Anyone know about the mv Odile - Malta

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destiny

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I live in Malta (but only moved here in dec 2002) and I've dived a large number of the wrecks here (I love wreck diving a little more interesting than the Red Sea Reefs) but we recently went to a new (to us anyway) dive site in Karkara Creek, off Grand Harbour, Valetta to dive the mv Odile. It was sunk of the 4th April 1942 and is an Italian Steam Freighter, it's rather large and lies North West on her port side. Rather impressive engines, although the bombs that hit her certainly made their mark...

I have been surfing the net like a crazy woman trying to find out more info... but I've drawn a blank - does anyone have any knowledge of her or a site to which you can direct me?

Many thanks
Destiny
 
You are right about your data. One person that "might" be able to give you more info would be Ned Middleton :doctor: . I heard about the wreck but I never dove it. I understand that boat and shipping traffic can be an issue. :mean:

There are other old wrecks in Malta that are not dived very often Steamer Eddy, the famous Ohio (in two pieces), tug Hellispoint, the Polynesia, etc. :)

Good luck

Lawrence
 
Sport Extreme have a small paragraph about the wreck but doesnt appear to be much on the web that gives any details.
 
Hi Destiny

I have asked a friend (emi farrugia - Dinja Ohra) and this is his reply;

"As far as I know no MV Odile ever existed, but MV Adige is possible &
Iam even more inclined to say that the Kalfara wrreck is that of
Margit.

I might have a picture of the Margit somewhere but I need to come
across it, if I do i will send it to you"


I was diving the wreck yesterday and I really find the wreck very interesting. As you did I also started surfing the net like a crazy man but Nothing not even one pic. If you have any info please email it to me on natpadidiver@yhaoo.com
 
Hi Destiny

I have asked a friend (emi farrugia - Dinja Ohra) and this is his reply;

"As far as I know no MV Odile ever existed, but MV Adige is possible &
Iam even more inclined to say that the Kalfara wrreck is that of
Margit.

I might have a picture of the Margit somewhere but I need to come
across it, if I do i will send it to you"


I was diving the wreck yesterday and I really find the wreck very interesting. As you did I also started surfing the net like a crazy man but Nothing not even one pic. If you have any info please email it to me on natpadidiver@yhaoo.com

This is the only info I have found:

"The Odile was an old steam-freighter that sank in course of a bombing attack on April 4, 1942 at Karkara reef, off Grand Harbour (La Valletta).
The wreck of the Odile was discovered in late Seventies, and thought to be the wreck of the HMS Abingdon.

The hull is in poor conditions, because it was devastated by the explosions (the bow and the propellers are missing) and lies on its port side at a depth of about -22m" from http://www.sportesport.it/wrecksMA007.htm


On the web site there is a very small photo if you want to have an idea of the wreck.

Natpadidiver
 
Hi Lawrence

Did you dive the Ohio? Do you know the depth and the GPS pos.?

and how can we get in touch with Ned Middleton?

Natpadidiver
 
Many thanks everyone for your thoughts on this subject. It has been suggested many times that the odile was once an Italian freighter captured renamed and put into action by Malta/British navy during WII and also that it was a british naval ship again renamed, but there are no real archives to to 'tell the truth' which is a shame as we shall never really know 'who she was'. She's not really supposed to be dived upon as she is in the 'Grand Harbour' but is a creek really considered 'in the harbour'? Vis can be very poor like 2m!!! so you could miss her on the swim to the middle of the creek mouth or you could just 'bump' into her (lol) at other times it's 5-8m. The Polynesia is a plate ship at 60m which I am told by the tech divers at www.divedeepblue.com is fantastic and I am considering taking the tech courses they run just so I can see it - but mmmmm - we'll see.
 
Hi Destiny

This is all the info I managed to get this afternoon I will be uploading some photos of the ship 2 days before it was sunk and also another photo when it was being towed to the kalkara creek..

Vessel Adige SS
Built 1920
Years in Service Launched as War Epic, completed as Adige, 1921 taken over with Transoceanica fleet. Sunk on 4th Apr 1942 in Malta directly between Vittoriosa and Kalkara Creek.
Tons 6,534
Funnel Black with broad white band

Re the Polly I also have some photos and info :

The Polynesien was built for "La Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes" at La Ciotat in France like her sister ships "Australien", "Armand Behic" and "Ville De La Ciotat". The ships were quickly recognisable by their length, low profile on the water, and by their double funnels painted black. The ships were painted white between 1895 till 1905. On the 10th August 1918 she was hit by a Torpedo from the U Boot UC22 and sank 7 miles outside the entrance of Valletta Grand Harbour – Malta, 10 people lost their lives. It lies at a depth of 60 metres. from the MMF Website

Natpadidiver
 

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