Five New Shipwrecks Discovered in the Waters of Leros

Leros is one of the most important destinations internationally for the exploration of war wrecks, with its seabed preserving a unique imprint of the conflicts of the Second World War. Immaculately preserved aircraft, landing craft, parts of the historic destroyer "Queen Olga", but also extensive concentrations of military equipment make up an underwater landscape of exceptional historical importance, which still reveals aspects of the past.

Text: M. Giurgas Historical research: G. Karelas Photos: V. Spyropoulos – M. Giurgas

On October 9, the AegeanTec team returned to Leros, continuing their research work on the island always with the contribution of Hydrovius Dive Centre. The objective of the mission was to dive at sites identified during surveys last August in order to verify the identity of the targets and assess their historical significance, as well as their interest in technical diving and underwater exploration.

The expedition led to the discovery of five new wrecks, which add new elements to the already rich underwater historical record of Leros. The findings are linked to different periods of the island's history, from the dramatic events of World War II to the post-war era, highlighting the timeless importance of marine research for the documentation and understanding of historical heritage.

The discovery of new wrecks is not just an exploratory success. Each new find can provide valuable information about the ships, businesses and events that marked the area. At the same time, their systematic recording and documentation creates the conditions for highlighting this underwater wealth, strengthening historical research and the prospects for the development of specialized diving tourism in Leros.

AegeanTec's effort is carried out with the support of The Municipality of Leros and local bodies, with the common goal of further investigating, documenting and highlighting the island's shipwrecks. The new discoveries confirm that the bottom of Leros still hides important historical evidence and that its systematic exploration can bring to light even more pieces of a history that remains alive under the surface of the sea.

The Wreck of the SS Versilia: An Italian World War II Cargo Ship in the Waters of Leros In the area of the Leipses channel, approximately three nautical miles north of the coast of Leros, a cargo ship was found standing upright on the seabed, at a depth of 92 metres. The image of the wreck reveals a vessel with significant damage to the bow, part of which is missing, but with the rest of the hull in relatively good condition. Despite the passage of decades, several elements of its original construction can still be seen. The chimney is broken on the roof of the superstructure, while the battens are still visible, as well as parts of the bridge and deck equipment. The propeller is partially submerged in the bottom, while the large rudder rises impressively above it. The rudder has a small amount of fishing gear caught on it.

The ship faces south and its estimated dimensions are 47–50 metres long, about seven metres wide and 3.5–4 metres draft. Remains of cargo can be seen in its holds, without the precise determination of its nature and quantity yet being possible.

Of particular interest is a heavy equipment transport system, with a trolley, which was located in the forward hold. Its presence may be linked to the transport of materials to the underground galleries of Leros, many of which were configured and used as storage areas for armaments, ammunition and other war material. If this assessment is confirmed, the find could provide additional evidence for the transport and storage of military material on the island during the war period.

The historical research for the identification of the wreck

The underwater recording was the first step of a wider research process. The team proceeded with a historical cross-check of the available evidence, examining recorded ship losses in the wider area and comparing the historical data with the characteristics of the find.

Research has shown that the ship most closely matching the wreck is the Italian freighter SS Versilia, which was listed as lost on 2 September 1943 after being torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Torbay while en route to Leros. Historical reports place its sinking in the wider area southeast of Patmos. Matching the available evidence makes the Versilia the strongest candidate for the identification of the wreck, without ruling out the need for further documentation.

According to a historical publication in Karys magazine, the ship had changed names several times during its history: LINA, HANSA or HANSA II, LUCIANA, AMSICORA, MARIA ADELAIDE and finally VERSILIA. The ship was built in 1880 and is associated in the relevant reports with the company A. H. Schwedersky Nachf. In June 1940 she was reportedly given the name VERSILIA, when she passed into the ownership of Romano Raffaele Domenico, based in Naples. On July 1, 1940, it was placed at the disposal of the Italian Ministry of War, joining the war context of the period.

