SS Leverkusen

Discussions on WW2 in Africa & the Mediterranean. Hosted by Andy H
User avatar
Urmel
Member
Posts: 4896
Joined: 25 Aug 2008, 10:34
Location: The late JBond

Re: SS Leverkusen

#46

Post by Urmel » 18 Aug 2016, 21:17

Great thanks!
The enemy had superiority in numbers, his tanks were more heavily armoured, they had larger calibre guns with nearly twice the effective range of ours, and their telescopes were superior. 5 RTR 19/11/41

The CRUSADER Project - The Winter Battle 1941/42

Dili
Member
Posts: 2201
Joined: 24 Jun 2007, 23:54
Location: Lusitania

Re: SS Leverkusen

#47

Post by Dili » 19 Aug 2016, 18:56

Urmel wrote:By the way, could the 'tank' be a Semovente 75/18?
Not at all, this vehicle appears half size roughly.

A Semovente 75/18 or a M13/40 have 4 "boggies" each with 2 wheels, this one have only 2 "boggies" with 2 wheels.

I would say the the odds are that it is a L6/40 by lack of alternatives.


kgvm
Member
Posts: 408
Joined: 12 Jul 2007, 21:14
Location: Hannover, Germany

Re: SS Leverkusen

#48

Post by kgvm » 25 Aug 2016, 23:06

" In the stern section, so astern from the superstructure, the wreck has 2 cargo holds, each on 3 floors or levels ."
But pictures of "Leverkusen" show three hatches (and so very probably three holds, too) aft!
Last point: the Woermann Line was still in existence with own ships during the war, so why a plate with WL on a ship of the Hapag?

Is it possible you've found the "Ingo" lost near Kerkena 27.01.1941?? She had two holds at the stern and - while owned by Hamburg-Bremer Afrika-Linie - was managed by Woermann-Linie since 1934.

sebastiano
Member
Posts: 24
Joined: 17 Aug 2010, 18:45

Re: SS Leverkusen

#49

Post by sebastiano » 26 Aug 2016, 00:04

thanks kgvm for the suggestion. We found also the Ingo, but it is not this one. The Ingo is a few miles from this. It was carrying fuel in cans, a lot of artillery ammunitions airplanes parts and some particular cart for airplanes assistance.

kgvm
Member
Posts: 408
Joined: 12 Jul 2007, 21:14
Location: Hannover, Germany

Re: SS Leverkusen

#50

Post by kgvm » 26 Aug 2016, 09:52

Fuel in cans in january 1941? Sounds not very likely, but maybe Urmel has a loading list.

In any case "Ingo" is the only ship of Woermann / Deutsche Afrika Linien lost in the Mediterranean!
How did you identify it? Found a nameplate??

User avatar
Urmel
Member
Posts: 4896
Joined: 25 Aug 2008, 10:34
Location: The late JBond

Re: SS Leverkusen

#51

Post by Urmel » 26 Aug 2016, 11:16

I wouldn't be surprised about fuel in cans, especially if it was Luftwaffe cargo. It makes it easier to distribute it in Libya, and means that the port tank capacity is not needed.
The enemy had superiority in numbers, his tanks were more heavily armoured, they had larger calibre guns with nearly twice the effective range of ours, and their telescopes were superior. 5 RTR 19/11/41

The CRUSADER Project - The Winter Battle 1941/42

kgvm
Member
Posts: 408
Joined: 12 Jul 2007, 21:14
Location: Hannover, Germany

Re: SS Leverkusen

#52

Post by kgvm » 26 Aug 2016, 14:28

"I wouldn't be surprised about fuel in cans, especially if it was Luftwaffe cargo."
Yes, but in January 1941 there was, AFAIK, no German Luftwaffe in North Africa.

