GALLIPOLI WRECKS

HMS Majestic This magnificent battleship, once the ruler of the seas, was built in 1895 for the Royal Navy. With its powerful guns, steel hull, and grand structure, it was one of the foremost warships of its time. During the Gallipoli landings, HMS Majestic provided artillery support to Allied Forces on land, opening fire to silence Turkish defensive lines. However, the realities of war were as harsh as the ship's grandeur. On the morning of May 27, 1915, a deadly threat was silently gliding among the shadows in the cool waters of Çanakkale. The German submarine U-21 quietly launched its torpedoes, and explosions suddenly tore through the sky. Majestic quickly tilted to the side, and waves began to swallow its massive hull. The once-glorious flag of the ship, along with its crew, was buried in the depths of Çanakkale. Today, the wreck of Majestic rests at a depth of 21 meters, serving as a fascinating monument that combines history and underwater life.

HMS Triumph This pre-dreadnought battleship, built in 1903 for the Royal Navy, symbolized the naval power of the British Empire when World War I began. HMS Triumph, the pride of Her Majesty, had achieved significant dominance in the Pacific and protected distant colonies before coming to the Çanakkale Front. However, fate had a different page prepared for this grand warship in Çanakkale. The battleship, which supported the Allied land and naval operations in Çanakkale, played a key role in the Gallipoli landings. Its powerful guns targeted Turkish positions and assisted the advance of Allied Forces on land. May 25, 1915; the waters were calm. A torpedo launched by the German submarine U-21 struck the steel body of the battleship. The ship was severely damaged and quickly began to tilt. Triumph slowly sank into the blue depths of Çanakkale.

HMS Irresistible This massive steel warship, once cruising the seas with great splendor, was one of the pre-dreadnoughts representing Britain's power during World War I. Launched in 1898, HMS Irresistible was a stunning engineering marvel in the race of modernizing navies. When Irresistible was sent to the Dardanelles, it was one of the strongest ships of the Allied Powers. During the Dardanelles Campaign, it took on critical tasks to support the advance of land forces and silence Turkish coastal defenses. The power of its guns turned into a rain of shells on Turkish batteries. However, March 18, 1915, would become a turning point not only for Irresistible but for the entire Allied Navy. On that day, one of the mines laid by the Nusret Minelayer exploded on Irresistible’s hull. The steel giant was damaged and began to tilt. The crew was evacuated, but Irresistible was left to its fate. The rapidly sinking ship disappeared into the depths of the Gallipoli waters.

SS Milo Built as a steam cargo ship, SS Milo played a critical role during the harsh conditions of World War I. Used by the British Navy as a support vessel, the ship was vital in supplying materials to the troops stationed at Anzac Cove in Arıburnu. From October 26, 1915, SS Milo served a completely different purpose. Its hull was filled with concrete to create a pier between the shore and the sea, transforming it into a breakwater that protected the ships docking in the area. Additionally, generators were installed inside the ship to facilitate logistics on land, illuminating the coast and bringing light to the dark nights of the war. After the war ended, Milo fell apart and sank. Today, lying at a depth of only 5 meters, SS Milo is still visible from the surface.

Bouvet This steel vessel, one of the magnificent battleships of the French Navy, was launched in 1896. When World War I began, Bouvet was one of the pre-dreadnoughts representing France’s naval power. It undertook one of the most critical missions in its history as part of the Allied Fleet during the Dardanelles Campaign. On March 18, 1915, the Allied Fleet was preparing for a major assault to pass through the Dardanelles Strait. Bouvet, with its powerful guns, was at the forefront to silence the Turkish fortifications. However, the mines laid in the Strait turned the assault into a nightmare. When Bouvet struck a mine laid by the Turkish minelayer Nusret, the ship’s hull was violently shaken. The explosion was so powerful that the ship tilted and sank within a few minutes. Out of the 710 crew members on board, only 50 sailors survived. The dramatic end of Bouvet proved not only the threat posed by submarines but also the devastating power of mines during the Dardanelles Campaign.

HMS Louis Built in 1913 as a Laforey class destroyer, this fast and agile ship played a significant role in reconnaissance and attack missions under the harsh conditions of war. During the Gallipoli Campaign, it actively participated in operations aimed at ensuring the Allied naval superiority. On October 31, 1915, during one of its missions off the coast of Gallipoli, HMS Louis ran aground due to strong winds and currents. Despite running the engines at full power, the ship could not be freed. Turkish artillery fire left the vessel defenseless. Severely damaged, HMS Louis soon sank beneath the waves.

