Surprisingly, Thanasis Sorokos the captain of the trawler found that something heavy was entangled in their nets.

When raised, they found that part of the fuselage, the engine and a wing of the seaplane, with the German cross still visible, returned from the abyss of the Aegean, carrying nuggets of the dramatic history of the Second World War as it unfolded in Greece.

The identity of the airplane was confirmed thanks to the strenuous efforts of a distinguished researcher and writer.

According to Byron Tesapsides, who published his book "The German Luftwaffe in Greece in World War II", an Arado 196 made an emergency water landing due to mechanical damage and later sank close to the island of Ikaria.

"This is the only reference in German seaplane records for loss of that type, so it is highly likely that it is the No. 216 model A3”

Arado Ar 196: 526 built, 3 survive today

Just three Arado Ar 196 are preserved today from the 526 that came off the production line.

Two are exhibited in the US and one in Bulgaria, an ally of the nazis during the Second World War.

In Greece Arados were mainly used for reconnaissance and convoy cover in the Aegean. The most notable success was the capture of a British submarine, the HMS Seal, in the North Sea near Denmark in 1940.

The Arado Ar 196 is currently waiting patiently for its restoration at the Hellenic Air Force Museum, Tatoi, Athens

Παρασκευή 8 Ιουλίου 2016

Possibly a 1947 abandoned Opel Olympia Sedan

Possibly a pre WW2 or a postwar Opel Olympia Sedan, with most connoisseurs tending towards a 1947 model.

Τετάρτη 6 Ιουλίου 2016

Dimitris "Dima" Stavrakakis, an accomplished scuba diver, lost his life today...

It is with great sorrow and grief that I received the news that Dimitris "Dima" Stavrakakis, an accomplished scuba diver from Poland, lost his life earlier today.

Dimitris was just 50 years old and it appears he succumbed to a diving accident.

May Dima rest in peace.

Condolences to his family.

It was an honour and privilege being friends Dima, we will miss you...

Dima's account of diving at the world's largest naval tragedy

Dima's account of diving at the only WW2 German aircraft carrier

UPDATE 07/07/2016

According to an official statement, Dima's passing was due to "natural causes" and not related to a "diving accident"...

The statement reads as follows:

We regret to inform, that on 05 July 2016 during common diving trip around the Oland Island our friend Dimitris Stavrakakis passed away.

Dima died of natural causes, it wasn't a diving accident.

He was a reliable friend and an authority for us.

Condolences for his wife, children, all relatives and friends.

The Baltictech Team

Dimitris "Dima" Stavrakakis, one of the most active wreck divers in the Baltic Sea from Gdynia, Poland, as his name implies, is of Greek descent. His family history is directly linked to the history of Greece, as it unfolded during the Civil War that was fought in the country, from 1946 to 1949 and is reminiscent of the "Odyssey":

In Dima's own words:

"I was born in 1966, to a Greek father and mother. Both were refugees that fled at a very young age the Greek Civil War, my mother was 9 years old at the time, my father was 12.

My mother lived in Bulgaria for a year, then in Romania for another year and she ended up in Poland, where her mother, my grandmother, found her after many years in exile.

My parents returned back to Greece in the late 1980s and my sister is currently living in Athens too. I served my military service in Greece, I am married and live in Gdynia, Poland"

Ο Δημήτρης "Dima" Σταυρακάκης, ένας από τους πιο δραστήριους δύτες ναυαγίων στη Βαλτική Θάλασσα από τη Γδύνια της Πολωνίας, όπως φαίνεται και από το όνομά του, είναι ελληνικής καταγωγής.

Η ιστορία της οικογένειάς του είναι άμεσα συνδεδεμένη με την ιστορία της Ελλάδας, όπως αυτή εκτυλίχθηκε κατά τη διάρκεια του Εμφυλίου Πολέμου που διεξάχθηκε στη χώρα, (1946-1949) και θυμίζει την «Οδύσσεια»:

Ο κ. Σταυρακάκης αναφέρει:

«Γεννήθηκα το 1966 στην Πολωνία, από πατέρα και μητέρα Έλληνες. Και οι δύο ήταν πρόσφυγες που αναγκάστηκαν να φύγουν από την πατρίδα σε πολύ νεαρή ηλικία λόγω του Εμφυλίου.

Η μητέρα μου ήταν 9 ετών, ο πατέρας μου ήταν 12. Η μητέρα μου έζησε στη Βουλγαρία για ένα χρόνο, στη συνέχεια, στη Ρουμανία για άλλη μια χρονιά και τελικά κατέληξε στην Πολωνία, όπου η μητέρα της, η γιαγιά μου, την βρήκε μετά από πολλά χρόνια στην εξορία.

Οι γονείς μου επέστρεψαν πίσω στην Ελλάδα στα τέλη της δεκαετίας του 1980 και η αδελφή μου ζει και εκείνη σήμερα στην Αθήνα.

Υπηρέτησα τη στρατιωτική μου θητεία στην Ελλάδα, είμαι παντρεμένος και ζω στη Γδύνια της Πολωνίας."

