ARGO
| Name : | ARGO |
| Greek name : | ΑΡΓΩ |
| Type of Ship : | Yacht |
| LRS-Name : | ARGO |
| Port of Registry : | Piraeus 1032 |
| Initial Flag of Registry : | Greece |
| Owner : | 1935 Vasilios Rosolimos, Piraeus, Greece 1941 presumably Italian Government 1943 German Reich |
| Year of Construction : | 1935 |
| Commissioned : | 00.00.1935 |
| Size (GRT) : | 68 |
| Size (NRT) : | 20 |
| Lenght (m) : | 23,2 |
| Width (m) : | 4,9 |
| Depth (m) : | 1,5 |
| Engine : | Diesel engine/3 cylinders/Wolverine, Michigan, U.S.A. |
| Output : | 75 HP |
| Screws : | 1 |
| Speed (kn) : | 9,8 |
1935 built by D. Valsamakis according to a design by Murray Watts in Piraeus, Greece, as yacht ARGO for the Greek industrialist Vasilios Rosolimos, owner of “Aegion Paper Factory”, in the Gulf of Korinth, Greece [B][C][F][G]
03.02.1941 commandeered by the Greek government (Office Δ.Θ.Μ./Γ΄). [A]
26.04.1941 discharged [A]
00.05.1941 supposedly declared as prize by the Italian occupation army and employed up to date 08.09.1943 for the Regia Marina Italiana (Royal Italian Navy).
00.11.1943 handed over to Seeverteidigung Westgriechenland (Sea Defence Western Greece).
16.11.1943 nightly control mission West of Rion.
17.11.1943 with Seekommandant (Senior Officer Sea Area) aboard left bound for Zakynthos. Numerous entries in the war diary show that ARGO served as “Bereisungsboot” (control voyages boat) for the “Kommandant der Seeverteidigung Westgriechenland” (Commanding Officer of Sea Defence Western Greece), Kpt.z.S. Alexander Magnus, up to October, 1944.
19.05.1944 control mission in the Gulf of Korinth to interdict maritime traffic to the Peloponnes in accordance with “Kampfzonenbefehl” (Action Area orders).
20.05.1944 fire opened on several vessels; two vessels were seized.
26.05.1944 control mission off the Northern shore of the Gulf of Corinth together with J 28 und J 98.
27.05.1944 one crew member was wounded severely when moored motor ships returned fire.
03.06.1944 attacked by enemy aircraft with bombs and guns, at Cape Papas, Patras, one person gravely, one lightly wounded. The engine became hot and ARGO was towed into port by the escorting J-boats.
28.07.1944 bound for the Gulf of Corinth to hunt an armed “Banditenboat“ (partisan's boat) reported to be off Lepanto (Nafpaktos) on 21.07.44.
30.07.1944 fired upon by “bandits” (s. partisans) at Cape “Andromeda”.
23.-29.08.1944 participated in “Unternehmen Thunfisch” (Operation Tuna), i.e. the transport of units of Army Group „E“ from Patras, Peloponnese, to Preveza, Epirus. [D]
04.10.1944 Retreat order: Fight through and retreat with “Siebelfähre” (Siebel ferry). The wounded use the ferry ADIGE. Passage to Itea and from there to Saloniki. The Command (Staff) and the “lower” staff of M.A.A. 617 (Naval Artillery Batallion) were embarked on Siebelfähre 290 “Konrad” which left at 02:00 hours. After that, successive departure of all ferries and boats from Patras harbor which was blown up later. The “Seekommandant” on ARGO assumed command of the group going to Itea. Disembarkation went quickly and without hostile interference. [E]
04-06.10.1944 scuttled in the harbor of Itea.
1945-46 raised by (previous) owner. [A]
It is not known whether the ship was repaired and employed again.
03.02.1941 commandeered by the Greek government (Office Δ.Θ.Μ./Γ΄). [A]
26.04.1941 discharged [A]
00.05.1941 supposedly declared as prize by the Italian occupation army and employed up to date 08.09.1943 for the Regia Marina Italiana (Royal Italian Navy).
00.11.1943 handed over to Seeverteidigung Westgriechenland (Sea Defence Western Greece).
16.11.1943 nightly control mission West of Rion.
17.11.1943 with Seekommandant (Senior Officer Sea Area) aboard left bound for Zakynthos. Numerous entries in the war diary show that ARGO served as “Bereisungsboot” (control voyages boat) for the “Kommandant der Seeverteidigung Westgriechenland” (Commanding Officer of Sea Defence Western Greece), Kpt.z.S. Alexander Magnus, up to October, 1944.
19.05.1944 control mission in the Gulf of Korinth to interdict maritime traffic to the Peloponnes in accordance with “Kampfzonenbefehl” (Action Area orders).
20.05.1944 fire opened on several vessels; two vessels were seized.
26.05.1944 control mission off the Northern shore of the Gulf of Corinth together with J 28 und J 98.
27.05.1944 one crew member was wounded severely when moored motor ships returned fire.
03.06.1944 attacked by enemy aircraft with bombs and guns, at Cape Papas, Patras, one person gravely, one lightly wounded. The engine became hot and ARGO was towed into port by the escorting J-boats.
28.07.1944 bound for the Gulf of Corinth to hunt an armed “Banditenboat“ (partisan's boat) reported to be off Lepanto (Nafpaktos) on 21.07.44.
30.07.1944 fired upon by “bandits” (s. partisans) at Cape “Andromeda”.
23.-29.08.1944 participated in “Unternehmen Thunfisch” (Operation Tuna), i.e. the transport of units of Army Group „E“ from Patras, Peloponnese, to Preveza, Epirus. [D]
04.10.1944 Retreat order: Fight through and retreat with “Siebelfähre” (Siebel ferry). The wounded use the ferry ADIGE. Passage to Itea and from there to Saloniki. The Command (Staff) and the “lower” staff of M.A.A. 617 (Naval Artillery Batallion) were embarked on Siebelfähre 290 “Konrad” which left at 02:00 hours. After that, successive departure of all ferries and boats from Patras harbor which was blown up later. The “Seekommandant” on ARGO assumed command of the group going to Itea. Disembarkation went quickly and without hostile interference. [E]
04-06.10.1944 scuttled in the harbor of Itea.
1945-46 raised by (previous) owner. [A]
It is not known whether the ship was repaired and employed again.
| Date of Loss : | 00.05.1941 |
| Place of Loss : | presumably Aigio, Gulf of Korinth, Greece |
| Kind of Loss : | Prize |
| Cause of Loss : | Prize |
1. [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.)
2. [B] Dounis, Christos: The wrecks of the Greek Waters 1900-1950, volume I, Finatec, Athens 2000 (Gr.)
3. [C] FANEROMENI – A dream which became reality (Gr.)
4. [D] Kriegstagebuch der Seeverteidigung Westgriechenland
5. [E] Kriegstagebuch der 617. Marineartillerieabteilung
6. [F] Lloyd's Register of Yachts 1938
7. [G] Forum-Marinearchiv
2. [B] Dounis, Christos: The wrecks of the Greek Waters 1900-1950, volume I, Finatec, Athens 2000 (Gr.)
3. [C] FANEROMENI – A dream which became reality (Gr.)
4. [D] Kriegstagebuch der Seeverteidigung Westgriechenland
5. [E] Kriegstagebuch der 617. Marineartillerieabteilung
6. [F] Lloyd's Register of Yachts 1938
7. [G] Forum-Marinearchiv
| Inserted : | 16.03.2015 |
| Inserted by : | Dimitris Galon |
| Last Edit : | 05.01.2016 |
| Edited by : | Dimitris Galon |
