DIALA (1)

About

Completed 1938 as "DIALA" for Anglo-Saxon. On 26-02-141 slightly damaged by a torpedo from U47 in convoy OB-290. On 15-1-1942 torpedoed by U553 on ballast from Stanlow to Los Angeles in convoy ON-52. Here bow was blown off. Diala's drifting wreck was finally torpedoed and sunk by U-587 on 23-3-1942.

IMO number
1166601
Call sign
GJGX
Construction number
757
Tonnage
12.009 ton
Beam
18m
Length overall
147m
Year of construction
1938
Year of renaming/broken up
1942
Service for Shell
1938 to 1942
Cargo
Class
Flag state
Home port
Manager
Shipyard
Status
Photo(s)

Comments

Anecdotes

Date Visitor Anecdote
11/07/2021 - 16:57 David Beeston

Diala was built 1938 by Bremer Vulkan, Vegesack: she was 8106grt, 465ft x 59ft.
Whist I can find no actual sister ship link there were quite a few similar vessels built during the same period: all 465ft in length x 59ft beam, in fact 17 others.
They were Daphnella, Darina, Daronia, Davila, Delphinula, Desmoulea, Diloma, Diplodon, Dolabella, Donacilla, Donax, Donovania, Dorcasia, Doryssa, Dosina, Dromus, Drupa.
Of those 17, 12 saw out the end of the war i.e. survived and the remaining 5 lost and these were Darina, Donax, Donovania, Doryssa, Dosina,
Doryssa was sunk 25/4/1943 by the Italian submarine Da Vinci, presumably on the Europe side.
Dosina was sunk 26/10/1940 by mine in Queens Channel Mersey.
That leaves :-
Darina 8113grt 465ft x 59ft; built 1939 by Blythswood S.B. Co Ltd of Glasgow and lost 20/5/1942 on passage from Stanlow to Texas City.
Donax 8036grt 465ft x 59ft; built 1938 by Harland & Wolff Glasgow and lost 22/10/42 on passage from Belfast to New York.
Donovania 8149grt 465ft x 59ft; built 1941 by Hawthorn Leslie Hebburn and lost on passage from Lagos to Trinidad.
All possible sister ships are very much alike in specification but as far as routing goes I might discount the Donovania and maybe even Darina i.e. leaving a possible as Donax?
Reference the Flemish Pass wreck article I note the beam as 20mtr therefore agree that 59ft does tie in but wonder why you might consider it as a Diala sister vessel.
I hope this helps.

07/30/2021 - 18:29 DnRoberts

A vessel has recently found off Newfoundland in an area of the Flemish Pass. It seems to have a similar superstructure configuration to the MV Diala. Did the Diala have any sisterships last in the western Atlantic. Do any deck layouts/plans exist. This wreck has apparent bow damage and the superstructure is cut off at the aft end, IE no stern. Local media have covered the story this week with images. The wreck on sidescan sonar has a striking curved, layer cake front to the superstructure with no hard corners on front, only curves.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/flemish-pass-basin-...