OCEANROAMERS

MS/UMBRIA

Its early 1940 and Europe is at war. Italy has not yet officially joined the war but everyone is aware that it is only a matter of time.
 
The Umbria passes through the Suez Canal under the watchful eye of the British. She is carrying nine and half thousand tons of explosives (350 000 bombs) and other military equipment. Eritrea was going to be its main offload point, as there was a large Italian military presence there during this time.
 
The British board Umbria in Suez and search her for "illegal contraband”. They are using a delaying tactic, as everybody is sure that Italy will join the war any day and they do not want the cargo getting to Eritrea. After holding her for a couple of days, they have to let her go.
 
The same tactic was used when Umbria was going past Port Sudan. A British destroyer escorted her to an anchorage in Wingate Reef where she was again to be searched for illegal contraband. On her second day at anchor the Captain of the Umbria received a coded signal that Italy was going to declare war on the Allies that day. Being Italian the Captain dismissed any notion of trying to fight or escape so he decided to scuttle the ship. He had one small problem - there was a small contingent of British troops on board.
 
An order was given for some of the seaman to undertake some noisy hammering work on the upper deck. Meanwhile the mechanic down below smashed all the sea cock valves to flood the ship and make sure that no-one could close them. Once this one done the Captain informed the British corporal that his crew was going to do an abandon ship drill. Once all of his crew was in the life rafts and off the ship the British were then informed that the ship had been scuttled and it would be in their interest to get off. A panicked request was sent to Port Sudan for a tug to come out to drag Umbria into the harbor so they could beach her. This request was refused due to the cargo content so she sank peacefully to the bottom.
 
The Captain and crew spent the next 5 years in a POW camp in sunny Port Sudan and where probably the first Italian POWs of WW2.
 
After the war, the royal navy sent out a team to do a survey on the Umbria to look at the possibility of salvaging her. They concluded that she was best left alone due to large cargo of detonators (Explosives were not the main problem).
 
 
DIVING THE MS/UMBRIA
 
 
Lying at a angle of about 50 degrees
 
Stern is facing east and the bow west.
 
Propeller at 14m.Second prop in the coral. Beautiful swim through under the rudder past the second prop. Brings you under the wreck (27m).
 
2 cargo holds behind the bridge tower and 3 in front. I will call the cargo hold at the very front Cargo hold 1 and the one at the very back cargo hold 5
 
Back 2 cargo holds ( 4 & 5) holding bullets,bombs and detonators.It is possible from cargo hold 5 to swim to the store rooms and rudder gear assembly.
 
Cargo Hold 1 holding bullets & bombs.
 
Cargo Hold 2 much of the same but also a mountain of wine bottles.The bottom level offers the best photo op of all the bombs stacked together neatly.
 
Cargo Hold 3 on the first level as you go in holds 3 Fiat cars.Second level holds marble tiles and the bottom level is a mixture of allsorts.
 
Engine is very is access.(Like Ghannis D through the vents at approx 11m). Engine room is 3 levels where you can access the machine shop and the generator room.
 
Bridge is empty but below is the dining room and below that is staff quarters and the Pizza ovens.
 
When exploring the insides only do with a max group size of 4.Can get silty.