User avatar
Urmel
Member
Posts: 4896
Joined: 25 Aug 2008, 10:34
Location: The late JBond

Re: SS Leverkusen

#53

Post by Urmel » 26 Aug 2016, 14:41

But they were building it up and the first planes got there within two weeks or so.
The enemy had superiority in numbers, his tanks were more heavily armoured, they had larger calibre guns with nearly twice the effective range of ours, and their telescopes were superior. 5 RTR 19/11/41

The CRUSADER Project - The Winter Battle 1941/42

sebastiano
Member
Posts: 24
Joined: 17 Aug 2010, 18:45

Re: SS Leverkusen

#54

Post by sebastiano » 28 Aug 2016, 12:22

hello guys, id of the Ingo is not 100%, even if it really looked probable. It has been based on the sequence of masts and cranes, the estimation of the dimensions, the compatible position and, probably most of all, the damage as he took one torpedo in the engine room which is what the wreck very clearly shows.

I'm just back from an expedition here in Lampedusa, and yesterday we found another big freighter sunk with German supplies. I will ask help and info shortly about it!

Dili
Member
Posts: 2201
Joined: 24 Jun 2007, 23:54
Location: Lusitania

Re: SS Leverkusen

#55

Post by Dili » 28 Aug 2016, 19:02

Nice Sebastiano. Try to get details like the bridge if possible, hull holes, anchor hole position in relation to the bow, funnel and respirators .

In general things that might be compared to existing photographies.

kgvm
Member
Posts: 408
Joined: 12 Jul 2007, 21:14
Location: Hannover, Germany

Re: SS Leverkusen

#56

Post by kgvm » 28 Aug 2016, 20:17

And don't forget the hullform: flushdecked or with raised forecastle and/ or poop, might be the existence of a welldeck etc.

Dantam99
New member
Posts: 1
Joined: 24 Jul 2019, 06:15
Location: USA

Re: SS Leverkusen

#57

Post by Dantam99 » 24 Jul 2019, 06:43

These posts are from several years ago and I just stumbled upon them in my search to find more info about a photo that I have. My great grandfather was a German Merchant Marine. I have a photo of the Leverkusen sinking and he wrote on the back in German but it says the name of the ship, the date, that it was torpedoed and how many miles off the coast of Tripoli that it happened.. your underwater photos of the wreck are amazing .

Dili
Member
Posts: 2201
Joined: 24 Jun 2007, 23:54
Location: Lusitania

Re: SS Leverkusen

#58

Post by Dili » 24 Jul 2019, 13:19

Hello Dantam99, world is small place :) is it possible you post a scan of your great grandfather photo?

User avatar
Urmel
Member
Posts: 4896
Joined: 25 Aug 2008, 10:34
Location: The late JBond

Re: SS Leverkusen

#59

Post by Urmel » 28 Jul 2019, 18:07

Oh yes please!
The enemy had superiority in numbers, his tanks were more heavily armoured, they had larger calibre guns with nearly twice the effective range of ours, and their telescopes were superior. 5 RTR 19/11/41

The CRUSADER Project - The Winter Battle 1941/42

Sebastiano2
Member
Posts: 11
Joined: 29 Jun 2020, 16:30
Location: Trieste, Italy

Re: SS Leverkusen

#60

Post by Sebastiano2 » 29 Jun 2020, 17:46

Dear Sirs, I hope this message finds all of you well.

We visited back the wreck the past summer. The identification is still open, but we now suspect it is the INGO, like someone had already suggested. This new id hypothesis comes after a comparison of some hulls contour and masts details, run by my friend Keith Kreiner, which made a careful comparison of underwater videos with historical pictures. We still don't have blue prints of the ship, which would help confirming the id for sure.

I ask for your kind help if possible: it would help a lot to have details of the sinking of the Ingo. I already have the general info, but would like to have a detailed report if possible, or some account from survivors. The wrecks is broken into two parts: a bow section which is upside down, and a stern section which includes the superstructure and is on its keep. I was wandering if this is somehow reflected in the report of the sinking.

Thanks a lot for your attention and help.

Kind regards
Mario (Sebastiano)

Post Reply

Return to “WW2 in Africa & the Mediterranean”