DIVING FROM CAGLIARI
ISONZO
The History
The ship ISONZO was part of a convoy (together with Loredan and ’Entella) sailing from Cagliari to La Maddalena. On the 10th April 1943. When the convoy was approximately 12 miles from Capo S.Elia it was attacked by a British submarines, the Safari, commanded Captain B. Bryant. The submarine fire four torpidoes, two of which sunk the Loredan, while the other two hit the ISONZO: one at the stern and one under the waterline on its flank. This ripped off the bow and the ship rolled and sank in just 15 minutes.
Wreck information
Type of ship: Tanker
Date of construction:18--
Identification number:
Date of sinking:10 April 1943
Cause of sinking: torpedo attack
size: approximately. 100m
Tonnage:3,336
Position: in front of ‘Torre del Finocchio
Dive Information:
Position: The ship is on her right side, pointing out to sea on a east/west axis.
Seabed: sandy
Depth: 57 metres
Difficulty: high
Current: dependant on the weather conditions.
Visibility: excellent in the summer, variable in the winter and spring.
Maximum summer temperature:18°C
Minimum winter temperature: 13 °C
Of particular interest
The cannon on the stern, 13.2mm machineguns, large wind sock and the original anchor chain.
Flora and Fauna:
groupers and dentex.
Description:
We begin our dive by carefully following the guide rope that leads us directly onto the ship, checking the Emergency tank that will remain at a depth of 6 metres in case we need a decompression stop later.
As we descend, we often come across large shoals of dentex. We reach the wreck and pass the bridge, which we will visit at the end of the dive. In front of the bridge there is a long forward deck that seems never to end. Almost immediately we come across the hatchway which we can look into, but not enter, given the poor condition of the sheet metal. We continue past other entances into the cargo hold. On the deck to our left we can see two machineguns, with boxes of ammuntion. Two winches still have the chains wound around them. On the bow two cannons sit, pointing toward the surface. We are now at 58 metres, the deepest part of our dive and climb slightly as we approach the bridge and the guide rope that will lead us back to the boat after a well-earned decompression stop.
Arrivederci Isonzo.
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