HMS Lundy Originally built as a fishing vessel in 1908, HMS Lundy was converted into a minesweeper in 1915 when it entered the service of the British War Office. On August 16, 1915, Lundy was anchored alongside SS Kalyan in Suvla Bay, resupplying ammunition. During this time, SS Kalyan came under Turkish artillery fire, prompting its captain to move the ship. As Kalyan began to move slowly, Lundy remained attached to it. When additional shells fell nearby, Kalyan increased its speed and made a slight maneuver. Lundy, unable to hear the warnings, was struck by Kalyan’s propeller, which punctured its hull. As a result of the damage, Lundy took on water and sank.

Unknown Wreck One of the unnamed witnesses of the war, this vessel was likely built as a fishing boat and later converted into a minesweeper. It served as a minesweeper in the region during World War I. The identity of this ship remains unknown to this day.

SS Carthage In 1912, during the Italo-Turkish War, the ship was intercepted by the Italian cruiser Agordat while on a voyage from Marseille to Tunisia. Detained in Cagliari for six days under the suspicion of carrying aircraft, this incident sparked a diplomatic crisis between Italy and France. In May 1915, after Italy joined the Allied Powers in the war, Carthage was assigned a new mission: transporting troops and supplies to the front lines. On July 1, it reached Çanakkale and began unloading its cargo. On July 4, 1915, while unloading supplies off the coast of Teke Point in calm waters, Carthage was spotted by the German submarine U-21. The submarine targeted the ship and fired two torpedoes. The first torpedo struck the ship, and the second caused severe damage. Within five minutes, Carthage sank into the deep waters.

Midilli The cruiser Midilli, originally built in Germany under the name SMS Breslau, became a symbol of the Ottoman-German alliance during World War I. In 1914, evading the British navy, it successfully reached the Dardanelles Strait alongside the cruiser Goeben, which would later be renamed Yavuz, and was handed over to the Ottoman Empire. Renamed Midilli, the ship began to serve under the Ottoman flag and played a crucial role in drawing the Ottoman Empire into the war. Throughout the war, Midilli conducted operations in the Black Sea against the Russian navy, instilling fear in its enemies. Known for its agility and firepower, it became the shining star of the Turkish Navy. During World War I, Midilli achieved significant success but met its end on January 20, 1918, when it entered a British minefield in the Aegean Sea and sank following a series of explosions.

Captain Frangos On February 19, 1968, while sailing from Malta to Varna, Captain Frangos collided with a Greek-flagged ship named Dimos and sank into the cold, fast-flowing waters of the Dardanelles Strait. A commercial cargo ship, Kaptan Frangos transformed into an artificial reef, contributing to underwater life after this tragic accident. Today, the wreck lies on its side at a depth of 47 meters, offering a unique visual spectacle with its hull covered in red soft corals. This massive ship, 125 meters long, is located in an area with strong currents. Although it provides a fascinating sight for photographers, the currents and limited visibility make it a challenging experience for divers.

Barges These large, flat-bottomed vessels, known as Barges, were primarily designed for transporting military supplies, ammunition, food, water, and soldiers. Due to their ability to operate in shallow waters, they facilitated the transfer of troops and supplies near the shore and were also used to transport wounded soldiers from the front lines to hospital ships or land-based medical facilities. In situations where large warships could not approach the shore, these Barges served as intermediate platforms for supplying materials to the larger vessels.

Atılay The Atılay submarine holds an important place in Turkish naval history as one of the first modern submarines of the Republic of Turkey. Built in Germany in 1939 for the Turkish Navy, Atılay, like its sister submarines Saldıray, Batıray, and Yıldıray, was named by the founder of the Republic of Turkey, the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. On July 14, 1942, Atılay conducted a dive in the Dardanelles Strait to test the magnetic submarine detectors installed in the area. During this dive, it struck a World War I-era British mine. The impact of the explosion caused the submarine to sink rapidly, resulting in the loss of all 39 brave crew members on board. This tragic event remains one of the most sorrowful incidents in Turkish naval history.