The Phoebus: Diving into the History of a Forgotten Wreck at Cape Cépet

Text and photos: Marc Langleur

A ‘forgotten’ wreck resurfaces

Do you think a deep and mysterious wreck has been recently discovered off our shores? Yet, it is not an unknown or unexplored wreck, but a ship abandoned to the memory of archives and forgotten by specialized divers. This article traces the destiny of the Phoebus, a ship whose memory was lost beneath the surface, and whose story deserves to be revealed again. Perhaps you too will want to dive into this mysterious site after reading this.

The Phoebus, from yacht to military patrol boat

Likely built in 1916 in the Netherlands under the name SS Edeison, the Phoebus was originally an elegant steam yacht with a steel hull, measuring 22.5 meters long by 4.5 meters wide, powered by a 250-horsepower engine. Purchased by the French Navy during World War I, it was refitted and transformed into an auxiliary mine-sweeping patrol boat.

Arriving in Marseille on September 19, 1917 under its new name of Phoebus, it was quickly assigned to Toulon on the 30th of the same month. Integrated into the Provence Air Patrol Division, this former yacht was used as a balloon-bearing minesweeper and armed with a 47 mm gun and grenades.

The role of the captive balloon in mine hunting

At the time, the major innovation lay in the use of a captive helium-filled balloon equipped with a nacelle. A winch connected the balloon to the ship, allowing three or four observers to take place in it. They communicated with the ship via a telephone cable and used binoculars to scan the sea for mines, long before the advent of modern detection systems. Even though the equipment was rudimentary, this technique already represented significant progress.

The sinking of the Phoebus: tragedy and survival in the Mediterranean