Dampfer ROKOS

Begonnen von Dimitris Galon, 28 März 2014, 12:06:06

Vorheriges Thema - Nächstes Thema

0 Mitglieder und 1 Gast betrachten dieses Thema.

kgvm

In my opinion the pictures show the wreck at Suda.
While in German service she received later (1942?) a pair of additional AA-guns between the boats and the racks for the depthcharges (see Anhang 3 of Dimitris), but neither the guns nor the struts are visible in the pictures of the wreck!

Dido

To clarify, my personal opinion is that photo "UJ2104 Darvik am Strand.jpg" shows the ship beached at Suda and "Anhang-1" shows the ship half sunk at Astypalaia.  As Klaus mentioned the absence of the AA guns and their shields is indicative that it was taken during the time she spend beached at Suda. By coincidence, I just returned from a visit in Suda and the War Cemetary there.

Dear Klaus I am not sure if those shields are visible or not in photo Anhang-1. However I think that the backdrop in this photo does not match with Suda where from all angles there should be a much higher mountainside visible (like in the first photo). On the other hand, Glino is a short islet. It might be my imagination but I think I can see the same creek from Google maps. (attachment 1)

Dear Dimitris, as for the mast seen halfsunk, it could belong to a number of small vessels that also sunk around Maltesana. e.g. an Italian water carrier, a floating crane etc
Also, I suppose that the presence of the depth charge ramps shown at Anhang-3 does not necessarily mean that it is during her German days, as she was also used as a submarine chaser during her time in the RN.

Zitat von: Dimitris Galon am 27 Mai 2014, 12:35:35
Ich finde es sehr schön, dass du einen Artikel über dieses legendäre Schiff schreibst (auf griechisch oder auf Englisch?). Ich hoffe, dass dadurch endlich die offizielle Geschichte der griechischen Marine korrigiert wird, die den U-Jäger 2104 als von dem griech. Zerstörer VASILISSA OLGA (Queen Olga) versenkt hält.
The article will first be published in a Greek magazine and shortly afterwards in a European. I will keep all of you posted when it appears.
I feel that whatever mistakes have been corrected by K.Metallinos in the book "Vassilisa Olga, a destroyer in the swilre of war" (1996, Naval Museum of Greece) which I feel is the first choise when it comes to the story of VAS.OLGA.
Metallinos mentions that FAULKNOR and ECLIPSE commenced fire against PAULA and VAS.OLGA against PLUTO. "After two or three succesful salvoes against PAULA, FAULKNOR switched target and fired against the German patrolboat." He also mentions the report of the British commander (8th D.F. No.0097/393/20-9-1943) that "after she was hit and left sinking nobody actually saw her sink though her echo faded on the Radar. I am confident now after reports from ECLIPSE and QUEEN OLGA that the vessel sank about 00.50". Then Metallinos describes who the UJ escaped to Astypalaia and felt into Italian hands.
He concludes that her two single 20mm guns and the machine guns were removed by the Italians to strengthen their A.A.
As the book is in Greek, I upload page 74 from the book "War in the Aegean : The Campaign for the Eastern Mediterranean in World War II"
by Peter C. Smith & Edwin R. Walker (1974, 2008, Stackpole Books) that describes the naval battle off Astypalaia. (attachment 2)

Zitat von: Dimitris Galon am 27 Mai 2014, 12:35:35
Weißt ob tatsächlich die KOS XXIII in DARVIK umbenannt wurde? Sie wird als KOS XXIII überall in dem Kriegstagebuch der Royal Navy erwähnt und das bis zu ihrem Verlust. Außerdem in all den LRS-Eintragungen wird der Name DARVIK nirgendwo erwähnt. Weißt du wie dieser Name ins „Spiel“ kam?   
According to Gröner, Vol.8/1 the renaming of KOS XXIII to DARVIK occured when she became UJ.2104 in February 1942. That is UJ2104 was DARVIK, like ZG3 was HERMES etc

kind regards

Dimitris Galon

Zitat von: Zerstörerfahrer am 28 März 2014, 17:24:25
Kreta hat sich eine ganze Weile aus den gesunkenen Dampfern selbst versorgt. Möglich also, daß das Oberdeck der ROKOS noch über Wasser war und somit man Zugang zu den Ladeluken hatte.

Ja René so ist es wohl gewesen:


Dimitris Galon

Ergänzend dazu ein Bericht von Lieut-Commander John Reid R.N.V.R. über den Verlust der KOS 23 in der Bucht von Suda am 20.5.1941.

Gruß
DG


kgvm

Dido wrote:
"my personal opinion is that photo "UJ2104 Darvik am Strand.jpg" shows the ship beached at Suda and "Anhang-1" shows the ship half sunk at Astypalaia."
My opinion, too, and for confirmation look at the position of the mast in photo "Anhang-1", it's behind the bridge, while the original configuration (and the configuration in her first time with the Kriegsmarine) was in front of the bridge!!

Dimitris Galon

Hier ein Foto das die Kohlenübernahme von dem Wrack des Dampfers ROKOS (Argostoli 95) in der Suda Bucht im Jahr 1941 zeigt. Rechts die DALESMAN.

Gruß
DG

Dido

Zitat von: Dido am 26 Mai 2014, 23:21:39
Dear Dimitri the photo that you attached probably shows the ship when she was grounded at Suda Bay. At Astypalaia she half sunk with her deck awash. However the interesting about this unit is that her last part of her story has not been described yet. I am currently preparing a short article that will include her full story. I hope that it will be published in a couple of months and I will post the relevant part in UJ.2104's thread afterwards.
Following the publishing of the aforementioned article in Greek last October, I would like to inform you that the issue Nr 2/2015 (130) of the magazine Okrety Wojenne futures an article that describes the stories of the ex-whale catchers that raised the Greek flag, including UJ.2104.
Following the end of the war the wreck of UJ.2104 was raised and sold by the British authorities to Greek owners who rebuilt her as the motor cargo ship ASTYPALAIA. She was lost on 25 December 1962 by grounding at Lemnos island.

