KYTHERA
| Name : | KYTHERA |
| Greek name : | ΚΥΘΗΡΑ |
| Type of Ship : | Freighter |
| LRS-Name : | KYTHERA |
| Internat. call sign : | SZME |
| Port of Registry : | Piraeus 614 |
| Later Names : | 1941 12 V 5 1942 GA 02 1945 KYTHERA |
| Initial Flag of Registry : | Great Britain |
| Owner : | 1889 Widdowson & Spring, Hull, Great Britain 1893 British Steam Trawling Co. Ltd. (Manag. J.H. Robbins), Hull, Great Britain 1900 The Eastern Telegraph Co. Ltd., London, Great Britain 1920 G. Angelides and S. Perris, Piraeus, Greece 1931 Vagianis and Kairaktides, Piraeus, Greece 1937 Nikolaos Mazarakis, Piraeus, Greece 1941 German Reich 1945 presumably Nikolaos Mazarakis, Piraeus, Greece |
| Shipyard : | David McGill & Co. Irvine, Irvine, Great Britain |
| Hull Number : | 5 |
| Year of Construction : | 1889 |
| Launch : | 31.05.1889 |
| Size (GRT) : | 144 |
| Size (NRT) : | 47 |
| Lenght (m) : | 30,7 |
| Width (m) : | 6,2 |
| Depth (m) : | 3 |
| Engine : | Steam engine/2 cylinders/Muir & Houston Ltd, Glasgow, Great Britain |
| Output : | 42 NHP |
| Screws : | 1 |
| Speed (kn) : | 8 |
1889 built by shipyard “David McGill & Co. Irvine”, Irvine, Great Britain, as fishing trawler W.E. GLADSTONE (133 grt / 43 nrt) for the fishing company “Widdowson & Spring”, Hull, GB.
1893 sold to “British Steam Trawling Co. Ltd.” (Manag. J.H. Robins), Hull, GB. [D]
1900 sold to “The Eastern Telegraph Company Ltd.”, London, GB, reconstructed as a cable layer and renamed LEVANT.
1904 after purchase of a second cable layer renamed LEVANT I. The ship was busy from 1915 to 1916 in the Northern Aegean area, laying telegraph cables off Gallipoli. [E]
1920 purchased by G. Angelides and S. Perris, Piraeus, Greece, reconstructed as a freighter (144 grt / 47 nrt) and renamed VRONTADOS.
1930 sold to ship-owners Vagiannis and Kairaktides, Piraeus, Greece, and renamed PETROS KAIRAKTIDES.
1937 purchased by Nikolaos Mazarakis, Piraeus, Greece and renamed KYTHERA. The ship continued to be used as freighter and was entered in the harbor register of Piraeus as # 614.
22.10.1940 commandeered by the Greek government (Office Δ.Θ.Μ./Γ΄) in Thessaloniki. [A]
30.04.1941 attacked and sunk in unknown position (Greece) by German aircraft. [A][B][F]**
1941 declared as German war booty. The ship was reconstructed and equipped as a “Vorpostenboot” (picket boat).
10.08.1941 commissioned as Vorpostenboot 12 V 5 for the 12. Küstensicherungsflottille (12th Coast Guard flottilla) with Steuermannmaat Pursche in command [C][G]. The ship escorted convoys in the whole Aegean area.
19.11.1941 at disposal of the 164. Infanteriedivision at Chios. [G]
21.11.1941 entered Piraeus due to engine trouble.
09.12.1941 at disposal of the Italian army at Kimi, Island of Euboea. [G]
15.12.1941 at disposal of the 164. Infanteriedivision at Mytilene, Lesbos, proceeding to the island Lemnos and then to Saloniki. Up to the end of 1941, the ship was busy in the Northern Aegean area. [G]
01.01.1942 Commanding officer: Obersteuermann Schierholz. [G]
23.-30.06.1942 at disposal of the Italian army. Surveillance of waters west of the island of Euboea.
01.11.1942 in accordance with the renaming of the 12. Küstensicherungsflottille to Küstenschutzflottille Attika, renamed GA 02*** (Obersteuermann Schierholz commanding). [G]
14.11.1942 together with GA 03 salvaged a German aircraft after its emergency landing in Euboea and towed it to Piraeus.
