Dramatic find of Italian ship sunk by Royal Navy in 1940
A GHOSTLY wreck of an Italian warship sunk by the Royal Navy has been found 12,000ft below the surface of the Mediterranean.
The well preserved remains of the destroyer Artigliere were rediscovered after almost 80 years by a research team led by Paul Allen, billionaire cofounder of Microsoft and a marine archaeology enthusiast.
Artigliere was sunk in October 1940 during the Battle of Cape Passero, south-east of Sicily. The Italian warship was first crippled by the British cruiser HMS Ajax, then sent to the bottom by torpedoes fired from HMS York. A hundred crewman were rescued but more than 130 Italian sailors died.
The wreck lies at the bottom of a trench and was found using sophisticated sonar and radar instruments aboard the research ship RV Petrel. It then sent down a remote-controlled submarine to take video and photos.
The destroyer’s heavy guns are still pointed skywards and its torpedo tubes are visible.
The discovery was “a real surprise”, said David Reams, director of marine operations at Vulcan, a foundation created by Mr Allen to support philanthropic projects.
Mr Reams told La Repubblica: “It didn’t look like it had been submerged for 77 years. It was resting on the bottom, perfectly recognisable. Even the colour of the ship’s letters were intact.”