Keith
Unloading 1,5 tons of equipments out of our “everywhere” diving van, back in our Favignana base, signed the end of the 2019 campaign of the Battle of Convoys project, our tenth campaign based in Lampedusa island since the beginning of 2006.
The purpose of this project, run in collaboration with the Soprintendenza del Mare of Sicily, is mainly that of locating the wrecks of the Battle of Convoys and to document them in different forms. One of the main goals is to create and collect as much documental materials as possible with the aim to promote a multi-medial exhibition dedicated to the intense and dramatic events of WW2 Battle of Convoys in the Mediterranean, using the charme of the wrecks as a key to attract and rise interest in the public.
In the three weeks of this years campaign we were able to accomplish 4 multi-days excursions on board of an 11m fishing boat, spending 10 days in the high seas of the Central Mediterranean.
We could run 11 diving operations for 28 team-dives and 56 man-dives, visiting and documenting 10 different shipwrecks 2 of which had never been dived before, bringing the total number of wrecks located and documented in this area to 38. The wrecks we dived this year are the following:
SS Reichenfels, a giant laying on her left side, full of military supplies, in 34 meters of water, 60 miles from port;
SS Brarema, a massive oil tanker sitting upright in 55 meters, 36 miles off shore;
SS Leverkusen, a giant whos identity is still uncertain, full of military supplies, broken into two parts, in 56 meters, 85 miles off shore;
Submarine Le Narval, a War Grave of the Free French Navy, in 39 meters of water, 40 miles off shore;
SS Caffaro, a giant full of military supplies, laying on her keel in 65 meters, 90 miles off shore;
SS Almeria Lykes, a colossal, sunk during Operation Pedestal, full of military supplies, in 125 meters, 90 miles off shore;
A never dived before and still non identified massive freighter, sitting upright with its cargo holds full of phosphates or similar, in 93 meters, 100 miles from port;
SS Marin Sanudo, a giant laying on her left side, full of military supplies, in 75 meters, 21 miles off shore;
SS Egadi, a small spectacular ferry, laying upright in 75 meters, 22 miles off shore;
A never dived before and still non identified militarized vessel, small and beautiful, in 125 meters, 38 miles off shore.
Besides the fascinating details of their cargo and machineries, all these wrecks feature also an astonishing amount of marine life, making the dives on them even more enchanting, special and unique.
Personal congratulations go to each of the team members that took part to this years expedition: besides being excellent divers you also managed to cope with the harsh conditions of life at sea on board of a fishing vessel for multiple days and nights, maintaining good spirit and readiness to dive. To share this adventure with you has been a real pleasure, we surely look forward to the next, and know that for several of you this has been just the beginning : )
Chicco and myself on behalf of the entire team wish to thank a number of people, companies and organizations that contributed in different ways to the expedition:
SOPRINTENDENZA DEL MARE and Department of Sicilian Cultural Heritage - Agrigento, for the support to the project and for the office facility;
DAN, for accepting to consider an emergency evac plan from high seas and for the precious support;
SUEX for helping with the DPVs and allowing divers to fly in and find the right tool in place;
HALCYON mfg. for helping with the best equipments as always;
EASY DIVE for the special conditions on your top level camera housings and for the fantastic video illumination systems and solutions provided;
GUE for training such great divers;
PELAGOS diving center Lampedusa, my dear friends Simone and Rocco and all the happiness staff, for the assistance with the storage, with the filling process, for showing us the underwater beauties and the grey sharks of Lampione island and in general for your enthusiasm and support;
to Ignazio for the many coffees on board, and last but not least, to Antonio and Mario Brischetto for accepting once more to interrupt your fishing activities to bring us at sea. Mario, in particular for being the beautiful person you are.
Chicco and myself are already looking forward to next year, making plans and trying to squeeze out additional time from other activities. The season is just too short!
Team: Davide Dal Molin, Peter brandt, Brian Schreuders Josef Chroust Jin Hui Caterina De Seta Keith Kreitner Nelson Marciano Marcello Iacca Simone Castellini Claudio Provenzani Federico De Gado Piero Labò Chicco Spaggiarii Mario Arena Arena
VIDEOS: Mario Arena Keith Kreitner Federico De Gado
FILMCUT: Sebastian Zietz,Keith Kreitner ... See more