Dido

Zitat von: TD am 28 März 2014, 22:14:31
23.05.43
05.50 Uhr Schlepper Vulkan, Agios Georgios, Cafaldo mit Tankleichter Ares, F 124 und havarierter Dampfer Rokos, F 330 mit 46 ts Feldpost und Leergut, F 308 mit Kfz und GK 01 nach Piräus.

Τhe tankleichter ARES mentioned above deserves a little attention as she had an interesting story. She was built in 1912 by A.G. Vulcan in Stettin as the torpedo boat KERAVNOS (attached) for the Greek Navy. She and her sister NEA GENEA belonged to the German V1 class of torpedo boats. She was decommissioned in 1919 and laid up until auctioned in 1924. Her new owners reduced her to a barge and she was renamed ARES in 1933 and ALEXANDROS in 1960. She was last mentioned in 1984 when she changed hands for the last time. More information on the story of KERAVNOS and her sister, can be found on the current issue of "Marine-Nachrichtenblatt".


Dido

Zitat von: Dido am 23 Dezember 2017, 15:22:15
Zitat von: TD am 28 März 2014, 22:14:31
23.05.43
05.50 Uhr Schlepper Vulkan, Agios Georgios, Cafaldo mit Tankleichter Ares, F 124 und havarierter Dampfer Rokos, F 330 mit 46 ts Feldpost und Leergut, F 308 mit Kfz und GK 01 nach Piräus.

Τhe tankleichter ARES mentioned above deserves a little attention as she had an interesting story. She was built in 1912 by A.G. Vulcan in Stettin as the torpedo boat KERAVNOS (attached) for the Greek Navy. She and her sister NEA GENEA belonged to the German V1 class of torpedo boats. She was decommissioned in 1919 and laid up until auctioned in 1924. Her new owners reduced her to a barge and she was renamed ARES in 1933 and ALEXANDROS in 1960. She was last mentioned in 1984 when she changed hands for the last time. More information on the story of KERAVNOS and her sister, can be found on the current issue of "Marine-Nachrichtenblatt".
Some additional information on the story of KERAVNOS/ARES:
In April 1941 she was captured by the German forces at Volos. They abandoned her at Suda in 1945 where she was seized by the British forces and handed over to the Greek Navy that commissioned her as a oil depot in August 1945 and renamed her KARHARIAS (Shark). However her prewar owners claimed her and took her back in 1946.

Dido

We have mentioned in the past the status of ROKOS' wreck after 1941:
Zitat von: Dido am 23 Mai 2014, 19:45:47
As described in contemporary Italian salvage reports, the ship has suffered severe fracture on her hull and her salvage was expected to be a difficult operation.
Zitat von: TD am 28 März 2014, 22:14:31
23.05.43
05.50 Uhr Schlepper Vulkan, Agios Georgios, Cafaldo mit Tankleichter Ares, F 124 und havarierter Dampfer Rokos, F 330 mit 46 ts Feldpost und Leergut, F 308 mit Kfz und GK 01 nach Piräus.

13.10.43   Wrack ROKOS in Betreuung der MMR -  Geschäftsstelle Griechenland gemeldet.

.10.1944 ROKOS noch als Wrack in Piräus.
The ships' Chronik at https://www.historisches-marinearchiv.de/projekte/verluste_griechenland/ausgabe.php?lang=1&rubrik=%&where_value=471 mentions also that in "1949-1951 von der O.A.N. (griech. Abwrackungs-Komitee) abgewrackt."

About a decade ago, I interviewed the veteran diver Michalis Xiradakis who had worked in many salvage operations since WW2. He mentioned : "At Ambelakia [Salamina] was Vergotis' ROKOS. In 1951 we scrapped the one half on the spot and the other half was refloated." The work was probably contracted from O.A.N. (Wreck Salvage Organization).
Apparently the fractured hull had finally given in and the ship had foundered.

Ambelakia Bay has been used for many decades as a lay up site. After ww2, O.A.N. had brought some of the salvaged wrecks at Ambelakia (e.g. EVOICOS, CITTA DI SAVONA, TRAPANI) for temporary lay up pending their disposal. Attached is a screen shot showing some laid up hulks at Ambelakia from a 1951 Greek movie.

The one half of ROKOS that was refloated was either scrapped accross the channel at Perama or maybe she found a further use?

In January 1954, O.A.N. sold a wreck [name not specified] to S.Vretos & S.Stavridis that was converted into a floating fuel depot named CHELIDON. Her dimensions were recorded as 72 x 15 m. This length and width does not fit into any of the wrecks salvaged in Greece, also the length/width ratio is very small for a contemporary ship.
Looking into the wrecks that were salvaged in post-war Greece and not scrapped on the spot, the only ones with width close to 15 m that had not been reported as sold or scrapped were ROKOS (125.6 x 16.8 m) and EVOICOS (109.7 x 15.3 m). So theoretically, the refloated half of ROKOS could have been cut down and turned into the barge CHELIDON.

CHELIDON was divided in two pieces in 1971 and those became two barges named NEMO I (43 x 15 m) and NEMO II (26 x 15 m). In 1976, the first was renamed ATLAS and the second TITAN. TITAN was scrapped in 1998 at Skyros, while ATLAS is unaccounted for.

Impressum & Datenschutzerklärung