"Αι θυσίαι της Ελλάδος εις τον Β' Παγκόσμιον Πόλεμον" - Το μνημειώδες έργο του Κ. Δοξιάδη

"Αι θυσίαι της Ελλάδος εις τον Β' Παγκόσμιον Πόλεμον"

Το μνημειώδες έργο του Κ. Δοξιάδη

FOUND! The WW2 Greek submarine Y1, sunk on September 14, 1943

Photo source: greek-war-equipment.blogspot.gr

The wreck of the Greek WW2 submarine Y1 "Katsonis" has been located according to the Hellenic Navy, close to Skiathos Island, at a depth of over 200 metres (other sources claim the depth to be closer to 600 metres).

Photo source: greek-war-equipment.blogspot.gr

The Hellenic Navy ship "Naftilos" (Nautilus) conducted a thorough research of the seabed and located the wreck of a submarine, which is thought to be the famed Y-1 "Katsonis", lost on September 14, 1943.

Photo source: greek-war-equipment.blogspot.gr

According to greek-war-equipment.blogspot.gr Y-1 "Katsonis" was one of only six submarines available to the Greeks in 1940.

Despite being an aged submarine by World War II, it was used extensively in war patrols and commando operations in the Adriatic and the Aegean Sea, before being sunk by a German subchaser in 1943.

Operational History

1925 - Laid down

1927 - Launched

8 June 1928 - Commissioned. First captain is Cdr Κ. Arvanitis.

3 - 10 Nov. 1940 - First war patrol (under Cdr Spanidis). Adriatic, 216 hours (84 subm./132 surf.).

22 Dec. 1940 - 4 Jan. 1941 - Second war patrol (under Cdr The Argus, 6 January 1941 (Australian newspaper)Athanasios Spanidis). Adriatic, 312 hours (132 subm./180 surf.).

31 Dec. 1940 - Sinks the 531-ton Italian freighter Quinto (531 GRT) off Antivari

14 - 21 Feb. 1941 - Third war patrol (under Cdr Spanidis). Adriatic, 168 hours (60 subm./108 surf.).

24 Mar. - 1 Apr. 1941 - Fourth war patrol (under Cdr Spanidis). Adriatic, 216 hours (84 subm./132 surf.).

From Port Said to Port Sudan Apr. 1941 - After the German invasion, Katsonis escapes to the Middle East, operating with the British Pennant number N 16.

2 July 1942 - Damaged while exiting a dry dock at Port Said.

28 Mar. - 10 Apr. 1943 - Fifth war patrol (under Cdr Laskos). Aegean/Crete, 408 hours (170 subm./238 surf.).

After patrolling the North Aegean and later disembarking commandos in the Lakonia, Katsonis encounters three sail boats, which, contrary to orders, Laskos spares because they were carrying food to Piraeus during the famine.

The same day they encounter another sail boat, one of the crew of which offers information regarding the movements of an enemy patrol boat off Gytheio.

They take him on board and give him the nickname "Lafiro" (plunder).

2 Apr. 1943 - Katsonis approaches the port of Gytheio and sinks an Italian minelayer with torpedoes.

According to a British article, it was carrying depth charges and torpedoes, and 20 Italian officers and soldiers were killed on it.

5 Apr. 1943 - Sinks the Spanish/German 1,500-ton merchant steamship San Issidro (322 GRT) off Kythnos.

21 May - 4 June 1943 - Sixth war patrol (under Cdr Laskos). Aegean, 456 hours (186 subm./270 surf.).

Vasileios Laskos 29 May 1943 - Sinks the German freighter Rigel (552 GRT) near Skiathos.

2 June 1943 - Fires two torpedoes at the Italian cargo ship Versilia (591 GRT) off Karlovassi, but misses.

5 - 14 Sep. 1943 - Seventh war patrol (under Cdr Laskos). North Aegean, 212 hours (107 subm./105 surf.).

The mission is to patrol North Aegean and land commandos. The boat quickly shows its age, with main problem the failure of one engine.

Nevertheless, Laskos continues the war patrol.

8 Sep. 1943 - Katsonis receives the message for the Italian armistice.

11 Sep. 1943 - Lands the Greek commandos without incident.

12 Sep. 1943 - Intercepts two sail boats and Laskos finds out that a captured French ship, Simfra, is carrying German soldiers on leave.

13 - 14 Sep. 1943 - Charges its batteries and submerges to patrol the area between Pilio and Skiathos, looking for Simfra. Laskos spots a sail boat and decides to surface to try to get more information about Simfra.

While he is still talking probably to the boat's skipper, what looks like Simfra is spotted in the horizon.

Katsonis soon receives optical identification signals from the ship, but it isn't Simfra. It is the German subchaser UJ-2101.

Katsonis crash dives, but soon receives depth charges and is forced to resurface.

Laskos orders the crew to return fire with the cannon, and after the gunners are killed, he himself takes their place, but is soon killed too, and Katsonis sinks.

31 men of the crew, including the captain, as well as "Lafiro" went down with Katsonis:

V. LASKOS

S. MYKONIOS

S. TROUPAKIS
P. LAMPRINOUDIS

M. KAVALOUDIS

K. KSENOS

I. CHRYSOCHERIS

N. PANAGIOTIZAS

D. MARALETOS

L. STAMOS

P. MAGIATIS

V. RANTOS