Nicholas Peppas
30-04-2009, 07:21
Ardena was a passenger ship in the Greek ships that will remain known as for her sinking! In fact, the sinking of the Ardena presented the most casualties of any other Greek passenger ship in our history (although Greek historians present Heimara as such). The truth is that Ardena had more dead (720 Italian prisoners plus 59 German soldiers) but none of them was Greek, as was the case with the Heimara.
Ardena was built in 1915 as the mine sweeper HMS Peony and belonged to the so-called Flower class. She was built by Dumbarton for the Royal navy and launched on August 25, 1915. She had a length of 80 m. width of 10.1 m and tonnage of 1,258 tons. Her service speed was 16.5 knots. Here is her Miramar entry
Single Ship Report for "6104893"
IDNo: 6104893 Year: 1915
Name: PEONY Launch Date: 25.8.15
Type: Patrol frigate Date of completion:
Flag: GBR Keel:
Tons: 1210 Link: 1258
DWT: Yard No: 462
Length overall: 80.0 Ship Design:
LPP: 76.2 Country of build: GBR
Beam: 10.1 Builder: McMillan
Material of build: Location of yard: Dumbarton
Number of
screws/Mchy/
Speed(kn): 1T-16.5
Owner as Completed: Royal Navy
Naval or paramilitary marking : N
A: *
End: 1943
Subsequent History: [1919 cv to passenger ship, 1095gt] - 19 ARDENA
Disposal Data: mined off Argostoli 27.9.43
See also http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=12411
The site http://www.reach.net/~sc001198/ShipsA2.htm (http://www.reach.net/%7Esc001198/ShipsA2.htm) gives further technical data as follows
ARDENA - 1941, ex. PEONY
Code letters: SZHW Official Number: 916
Rigging: steel single screw passenger liner; 2 decks; Upper Deck sheathed in wood; 12 cemented bulkheads; cellular double bottom under boilers 21 tons; Deep Tank forward; 22 tons; Forward Peak Tank 11 tons; Aft Peak Tank 17 tons
Tonnage: 1,092 tons gross, 794 under deck and 433 net
Dimensions: 250.1 feet long, 33.1 foot beam and holds 17.3 feet deep; Forecastle 63 feet
Construction: 1915, A. McMillan & Son Ltd. in Dumbarton
Propulsion: triple expansion engine with 3 cylinders of 21 1/2, 35 & 58 inches diameter respectively; stroke 27 inches; 350 nominal horsepower; engine by D. Rowan & Co. Ltd. in Glasgow
Owners: Nav. Const. Toyias (E.K. Toyias, manager)
Port of registry: Piræus
In August 1919 she was purchased from the Admiralty and renamed Ardena. She was modified by London & Southern Railways at which time she became 1,095 tons. She was used for the Southampton-Cherbourg/Caen service. The Southern inherited a number of ships from its constituent companies, some of which were converted to car ferries when this mode of transport became more common. Such conversions were needed on the French routes, where holidays by car were beginning to become popular. Services to the Channel Islands began in 1924, along with services to Brittany in 1933 and finally Normandy commencing just prior to requisition by the Navy in 1941. The company ships were SS Alberta, SS Ardena, SS Brittany, SS Caesarea, SS Cherbourg, SS Hantonia, SS Laura, SS Lorina, SS Normannia, SS Princess Ena, SS Vera. See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Railway_(Great_Britain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Railway_%28Great_Britain)). She is mentioned also in http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/feederswest.html A nice description of her service in Southern can be found below.
37177
She is shown here during her UK-French service before 1930.
37178
In 1934 she was sold to Togias Line and placed in the Chios-Mytilene as well as the Cyclades routes. From this period we have two photographs and one advertisement.
37179
37180
37181
Among other adventures, she collided with the Greek destroyer Leon
Leon was refurbished from 1925–1927. She also participated in the Second World War, On April 18, 1941, during a convoy escort, she collided with passenger ship Ardena followed by the explosion of two depth charges. As a result, her stern section was cut off and two officers were killed.
