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 The KT 12 was built by the Italian OTO shipyard in Livorno by order of the German Navy and left the docks on May 19, 1943. The design was originally delivered from a German shipyard in Hamburg. The ship was a fully armed and armoured militairy transport vessel for heavy cargo. Her destination was to supply the North African troops with trucks and fuel. During her maiden voyage on the 10th of June 1943 she was attacked by the Allied Forces submarine "Safari" and one torpedo struck into the bow, which was destroyed and separated from the rest of the ship instantly. The bow sunck straight away and the rest of the ship burned in flames for 41 minutes on the surface until it finally sank to the bottom. The eye witness report from Giovanni Mele from Orosei: I was six years old and it was a beautiful morning in June. When we heard the explosion, my mother brought me to a big rock for shelter. We didn't know wat happened but we thought that a close by militairy base was under attack. I climbed up into an amandel tree to have a view over the sea. It was very quiet and then I saw it, the ship was almost destroyed. Without its bow, the ship was burning and surrounded with flames. The fuel, which was the main cargo, was leaking from the ship and lit the sea into flames. All adults ran quickly to the beach to have a look. An airplane circled over the area where the KT 12 was attacked and was bombing the submarine that fired the doom torpedo. The spectators wanted to help the crew but ... 2500 views |
 The German cargo ship KT-12 was countersunk by the British submarine HMS SAFARI in 1943. Caverns of Bel Torrente and Cala Luna. Dived with Protec Sardinia 611 views |
 THE KT12 Wreck The wreck of the german, armed cargo ship was sunken the 10th of June 1943. The torpedo fired by the british submarine Safari broke away the bow of the vessel and lies about 300 yard/meter away from the main wreck. This wreck is considered one of the most beautiful of the mediterrean sea. 37 views |
 Shooted this year near Golfo Orossei on Sardegna Island during a trip on Valhalla catamarane. Nice wreck KT 12, Sunken 1943, depth 34 m, long 70 m, in two parts, smaller part is about 300 meters far ... made by my friend Jan Fleischmann 1507 views |
 Nice wreck , 35 meters depth. Sunked in 1945 (i think :-). In great condition, easily penetrable, great visibility, no current (mostly). Video was made during trip from Sardegna to Malta on our catamaran Valhalla. Petr 153 views |
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Diving the KT-12 wreck, Sardinia
Top gunThe wreck of the KT-12 in Sardinia makes for a perfect weekend’s diving – good visibility, lots of marine life and plenty of guns.
 Photo: Simon Brown  Photo: Simon Brown  Photo: Simon Brown |
Exploring any wreck which has as interesting a history as the KT-12 is reason enough to dive, but the delights of this vessel go beyond its provenance. The wreck is full of intact military hardware, has plenty of Mediterranean marine life and is extremely photogenic – something for everyone.
The dive
Split by the torpedo explosion, the wreck is in two parts – the bows some 500m from the rest of the wreck. A ten-minute boat ride from the harbour at Orosei took us to the small buoy marking the location of the stern section. The main part of the wreck is upright and sitting on the keel. Torpedo and subsequent fire damage aside, it is in excellent condition, with decay slowed by heavy marine growth. With the shot-line tied off amidships, divers are free to explore either end of the wreck, but it’s possible to do a circuit of the wreck on one dive, gaining an overview of what may be worthy of further exploration on later dives.
Moving aft on the starboard side, the first item of note is a pair of anti-aircraft guns, still on their mounting and pointing skyward defending against long-departed aggressors. The hand wheels used to elevate or traverse are also on view, and marine life has softened the outline of the guns themselves. By Mediterranean standards there is plenty of marine life on the wreck, especially around the guns, where there are plenty of schooling fish. Conger eels, wrasse, lobster, and small grouper are also among the KT-12’s residents.
Although the sandy sea bed surrounding the wreck is of little interest, you will be able to see some cargo that had spilled over the side and one lorry now lies a short distance from the wreck, roughly parallel with the anti-aircraft guns.
If you fin along the original companionway, this will lead to the stern. Rising up one deck level will put you at the same depth as the deck cannon. Never used in anger, the gun is a substantial chunk of military hardware and makes a great spot for photography, even more so if you have a willing buddy to pose.
Moving on past the port anchor chain, you come to an area where you can see the damage inflicted by the torpedo explosion. In complete contrast to the rest of the wreck, the clean lines of the hull have been ripped away and a tumble of deck machinery and twisted steel drops away to the sea bed. Just forward of the raised rear deck is a large access hole that drops straight into the engine room. Spacious and well lit, the engine room has a fine layer of silt, but there is more than one entry/exit and a slight current washes over the wreck, quickly clearing any disturbed sediment. The engine room has two large engines with three panel-mounted brass gauges and just forward of the engines hangs an electrical control panel.
The KT-12 is the reason to dive in Orosei, but there is a couple of wrecks, including a munitions ship (again, sunk by HMS Safari) at a similar depth, plus a 1950’s vintage French Vaught Corsair fighter aircraft in shallow water. If you tire of rusty, historical steelwork, then scenic dive sites, including stalactite-lined caves, are close by.
Having made only two dives on the KT-12, I left wanting more. There is little or no opportunity for a long, multi-level dive; the main structure starts at 24m and the scour around the twin propellers marks the deepest part of the wreck at 35m. Incurring mandatory decompression stops could happen without a watchful eye on the dive time and depth, but UK-experienced sports divers will be familiar with this style of diving. Also, the dive conditions (water temperature in October was a pleasant 21ºC and visibility 15–20m) are considerably less challenging than those found in the English Channel.
NEED TO KNOW:
Depth > 24–35m >> Visibility > 15–20m
What to look for > anti-aircraft guns, engine room, deck cannon and lorry
Marine life > Conger eel, wrasse, lobster and schooling fish around the gun
USEFUL CONTACTS
Orosei Diving Centre
00 39 0784 91201
www.oroseidivingcenter.it
Location Sardinia (Tour operator)
01494 601012
www.locationsardinia.com
Nearest airport Olbia is serviced by several low-cost carriers with direct flights from the UK costing between £100 and £150, although even better deals can be found see www.easyjet.co.uk. Flights are seasonal and generally do not operate in winter.