WWI shipwreck Arcadian discovered off Sifnos

·

The British ocean liner Arcadian, torpedoed by a German U-boat and sunk during World War I, has been discovered by researcher Kostas Thoktaridis and his team, ekathimerini.com has reported.

The wreck was found southeast of the Cycladic island of Sifnos at a depth of 163 meters. The Arcadian, which went down taking 279 men with it, was en route from Thessaloniki to Alexandria, Egypt, with 1,155 military personnel on board. The presence of an enemy submarine near Ikaria necessitated a detour through the Cyclades to avoid detection.

Kostas Thoctarides diving with his daughter Agapi-Oceanis. Photo: Supplied.

On April 15, 1917, the Arcadian was traveling at 13.5 knots, accompanied by the escort ship HMS Sentinel. The convoy was situated between Sifnos, Antiparos, Sikinos, and Folegandros when a torpedo fired by the German submarine UC-74 struck the Arcadian at 5:44 p.m., causing a devastating explosion.

“The quality of the primary metals used in the Arcadian’s construction has significantly contributed to the preservation of the wreck,” Thoktaridis told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA). “It seems that the bow of the Arcadian initially settled on the Aegean seabed, resulting in visible deformations of the plates. Given the ship’s length (152.4 meters) and the relatively shallow depth of the sea (163 meters), the bow’s impact helped to stabilize the hull on the seafloor,” he added.

Source: ekathimerini.com

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Greek film festival turns 30 with a Stellar Line-Up of Award-Winning films

The Greek Film Festival is celebrating a major anniversary this year - 30 years of bringing Greek stories to Australian screens.

Summer School for Greek Language teachers in Australia

For the first time in Australia, a specialized online summer school will be held for teachers of the Greek language in the diaspora.

Children’s week at the Greek Community of Melbourne

As part of Children’s Week the Greek Community of Melbourne Schools are taking part in the celebrations organised by the Victorian Government

Get Online Week at the Greek Community of Melbourne

As part of Get Online Week 2025, the Greek Community of Melbourne and Victoria will proudly join Good Things Foundation’s national campaign.

St Benedict School in Mt Torrens rejects screens, embraces ancient Greek philosophy

Established in early 2024 by members of the Catholic Church of the Holy Name, St Benedict has grown to around 50 students.

You May Also Like

Three Greek dishes voted as most difficult to pronounce

In a new study conducted by financial provider Remitly, three Greek dishes have been named as some of the most difficult to pronounce.

Experts arrive in Melbourne ahead of Hellenic Medical Diaspora World Congress

Medical experts of Greek heritage will arrive in Melbourne, Victoria this year for the Hellenic Diaspora World Congress from November 17.

The unpredictable oriental neighbour of Hellenism

Turkey has shown itself to be a controversial, unpredictable, and often unreliable ally, partner and friend of Greece.