Regrettably, her end was dramatic and caused the death of more than 750 people. While carrying more than 700 Italian prisoners from Cefallonia under the direction of a German group, she struck a mine outsied of Argostoli and sunk with major human loss.
Numerous Italian sites discuss this major loss.
http://www.funzioniobiettivo.it/Laboratori/Cefalonia/CAP21.htm
http://www.betasom.it/forum/lofiversion/index.php?t21585.html
http://www.divenuta.it/cefalonia.htm
http://images.google.it/imgres?imgurl=http://smart.tin.it/laverita/LA%2520TRAGEDIA%2520DI%2520CEFALONIA%2520-%2520COP..JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.cefalonia.it/Il_numero_dei_Caduti_a_Cefalonia.html&usg=__FPo5784837TiZOwnNq1ZR2hycz8=&h=1650&w=1269&sz=276&hl=it&start=21&um=1&tbnid=C5j60DEYG4ra2M:&tbnh=150&tbnw=115&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dardena%2Bargostoli%26hl%3Dit%26lr%3Dl ang_it%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1
http://web.tiscalinet.it/bottecilindro/ideelinks/italiani/Pirani_15_09_1999.htm
http://www.storiaememoria.it/wordpress/?cat=1&paged=2
http://www.storialibera.it/epoca_contemporanea/II_guerra_mondiale/cefalonia/articolo.php?id=667
http://pub10.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=795583276&frmid=18&msgid=1150770
http://www.isral.it/web/web/didattica/ud_cefalonia_04.htm
http://www.balkanforum.info/f41/massaker-september-1943-kefalonia-35823/
Recently, divers have identified the site of Ardenahttp://www.navy.gr/content/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=55&id=90&Itemid=95
http://www.theabyss.gr/community/index.php?topic=3610.0
http://archive.enet.gr/online/online_hprint?q=%25E8%25F9%25EA%25F4%25E1%25F1%25E 9%25E4%25E7%25F2&a=&id=78290824
http://www.theabyss.gr/community/index.php?PHPSESSID=68f56076441b00078f5ea81160e114 ed&topic=2537.0
http://********************/forum/archive/index.php?t-1205.html
http://********************/forum/archive/index.php?t-1606.html
that led to the latter's incapacitation!
Ardena was built in 1915 as the mine sweeper HMS Peony and belonged to the so-called Flower class. She was built by Dumbarton for the Royal navy and launched on August 25, 1915. She had a length of 80 m. width of 10.1 m and tonnage of 1,258 tons. Her service speed was 16.5 knots. Here is her Miramar entry
Single Ship Report for "6104893"
IDNo: 6104893 Year: 1915
Name: PEONY Launch Date: 25.8.15
Type: Patrol frigate Date of completion:
Flag: GBR Keel:
Tons: 1210 Link: 1258
DWT: Yard No: 462
Length overall: 80.0 Ship Design:
LPP: 76.2 Country of build: GBR
Beam: 10.1 Builder: McMillan
Material of build: Location of yard: Dumbarton
Number of
screws/Mchy/
Speed(kn): 1T-16.5
Owner as Completed: Royal Navy
Naval or paramilitary marking : N
A: *
End: 1943
Subsequent History: [1919 cv to passenger ship, 1095gt] - 19 ARDENA
Disposal Data: mined off Argostoli 27.9.43
See also http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=12411
The site http://www.reach.net/~sc001198/ShipsA2.htm (http://www.reach.net/%7Esc001198/ShipsA2.htm) gives further technical data as follows
ARDENA - 1941, ex. PEONY
Code letters: SZHW Official Number: 916
Rigging: steel single screw passenger liner; 2 decks; Upper Deck sheathed in wood; 12 cemented bulkheads; cellular double bottom under boilers 21 tons; Deep Tank forward; 22 tons; Forward Peak Tank 11 tons; Aft Peak Tank 17 tons
Tonnage: 1,092 tons gross, 794 under deck and 433 net
Dimensions: 250.1 feet long, 33.1 foot beam and holds 17.3 feet deep; Forecastle 63 feet
Construction: 1915, A. McMillan & Son Ltd. in Dumbarton
Propulsion: triple expansion engine with 3 cylinders of 21 1/2, 35 & 58 inches diameter respectively; stroke 27 inches; 350 nominal horsepower; engine by D. Rowan & Co. Ltd. in Glasgow
Owners: Nav. Const. Toyias (E.K. Toyias, manager)
