Petrella
SHIP PARTICULARS
FIRST NAME: "Pasteur"
TYPE: Cargo ship
YEAR: 1923
COUNTRY: France
FIRST OWNER: Compagnie Des Chargeurs Francais, Plisson & Cie., Paris, France
SUBSEQUENT NAMES / OWNERS:
June, 1928: "Aveyron"/Compagnie Generale d'Armements Maritimes, Paris, France
1939: "Aveyron"/Compagnie Generale Transatlantique, Paris, France
10.7.1941: "Capo Pino" /Compania Genovese di Navigazione a Vapore S.A., Italy
1943: "Petrella"/German Navy (Kriegsmarine)
BUILDER: Ateliers & Chantiers De la Gironde, Bordeaux, France
LOCATION OF YARD: Hafleur, France
YARD No: p1
DATE OF LAUNCH:
3/2/1923
DATE OF COMPLETION: July 1923
TONS: 4785 GRT
LENGTH: 114.9 m
BEAM: 15.0 m
HEIGHT: 7.5 m
SCREWS: 1
ENGINE: Triple expansion
SPEED: 11.5 knots
FATE
Sank after being orpedoed by the British submarine HMS Sportsman, commanded by Lt. R. Gatehouse (February 8, 1944).
DETAILS
On February 7,1944, more that 3000 Italian Military Internees boarded the old cargo ship Petrella, bound to the port of Pireaus. The Italians who had agreed to collaborate with the Germans had a better treatment on the ship. They had their own separate area (forward cargo hold), free access to the open deck and they were also allowed to supervise the embarkation of the Italian prisoners together with the German guards. The next day the Petrella departed from the Bay of Souda at 05:00, escorted by several patrol boats. At 06:30 the prisoners were instructed to remain calm as the escort ships were about to drop depth charges. Around 08:00-08:30, when the ship was about 15 miles from Souda, she was torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Sportsman. Two loud explosions shook the ship violently and the hull was deformed. The prisoners in the cargo holds tried to reach the open deck in panic but the German guards positioned near the hatches initially broke the fingers of the men who were trying to grab the hatch openings and then used grenades and machine guns in order to stop them. Soon the escort ships arrived alongside the Petrella in order to rescue the German soldiers. It was then when the surviving Italian prisoners managed to reach the open deck and jump into the sea. According to two Italian reports, the Germans from the escort ships continued firing to those who were in the water. Around 11:00 the boilers of the Petrella exploded and the ship broke in two pieces which remained afloat for a while. The German escort ships left in order to avoid the suction created by the sinking. In the following hours Greek vessels arrived at the scene and picked up the few Italians who were still alive. The survivors
were sent to prison camps near the city of Chania. During the following days most of them were transferred to Pireaus by air.
LOSS OF LIFE
a)The book written by Gehrard Schreiber gives 2646 dead prisoners (out of 3173).
Victims: 2646 (internees) + Survivors: 527 (internees) = Total: 3173 (internees)
b)George Duncan's websiteconfirms that 3173 internees were on the Petrella but gives 2670 dead.
Victims: 2670 (internees) + Survivors: 503 (internees) = Total: 3173 (internees)
c)Report by Sergeant Nicola Dell'Olio (19-1-1947): aprox. 6500 Italians were on the ship and aprox. 1500 managed to reach the open deck and the water before being attacked again by the German guards. No information regarding the number of survivors.
[The report also lists some survivors who could verify its content. The names are: Attilio Borelli, (from Vibo Valentia-Catanzaro), Sergio Porcelli (from Bisceglie-Bari), Leonardo Capurso (from Bisceglie-Bari), Antonio Sabino (from Sorsu-Sassari)]
Total: aprox.6500 (internees)
d)Report by General Francesco Imbriani: aprox. 6500 Italians were on the ship.
[The report also lists some survivors who could verify its content. The names are: Attilio Borelli, (from Vibo Valentia-Catanzaro), Sergio Porcelli (from Bisceglie-Bari), Leonardo Capurso (from Bisceglie-Bari), Antonio Sabino (from Sorsu-Sassari), Nicola Dell'Olio (from Bisceglie-Bari), Franco Viscardi (from Polla-Salerno), Rocco Fabio (from Rome), Luigi Moraldi (from Carpasio-Imperia), Nelo Ceci (a priest from the convent of La Vergine at Fucecchio)]
Total: aprox.6500 (internees)
Webmaster's note: It's evident that the figures of the two Italian reports are much higher when compared to the two other sources. In addition, it must be noted that in both of them the groups of survivors who could confirm the story have many names in common. As a result, we could safely consider both documents as a single source. The Italian reports present rounded numbers (which indicates a rough estimate) and they don't give any numbers for the survivors. In this case, we also have the rarity of two sources actually giving the same number of people on the ship.
LOCATION OF WRECK
The wreck of the PETRELLA is located at 35°32'N, 24°18'E, near the Bay of Souda, Crete.