14.04.1943 together with GA 60 und GA 26 in “Gardikios” Bay (regional area Fthiotida) attacked by partisans. GA 02 returned fire with its 3“ gun. Three hostile vessels were seized. Losses on GA 02 and GA 26: 5 dead, 4 missing and 4 wounded men. [G]
23.05.-11.06.1943 in the Euboea channel at disposal of harbor captain Volos.
01.07.1943 new Commanding Officer Obersteuermann Schwartau. [G]
12.07.-09.08.1943 Guarding Trikeri barrier and daily checking of ordered routes.
16.08.1943 Commanding Officer Obersteuermann Schäfer. [G]
01.09.1943 Commanding Officer Obersteuermann Schierholz. [G]
16.09.1943 Commanding Officer Obermaat Förster. [G]
01.10.1943 Commanding Officer Steuermann Seltmann. [G]
16.02.1944 Commanding Officer Obermaat Förster. [G]
01.01.-03.05.1944 Manufacturing of a cylinder head for the generator, welding of the cooling water housing and repair and installation of a Diesel. Further, installation of a new generator and a bilge pump. From May, 1944 onwards the ship is not mentioned in the flotilla’s war diary.
After the end of the war the ship was handed back to its owner and named KYTHERA again. Under that name the ship was in use up to 1970. The further fate could not be found.
*) Melissinos [A] and Dounis [B] mention “910“ as harbour register number . The LRS and Babouris [F] confirm “614“.
**) not confirmed by German salvage lists.
***) GA = Griechenland Attika (Greece, Attika)
1893 sold to “British Steam Trawling Co. Ltd.” (Manag. J.H. Robins), Hull, GB. [D]
1900 sold to “The Eastern Telegraph Company Ltd.”, London, GB, reconstructed as a cable layer and renamed LEVANT.
1904 after purchase of a second cable layer renamed LEVANT I. The ship was busy from 1915 to 1916 in the Northern Aegean area, laying telegraph cables off Gallipoli. [E]
1920 purchased by G. Angelides and S. Perris, Piraeus, Greece, reconstructed as a freighter (144 grt / 47 nrt) and renamed VRONTADOS.
1930 sold to ship-owners Vagiannis and Kairaktides, Piraeus, Greece, and renamed PETROS KAIRAKTIDES.
1937 purchased by Nikolaos Mazarakis, Piraeus, Greece and renamed KYTHERA. The ship continued to be used as freighter and was entered in the harbor register of Piraeus as # 614.
22.10.1940 commandeered by the Greek government (Office Δ.Θ.Μ./Γ΄) in Thessaloniki. [A]
30.04.1941 attacked and sunk in unknown position (Greece) by German aircraft. [A][B][F]**
1941 declared as German war booty. The ship was reconstructed and equipped as a “Vorpostenboot” (picket boat).
10.08.1941 commissioned as Vorpostenboot 12 V 5 for the 12. Küstensicherungsflottille (12th Coast Guard flottilla) with Steuermannmaat Pursche in command [C][G]. The ship escorted convoys in the whole Aegean area.
19.11.1941 at disposal of the 164. Infanteriedivision at Chios. [G]
21.11.1941 entered Piraeus due to engine trouble.
09.12.1941 at disposal of the Italian army at Kimi, Island of Euboea. [G]
15.12.1941 at disposal of the 164. Infanteriedivision at Mytilene, Lesbos, proceeding to the island Lemnos and then to Saloniki. Up to the end of 1941, the ship was busy in the Northern Aegean area. [G]
01.01.1942 Commanding officer: Obersteuermann Schierholz. [G]
23.-30.06.1942 at disposal of the Italian army. Surveillance of waters west of the island of Euboea.
01.11.1942 in accordance with the renaming of the 12. Küstensicherungsflottille to Küstenschutzflottille Attika, renamed GA 02*** (Obersteuermann Schierholz commanding). [G]
14.11.1942 together with GA 03 salvaged a German aircraft after its emergency landing in Euboea and towed it to Piraeus.