The last mission and the torpedoing

Available historical accounts describe Versilia's last mission in remarkable detail. The ship was sailing from Piraeus to Leros, via Syros, together with the cargo ships SILVA and POLA. The convoy was escorted by the German anti-submarine UJ 2110. The British submarine HMS Torbay spotted the convoy before sunrise. According to the submarine's logbook, at 06:56 four torpedoes were fired against the Versilia and one more against another ship. Versilia was credited with two hits, which led to her rapid sinking. The relevant entry in the Marinearchiv mentions an explosion and immediate loss of the ship. The speed with which the freighter was lost severely limited the crew's escape options. According to available reports, seven crew members were rescued, while ten lost their lives.

The Greek connection to the Katsonis submarine

The story of Versilia is also linked to another Greek war report. In June 1943, a few months before its final loss, the Greek submarine Katsonis had unsuccessfully attempted to sink it in the area of Karlovasi. This element adds another dimension to the historical route of the ship, connecting its presence in the Aegean with the operations of the Greek Navy during the Occupation.

The investigation around the wreck is therefore not limited to the identification of a ship on the bottom. It is an attempt to restore its historical route and connect an underwater find with specific events of the Second World War. The further cross-referencing of the historical sources and physical characteristics of the wreck will be decisive for its definitive identification and for a more complete understanding of its final mission.

A time capsule with World War II war material at a depth of 122m at the bottom of Leros Since 2003, when the group took part in its first exploratory missions to Leros, there have been reports of munitions being dumped at sea, following post-war orders from British forces. According to the testimonies that had come to our knowledge, the aim was to remove from the island the armament that was left after the war, so that it would not fall into the hands of forces or groups that could use it in a way contrary to the British plans for the Aegean region.

After the end of the military operations, the Greek authorities and the armed forces found themselves confronted with large quantities of war material, scattered in the Italian fortifications, in the underground arcades and in other facilities of Leros. Some of this material was outdated, worn, or potentially dangerous, necessitating its removal. The oral accounts we gathered describe the dumping of significant quantities in deep sea locations around the island, as well as the destruction or abandonment of vehicles, guns and components in coastal areas, where there was no financial incentive to recover them as scrap metal.

For more than two decades, these reports have been one of the research questions we wanted to explore. Despite previous efforts, we had not been able to identify a finding that was linked with sufficient clarity to the specific rejections.

The dive that revealed the find

In August 2026, Marinos Giurgas, founder of AegeanTec, after a survey identified a target in the area of Katsounio, off the entrance of the Gulf of Lakki. On October 12, 2026, he and Vassilis Spyropoulos dived with the support of Costas Kouvas of the Hydrovius Diving Centre to the site to determine if it was one of the finds the team had been looking for for years.

The image revealed on the seabed was impressive. A barge about 25 metres long was located at a depth of 122 metres, loaded with materials and equipment reminiscent of the Second World War era. The find was like a real "time capsule", preserving at the bottom a set of objects connected to a specific, little-known aspect of the post-war history of Leros. Scattered around the vessel are objects which may have been detached from the deck during the sinking. Portions of the hull have been corroded or destroyed, while the heavy load is still held by the metal girders of the structure. Despite the wear and tear, the ship's metal frame still retains the arrangement of the cargo, giving the impression that the vessel still protects the materials it carried. The bow faces north-west, and forward of the deck stands out a large winch, which remains in place, as if still awaiting the command to perform a maneuver. This image gives the find a special immediacy: it is not just a sunken vessel, but a set of materials and construction elements that retain visible traces of its last mission.

The great depth and seabed conditions have contributed to the preservation of significant parts of the structure and cargo, without preventing corrosion, wear and tear from time and the presence of fishing gear caught in the wreck. The condition of the hull and the arrangement of the objects are important elements in studying how the vessel ended up on the bottom.

A testimony that completes the picture

The undersea discovery took on even greater historical significance when the search led us to the family of an eyewitness to the sinking. Through conversation with his son, we recorded the description that his father had conveyed of the events of that day. According to the testimony, British forces gave orders to load such ships with war material and sink them off Leros. In other cases, the boats were blown up and allowed to sink. This particular barge, according to the same account, did not sink in the predicted time, due to a misjudgment in the placement or activation of the explosives. Adverse weather conditions contributed to her drifting, as a result of which she ended up at the bottom a short distance from the originally planned sinking point.