FIRST NAME: "Pasteur"
TYPE: Cargo ship
YEAR: 1923
COUNTRY: France
FIRST OWNER: Compagnie Des Chargeurs Francais, Plisson & Cie., Paris, France
SUBSEQUENT NAMES / OWNERS:
June, 1928: "Aveyron"/Compagnie Generale d'Armements Maritimes, Paris, France
1939: "Aveyron"/Compagnie Generale Transatlantique, Paris, France
10.7.1941: "Capo Pino" /Compania Genovese di Navigazione a Vapore S.A., Italy
1943: "Petrella"/German Navy (Kriegsmarine)
BUILDER: Ateliers & Chantiers De la Gironde, Bordeaux, France
LOCATION OF YARD: Hafleur, France
YARD No: p1
DATE OF LAUNCH:
3/2/1923
DATE OF COMPLETION: July 1923
TONS: 4785 GRT
LENGTH: 114.9 m
BEAM: 15.0 m
HEIGHT: 7.5 m
SCREWS: 1
ENGINE: Triple expansion
SPEED: 11.5 knots
FATE
Sank after being orpedoed by the British submarine HMS Sportsman, commanded by Lt. R. Gatehouse (February 8, 1944).
DETAILS
On February 7,1944, more that 3000 Italian Military Internees boarded the old cargo ship Petrella, bound to the port of Pireaus. The Italians who had agreed to collaborate with the Germans had a better treatment on the ship. They had their own separate area (forward cargo hold), free access to the open deck and they were also allowed to supervise the embarkation of the Italian prisoners together with the German guards. The next day the Petrella departed from the Bay of Souda at 05:00, escorted by several patrol boats. At 06:30 the prisoners were instructed to remain calm as the escort ships were about to drop depth charges. Around 08:00-08:30, when the ship was about 15 miles from Souda, she was torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Sportsman. Two loud explosions shook the ship violently and the hull was deformed. The prisoners in the cargo holds tried to reach the open deck in panic but the German guards positioned near the hatches initially broke the fingers of the men who were trying to grab the hatch openings and then used grenades and machine guns in order to stop them. Soon the escort ships arrived alongside the Petrella in order to rescue the German soldiers. It was then when the surviving Italian prisoners managed to reach the open deck and jump into the sea. According to two Italian reports, the Germans from the escort ships continued firing to those who were in the water. Around 11:00 the boilers of the Petrella exploded and the ship broke in two pieces which remained afloat for a while. The German escort ships left in order to avoid the suction created by the sinking. In the following hours Greek vessels arrived at the scene and picked up the few Italians who were still alive. The survivors
were sent to prison camps near the city of Chania. During the following days most of them were transferred to Pireaus by air.
LOSS OF LIFE
a)The book written by Gehrard Schreiber gives 2646 dead prisoners (out of 3173).
Victims: 2646 (internees) + Survivors: 527 (internees) = Total: 3173 (internees)
b)George Duncan's websiteconfirms that 3173 internees were on the Petrella but gives 2670 dead.
Victims: 2670 (internees) + Survivors: 503 (internees) = Total: 3173 (internees)
c)Report by Sergeant Nicola Dell'Olio (19-1-1947): aprox. 6500 Italians were on the ship and aprox. 1500 managed to reach the open deck and the water before being attacked again by the German guards. No information regarding the number of survivors.
[The report also lists some survivors who could verify its content. The names are: Attilio Borelli, (from Vibo Valentia-Catanzaro), Sergio Porcelli (from Bisceglie-Bari), Leonardo Capurso (from Bisceglie-Bari), Antonio Sabino (from Sorsu-Sassari)]
Total: aprox.6500 (internees)
d)Report by General Francesco Imbriani: aprox. 6500 Italians were on the ship.
[The report also lists some survivors who could verify its content. The names are: Attilio Borelli, (from Vibo Valentia-Catanzaro), Sergio Porcelli (from Bisceglie-Bari), Leonardo Capurso (from Bisceglie-Bari), Antonio Sabino (from Sorsu-Sassari), Nicola Dell'Olio (from Bisceglie-Bari), Franco Viscardi (from Polla-Salerno), Rocco Fabio (from Rome), Luigi Moraldi (from Carpasio-Imperia), Nelo Ceci (a priest from the convent of La Vergine at Fucecchio)]
Total: aprox.6500 (internees)
Webmaster's note: It's evident that the figures of the two Italian reports are much higher when compared to the two other sources. In addition, it must be noted that in both of them the groups of survivors who could confirm the story have many names in common. As a result, we could safely consider both documents as a single source. The Italian reports present rounded numbers (which indicates a rough estimate) and they don't give any numbers for the survivors. In this case, we also have the rarity of two sources actually giving the same number of people on the ship.
LOCATION OF WRECK
The wreck of the PETRELLA is located at 35°32'N, 24°18'E, near the Bay of Souda, Crete.
SOURCES
www.miramarshipindex.org.nz - Online ship index
I MILITARI ITALIANI INTERNATI NEI CAMPI DI CONCENTRAMENTO DEL TERZO REICH 1943-1945: TRADITI, DISPREZZATI, DIMENTICATI - Gehrard Schreiber [Uff.Storico SME, Roma, 1992]
Personal archive of Kostas Thoctarides. [Reports by Sergeant Nicola Dell'Olio and General Francesco Imbriani]
HISTORICAL FACTS OF WWII - Website by George Duncan.
www.uboat.net - U-Boat index
www.frenchlines.com - French lines
www.miramarshipindex.org.nz - Online ship index
I MILITARI ITALIANI INTERNATI NEI CAMPI DI CONCENTRAMENTO DEL TERZO REICH 1943-1945: TRADITI, DISPREZZATI, DIMENTICATI - Gehrard Schreiber [Uff.Storico SME, Roma, 1992]
Personal archive of Kostas Thoctarides. [Reports by Sergeant Nicola Dell'Olio and General Francesco Imbriani]
HISTORICAL FACTS OF WWII - Website by George Duncan.
www.uboat.net - U-Boat index
www.frenchlines.com - French lines