Vlora, Karaburun & Sazan · Albania · Wreck
Stampalia Wreck
A Second World War cargo ship sunk by Swordfish torpedo bombers
The Stampalia Wreck is a Royal Italian Navy cargo ship sunk by British Swordfish aircraft on 15 April 1941 in Ducat Bay, south of Vlora Bay, near the Pashaliman naval base. It lies at 16 m in water with little or no current, which makes it a shallow Second World War wreck open to new divers.
Also known as Stampalia, SS Stampalia.
Where it is and how deep
40.3234° N, 19.4193° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The cargo ship lies on the bottom of Ducat Bay at 16 m, near the present-day Pashaliman naval base, and the dive is accessible for beginners. Current in the bay is weak or absent.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Stampalia
- Type
- Cargo ship
- Sunk
- 1941
- Cause
- Sunk in an air attack by British Swordfish aircraft
- Lies
- On the bottom of Ducat Bay at 16 m, near the Pashaliman naval base
On the evening of 15 April 1941 the Royal Italian Navy cargo ship Stampalia lay in Ducat Bay, south of Vlora Bay, near the present-day Pashaliman naval base. Five British aircraft of a Swordfish squadron based at Paramiti in Greece attacked shipping in Vlora Bay. The first attack failed, but the second succeeded, and the Stampalia went down in the bay where divers now find her.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Vlora, Karaburun & Sazan: Trips run all year, to Sazan as well as the peninsula; the sea is warmest from July to September and coolest in February.
Questions divers ask
Can a newly certified diver dive the Stampalia wreck?+
Yes. The wreck lies at 16 m with little or no current, within Open Water limits, which makes it a first wreck dive.
Sources
- Stampalia Wreck – Silver Sky Diving — Silver Sky Diving
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