14.04.1943 together with GA 60 und GA 26 in “Gardikios” Bay (regional area Fthiotida) attacked by partisans. GA 02 returned fire with its 3“ gun. Three hostile vessels were seized. Losses on GA 02 and GA 26: 5 dead, 4 missing and 4 wounded men. [G]
23.05.-11.06.1943 in the Euboea channel at disposal of harbor captain Volos.
01.07.1943 new Commanding Officer Obersteuermann Schwartau. [G]
12.07.-09.08.1943 Guarding Trikeri barrier and daily checking of ordered routes.
16.08.1943 Commanding Officer Obersteuermann Schäfer. [G]
01.09.1943 Commanding Officer Obersteuermann Schierholz. [G]
16.09.1943 Commanding Officer Obermaat Förster. [G]
01.10.1943 Commanding Officer Steuermann Seltmann. [G]
16.02.1944 Commanding Officer Obermaat Förster. [G]
01.01.-03.05.1944 Manufacturing of a cylinder head for the generator, welding of the cooling water housing and repair and installation of a Diesel. Further, installation of a new generator and a bilge pump. From May, 1944 onwards the ship is not mentioned in the flotilla’s war diary.
After the end of the war the ship was handed back to its owner and named KYTHERA again. Under that name the ship was in use up to 1970. The further fate could not be found.
*) Melissinos [A] and Dounis [B] mention “910“ as harbour register number . The LRS and Babouris [F] confirm “614“.
**) not confirmed by German salvage lists.
***) GA = Griechenland Attika (Greece, Attika)
| Date of Loss : | 30.04.1941 |
| Place of Loss : | [?] Greece [A][B] |
| Kind of Loss : | Air attack |
| Cause of Loss : | Air attack |
| Name of Opponent : | German Luftwaffe |
1. Lloyds Register of Shipping
2. [A] Melissinos, Ioannis: The Navy during World War II - The total contribution of the Greek Merchant Navy (Motorsailers and Steamers) 1940-1945, volume I and II, University of Ioannina 1995 (Gr.)
3. [B] Dounis, Christos: The wrecks of the Greek Waters 1900-1950, volume I, Finatec, Athens 2000 (Gr.)
4. [C] Gröner, Erich (Fortgeführt von Dieter Jung und Martin Maass): Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815-1945, Band 8, Bernard & Graefe Verlag
5. [D] C DPF Fishing Vessel Crew Agreements Yearly Returns, Hull History Center
6. [E] Spalding, A.L.: Cable Laying at Gallipoli 1915-1916
7. [F] Babouris, Epaminondas: The Greek Merchant Navy in the last war, Athens 1949 (gr.)
8. [G] KTB der 12. Küstensicherungsflottille and KTB der Küstenschutzflottille Attika
2. [A] Melissinos, Ioannis: The Navy during World War II - The total contribution of the Greek Merchant Navy (Motorsailers and Steamers) 1940-1945, volume I and II, University of Ioannina 1995 (Gr.)
3. [B] Dounis, Christos: The wrecks of the Greek Waters 1900-1950, volume I, Finatec, Athens 2000 (Gr.)
4. [C] Gröner, Erich (Fortgeführt von Dieter Jung und Martin Maass): Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815-1945, Band 8, Bernard & Graefe Verlag
5. [D] C DPF Fishing Vessel Crew Agreements Yearly Returns, Hull History Center
6. [E] Spalding, A.L.: Cable Laying at Gallipoli 1915-1916
7. [F] Babouris, Epaminondas: The Greek Merchant Navy in the last war, Athens 1949 (gr.)
8. [G] KTB der 12. Küstensicherungsflottille and KTB der Küstenschutzflottille Attika
| Inserted : | 06.02.2011 |
| Inserted by : | Dimitris Galon |
| Last Edit : | 25.04.2017 |
| Edited by : | Dimitris Galon |
| Modifications : | - 20.04.2015 D. Galon Service Life supplemented - 02.05.2015 D. Galon english Service Life inserted - 06.05.2015 D. Galon greek Service Life inserted - 29.08.2015 T. Reich photos 1-3 und documents 1-3 inserted - 21.01.20016 D. Galon inserted photo 4 |
