The Umbria, the Thistlegorm, the Fujikawa Maru: Dive into the Discovery of These Legendary Ships – Shipwreck Dossier

More than 80 years after its scuttling, the Umbria, a 153-meter Italian ship, remains almost intact. Made famous by filmmaker Hans Haas and Captain Cousteau, its wreck still houses an astonishing cargo of bombs, cars, and even bottles of wine. Origins of the Ship Built in 1911 by the Rieherst Schiffswerk shipyards in Hamburg, the […]

More than 80 years after its scuttling, the Umbria, a 153-meter Italian ship, remains almost intact. Made famous by filmmaker Hans Haas and Captain Cousteau, its wreck still houses an astonishing cargo of bombs, cars, and even bottles of wine.

Wreck (4) — You can venture inside the *Umbria*, in its very photogenic dining room, to enjoy the play of light. © Fabrice Dudenhofer

Origins of the Ship

Built in 1911 by the Rieherst Schiffswerk shipyards in Hamburg, the Bahia Blanca measures 154 meters long by 18 meters wide. Equipped with five steam boilers, it can reach a cruising speed of 12 knots. After a career in Argentina until 1935, it was acquired by Italy, which transformed it into a troop transport and renamed it the Umbria.