Along with the Alice Robert and the Astrée, the Saumur is certainly one of the most beautiful wrecks on the Côte Vermeille.
The Saumur was a French freighter built in 1920 by the Forth Shipbuilding & Engineering Corporation shipyards in Alloa, Scotland, on behalf of the Société Maritime Auxiliaire de Transport, of Nantes. Measuring 2955 tons, it was 99 meters long and 13 meters wide. It was operated by a crew of 30 sailors.
In 1929, it was purchased by the Delmas-Frères et Vieljeux company. Requisitioned by the French government in 1939 to participate in the war effort, it was placed at the disposal of the Société Maritime Nationale and armed with a cannon. It participated in the Norwegian campaign in 1940, which earned it a citation in the order of the French Navy.
On December 21, 1942, following the agreement between Vichy Minister Pierre Laval and Reich Commissioner Karl Kaufmann on the provision of the French merchant fleet to the Axis forces, the Saumur passed into German hands. Transferred to the Italians, it was renamed Tolentino.
On May 21, 1944, while the Saumur was sailing off the coast of the Pyrénées-Orientales, carrying a cargo of iron ore, it unfortunately crossed paths with the British submarine HMS Upstart. Around 18 p.m. on May 21, the cargo ship was hit by two torpedoes, one aft and one amidships, which sent it to the bottom, between Cape Béar and Port-Vendres.
Today, the wreck lies upright on its keel at a depth of 46 meters, at the coordinates: latitude 42° 31′ 509 N and longitude 3° 08′ 018 E.
Despite the impacts of the two torpedoes, the ship sank in one piece. It is accessible to supervised N2 divers.
In 1929, it was purchased by the Delmas-Frères et Vieljeux company. Requisitioned by the French government in 1939 to participate in the war effort, it was placed at the disposal of the Société Maritime Nationale and armed with a cannon. It participated in the Norwegian campaign in 1940, which earned it a citation in the order of the French Navy.
On December 21, 1942, following the agreement between Vichy Minister Pierre Laval and Reich Commissioner Karl Kaufmann on the provision of the French merchant fleet to the Axis forces, the Saumur passed into German hands. Transferred to the Italians, it was renamed Tolentino.
On May 21, 1944, while the Saumur was sailing off the coast of the Pyrénées-Orientales, carrying a cargo of iron ore, it unfortunately crossed paths with the British submarine HMS Upstart. Around 18 p.m. on May 21, the cargo ship was hit by two torpedoes, one aft and one amidships, which sent it to the bottom, between Cape Béar and Port-Vendres.
Today, the wreck lies upright on its keel at a depth of 46 meters, at the coordinates: latitude 42° 31′ 509 N and longitude 3° 08′ 018 E.
Despite the impacts of the two torpedoes, the ship sank in one piece. It is accessible to supervised N2 divers.