Warsailors Forums

Google books "World War II Sea War, Vol 10" we read:
21 Spetember 1943: Α mine sunk the Italian steamer PESCARA (1048GRT) at Torre del Greco, Italy.

There is no other reference of this ship in the web. Does anyone have something more about PESCARA maybe?

Thank you!
George

Hi George,

According to my sources the ship was scuttled by Germans not mined and was refloated and commissioned after the war. Built in 1898.

Regards

That's why I don`t use to trust the listed information! Do you have any ex-name maybe to look for a photo?

Thanks for the info!!!

Hi Georgios,

I happened to have seen her file at the USMM so this is a bit lucky as I have taken some notes and also some info of the Lloyd Registry.
Pescara (1048 GRT) was ex-Stanisas, ex-Ucayali and ex-Paris. Built in 1898 by Wood, Skinner & Co., Newcastle. Length: 75.07 m, Width: 9.8 m, speed 8 knots. Armed with a 120mm/40 gun and a single 13.2mm MG (on the port side of the bridge). At the start of the war was employed in the transport of bauxite in the Adriatic before being armed in Venice. She is then employed in various duties, plying the waters between Venice, Rovigno, Trieste, Pola, Ancona and other Adriatic ports with occasional dashes to Taranto or Syracuse. She finally sails from Venice on 8 May 1943 to reach Naples on 11 June (having ran aground on the way near Crotone on 31 May). She is examined there by Capitano di Vascello G. Marobotto who reports her armament as one 76/40 (I do not know if it was downgraded or if this is an error) and one MG. She is used for island traffic and the file mentions that she was lost at Torre Del Greco (Naples area) without further details. Navi Mercantile Perdute mentions her as mined but perhaps Jordi is right.
I am sure my friend Francesco De Domenico can enlighten us with more details?

Best regards,

Platon

Hello,

Schmelzkopf, Fremde Schiffe in deutscher Hand 1939-1945, gives:

[...]
-00.09.1943 in deutsche Hand gefallen
-21.09.1943 in Torre del Greco als Blockschiff selbst versenkt.
[...]

Refloated and commissioned after the war, BU 1960.

Regards

Darius

Gentlemen, according to your descriptions we have found out that this was the ship that RHN KATSONIS met on 29th December 1941 in the Gulf of Drin in the Adriatic. The attack had been advancing well, untill minutes before firing when the target zigged towards the submarine and there was no time for a reset. The fact that the ship carried a gun (as KATSONIS reported) narrows down the candidates to PISCARA only.

I thought that at that early stage of the war, only the italian auxiliary cruisers were armed with guns. However the PISCARA was not such a ship. That is strange.

This forum is able to take an x-ray for any ship

Thank you

A cargo ship built by Wood, Skinner & Co. at Bill Quay, Newcastle, launched 23.12.1897 and delivered 13. 2.1898 as PARIS to the London & Paris SS Co. Ltd. of Swansea, 1,052 grt, same year UCAYALI for the Red Cross Iquitos SS Co. Ltd., Liverpool, 1905 to the Iquitos SS Co, Ltd., Liverpool, 1913 STANISLAS for the Booth SS Co. of Liverpool, in 1914 to L. Walford & Co. (London) Ltd., Liverpool, 1915-16 to Geo. Gibson & Co. Ltd., Leith. 1.1933 PESCARA for Giuseppe Riccardi at Naples, 1,048 grt, 626 nrt, triple expansion engine, one screw, 1,013 ihp. In 1937 to the S.A. di Navigaz. e Trasporti (SANET) of Rome, 21 September 1943 sabotaged by the Germans during their withdrawal from Torre del Greco (the Allies from Salerno had by then reached nearby Nocera Inferiore and Cava dei Tirreni). Post-war in 1950 returned as PESCARA to the SpA di Navigaz. e Trasporti, registered at Pescara, 1,052 grt, 640 nrt. Broken up in 4. 1960.