Port of registry: Piræus
In August 1919 she was purchased from the Admiralty and renamed Ardena. She was modified by London & Southern Railways at which time she became 1,095 tons. She was used for the Southampton-Cherbourg/Caen service. The Southern inherited a number of ships from its constituent companies, some of which were converted to car ferries when this mode of transport became more common. Such conversions were needed on the French routes, where holidays by car were beginning to become popular. Services to the Channel Islands began in 1924, along with services to Brittany in 1933 and finally Normandy commencing just prior to requisition by the Navy in 1941. The company ships were SS Alberta, SS Ardena, SS Brittany, SS Caesarea, SS Cherbourg, SS Hantonia, SS Laura, SS Lorina, SS Normannia, SS Princess Ena, SS Vera. See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Railway_(Great_Britain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Railway_%28Great_Britain)). She is mentioned also in http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/feederswest.html A nice description of her service in Southern can be found below.
37177
She is shown here during her UK-French service before 1930.
37178
In 1934 she was sold to Togias Line and placed in the Chios-Mytilene as well as the Cyclades routes. From this period we have two photographs and one advertisement.
37179
37180
37181
Among other adventures, she collided with the Greek destroyer Leon
Leon was refurbished from 1925–1927. She also participated in the Second World War, On April 18, 1941, during a convoy escort, she collided with passenger ship Ardena followed by the explosion of two depth charges. As a result, her stern section was cut off and two officers were killed.
Regrettably, her end was dramatic and caused the death of more than 750 people. While carrying more than 700 Italian prisoners from Cefallonia under the direction of a German group, she struck a mine outsied of Argostoli and sunk with major human loss.
Numerous Italian sites discuss this major loss.
http://www.funzioniobiettivo.it/Laboratori/Cefalonia/CAP21.htm
http://www.betasom.it/forum/lofiversion/index.php?t21585.html
http://www.divenuta.it/cefalonia.htm
http://images.google.it/imgres?imgurl=http://smart.tin.it/laverita/LA%2520TRAGEDIA%2520DI%2520CEFALONIA%2520-%2520COP..JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.cefalonia.it/Il_numero_dei_Caduti_a_Cefalonia.html&usg=__FPo5784837TiZOwnNq1ZR2hycz8=&h=1650&w=1269&sz=276&hl=it&start=21&um=1&tbnid=C5j60DEYG4ra2M:&tbnh=150&tbnw=115&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dardena%2Bargostoli%26hl%3Dit%26lr%3Dl ang_it%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1
http://web.tiscalinet.it/bottecilindro/ideelinks/italiani/Pirani_15_09_1999.htm
http://www.storiaememoria.it/wordpress/?cat=1&paged=2
http://www.storialibera.it/epoca_contemporanea/II_guerra_mondiale/cefalonia/articolo.php?id=667
http://pub10.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=795583276&frmid=18&msgid=1150770
http://www.isral.it/web/web/didattica/ud_cefalonia_04.htm
http://www.balkanforum.info/f41/massaker-september-1943-kefalonia-35823/
Recently, divers have identified the site of Ardenahttp://www.navy.gr/content/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=55&id=90&Itemid=95
http://www.theabyss.gr/community/index.php?topic=3610.0
http://archive.enet.gr/online/online_hprint?q=%25E8%25F9%25EA%25F4%25E1%25F1%25E 9%25E4%25E7%25F2&a=&id=78290824
http://www.theabyss.gr/community/index.php?PHPSESSID=68f56076441b00078f5ea81160e114 ed&topic=2537.0
http://********************/forum/archive/index.php?t-1205.html
http://********************/forum/archive/index.php?t-1606.html
that led to the latter's incapacitation!