The
Umbria is said to be one of the most beautiful wrecks in the
world and came to rest on her port side at Wingate Reef.
In
May 1940, the Umbria set sail from Naples with a cargo of 360,000
bombs in preparation for Italy joining the Second World War.
On the 9th June, when close to Port Sudan, HMS Grimsby forced
the Umbria to anchor close to shore for an inspection of her
cargo. The following day the captain of the Umbria (Captain
Lorenzo Muiesan) heard on the radio that Italy had formally
declared war. Knowing this news, Captain Lorenzo Muiesan, distracted
the British forces and ordered his engineer to open all valves
on the Umbria. Her fate was decided and she sank to the bottom
of Wingate Reef where she is lying perfectly protected inside
the reef.
She
is a beautiful wreck and hasn't been spoilt by divers or 'brass
seekers'. You can dive into her cargo holds and marvel at the
amount of wine and bombs (360,000!) she was carrying. You can
also look at the huge coral encrusted brass propellors or you
can swim through the engine rooms, corridors and cabins for
the experienced diver.
The
Umbria is a wreck that all levels of divers will enjoy.
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