This testimony provides an important element for the interpretation of the find, as it connects the presence of the barge on the seabed with the reports of the post-war disposal of war material in the area. Definitive confirmation of all individual details, however, requires further cross-checking with archival sources and historical evidence.

Another piece in the history of Leros

The discovery of the barge adds a new chapter to the Leros wreck research. The island, known for the decisive role it played in the hostilities of the Second World War, continues to reveal unknown aspects of its history, not only through the warships and aircraft found on the seabed, but also through the remains of the post-war events. This particular find stands out because it is not just another shipwreck. The barge and its cargo offer an opportunity to study a lesser-known aspect of the region's history: the management and disposal of war material after operations ended.

For AegeanTec, the discovery is the starting point of a new research effort. Systematically documenting the wreck, documenting the artifacts preserved on and around the deck, and cross-checking the findings with oral testimony and historical records can contribute to reconstructing a history that has remained largely unknown to this day.

At the bottom of Katsouni, the barge still retains traces of its last mission. And with them, a part of the history of Leros that is just now beginning to be revealed.

Kriegsmarine aircraft parts

In the area of the Leros channel in the southern passage between Leros and Kalymnos, a plane was spotted at a depth of 80m. The aircraft is in very poor condition as only parts of the fuselage, float sections and the engine are saved. From the information we have at our disposal, we estimate that this is an Arado AR 196 single-engine seaplane used by the Kriegsmarine as a reconnaissance aircraft during WWII. At the moment we do not know exactly which plane Arado AR 196 is, but our historical research continues to reveal its identity and the history of the specific aircraft as well as the fate of its crew.

A piece of floating material caught in fishing nets

At a distance of approximately three nautical miles northeast of the northern coasts of Leros, within the sea channel of the area and at a depth of 78 metres, a find was identified that appears to be a part of a floating vessel, probably of an auxiliary or transport nature. The image of the find, however, remains largely unclear, as it is extensively covered by fishing gear, which appears to have dragged it and trapped it in its current location.

The dense presence of nets and other fishing equipment significantly complicates the examination of the structure and its individual characteristics, limiting the possibilities of secure identification. At the same time, the possibility that the object has been moved from its original position further complicates the historical investigation, as an important element about the origin and the conditions under which it ended up on the seabed may have been lost.

At present, there is insufficient evidence to allow it to be securely dated or identified. This case highlights, however, one of the most important problems faced by deep-sea research: the effect of abandoned or lost fishing gear, which not only entraps and burdens underwater finds, but can also make the study of their history significantly more difficult. With the information we have so far and from the examination of historical records of ship losses in the area, we suspect that this find is part of a Siebelfähre of the German Navy which was attacked by a squadron of English Beaufighter type aircraft.

A ship with indications of connection with the Battle of Leros

Off the eastern coast of Leros, at a depth of 92 metres, a wreck has been located and examined that exhibits features that may link it to the war events of the Battle of Leros, November 1943. The ship has an estimated length of approximately 30 metres and retains elements of its construction that offer interesting clues to its function and possible role.

The image of the wreck reveals a structure that has suffered significant wear and tear from time and the marine environment. In several places, fishing gear covers parts of the boat, while the long-term action of marine organisms makes it difficult to identify individual parts and objects. Despite these difficulties, the presence of materials that seem to be related to military use makes the find particularly interesting for further research.

The ship's longitudinal axis is oriented from northeast to southwest. In parts of the deck the corrosion has progressed to such an extent that the beams of the supporting structure have been exposed. Their dense arrangement and reinforced form are elements that deserve special attention, as they may refer to a vessel designed to carry heavy loads or to support equipment of considerable weight.

The specific construction features, combined with the findings observed during the dive, create a set of clues that could contribute to the identification of the type and mission of the ship. However, its exact identity, use and sinking conditions have yet to be ascertained.

Leros was one of the most important battlefields in the Aegean during World War II. The Battle of Leros, in November 1943, left behind an extensive underwater footprint, with ships, aircraft and other war vehicles still being investigated today. The systematic recording and study of new shipwrecks can add valuable information to the understanding of the businesses of that period.

This particular wreck is, therefore, another research target of particular interest. Further documenting it and cross-referencing the underwater sightings with historical sources and archival material will be crucial to determine if it is indeed connected to the events of 1943 and illuminate its history.