Leros & Lakki · Greece · Wreck
Vasilissa Olga
A Greek destroyer sunk by German bombers inside Lakki harbour
Vasilissa Olga is the wreck of a Greek Royal Navy destroyer sunk in Lakki harbour by a Luftwaffe raid during the Dodecanese Campaign of 1943. The hull of a warship 98.4 m long now rests at 40 m on the harbour floor, a deep wreck dive and the centrepiece of the Leros war wrecks.
Also known as Queen Olga, Vasilissa Olga destroyer.
Where it is and how deep
37.1332° N, 26.8532° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The destroyer lies on the floor of Lakki harbour at 40 m, where German bombers caught her on 26 September 1943. She is the most impressive wreck on the seabed of Lakki, and at that depth the dive is for divers with deep training.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Vasilissa Olga
- Type
- Destroyer
- Length
- 98.4 m (323 ft)
- Built
- 1938
- Sunk
- 1943
- Cause
- Sunk by German bombers in Lakki harbour
- Lies
- On the floor of Lakki harbour at 40 m
Vasilissa Olga was the second and last destroyer of her class built in Great Britain for the Royal Hellenic Navy before the Second World War, launched on 2 June 1938. In September 1943 she was sent back to the Eastern Mediterranean to take part in the Dodecanese Campaign, and on 26 September German bombers sank her in Lakki harbour with the loss of 72 men.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Leros & Lakki: Leros is at its best from Easter to October, when most facilities are open; no single month stands out for the wrecks.
Dive videos
www.sea-gate.gr scuba diving Vasilissa Olga wreck · Takis Papafragkiskos on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What training does the Vasilissa Olga wreck at Leros need?+
The destroyer rests at 40 m, so the dive calls for deep training rather than an entry-level certification.
Sources
- Diving in the crystal-clear waters of Leros — Greek National Tourism Organisation
- Organized diving released in 91 shipwrecks in Greece — Hydrovius Diving Center
- Greek destroyer Vasilissa Olga — Wikipedia
- OpenStreetMap geocoding — OpenStreetMap
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