36:
22:
1147:
1130:
1142:
1122:
340:
was sunk by a French warship, which mistook her for an
Egyptian vessel, could not be verified because the passengers did not see any warship. Finally, the British were accused, either because they were not willing to deliver the military equipment ordered by Turkey, or to trigger Turkey's involvement
291:
According to the survivors, who later recounted the subsequent events, one of the lifeboats fell into the sea with people sleeping inside. The ship's electrical system went dead and her radio became disabled, so that no distress call could be transmitted. Some passengers fell and some jumped into the
122:
Delivery was delayed because of wartime difficulties. Nevertheless, the
British decided to make the submarines and aircraft available out of fear of a possible pro-German tendency among the Turkish statesmen. It was planned that both the delivery and the training of the military personnel would take
308:
could not get into the lifeboat. He learned later that the
British officer was missing. Most of the people who jumped into the sea drowned. The people in the lifeboat rescued three or four victims from the sea. They used a lifeboat's oar as a mast and a blanket as a sail. Although only 10 nautical
300:
did not operate. Meanwhile, some people already in the water climbed up the ship, as they did not expect her to sink immediately. People tried to dismount wooden toilet doors and hold covers for use as rafts. Muhittin Darga, one of the survivors, said in an interview given in 1983 that they waited
316:
Only then did the tragedy become known. Military aircraft and motorboats were immediately deployed to the scene. A search was conducted all day long. However, only four more survivors could be rescued. Of the 200 people aboard, the disaster claimed the lives of 168 people in total, while only 32
309:
miles away from Cyprus, a south wind drove them to the
Turkish coast. Those clinging to the makeshift rafts were rescued by boats that came along, while others who left their rafts to swim away drowned. 28 people in the lifeboat landed after 20 hours on the Turkish coast near
301:
aboard the sinking ship until 02:00 hours, and then jumped into the lifeboat; the ship was so low in the water at this point that the lifeboat was touching the surface. Around four hours after the explosion, the ship snapped in two pieces and went down.
196:
The ship underwent some minor modifications in great haste before the journey. She was fitted with additional toilets, cabins and beds brought from the naval school in Mersin. Turkish colours were painted on both sides of the steamer's
111:, but its proximity to the fighting made it decide to mobilize a large army in case the country came under attack. In the early stages of the war, the Turkish government had already ordered four submarines, four destroyers, twelve
360:
that the ship was sunk by the French, and the information was also recorded by military intelligence. After reports about
Mediterranean marine activities poured in, it became clear that the anonymous submarine belonged to
453:
resigned from the cabinet on 12 November 1941. The parliamentary investigation, concluded on 18 December found these ministers free of guilt. A further investigation found the responsible civil servants not guilty.
268:
weighed anchor, and sailed towards Port Said in eastern
Mediterranean waters with a total of 200 people aboard. Turkey was neutral so the voyage was considered safe and the steamer was not escorted by warships.
461:(TL) in compensation to each legal inheritor of the people killed in the disaster, 800 TL to each naval officer, 400 TL to each petty officer and cadet, and 100 TL to each seaman who survived the incident.
127:-controlled Europe and so it was decided to go by sea to Egypt, then under British control, and then to the United Kingdom by air. The British demanded for the Turkish mission to arrive by 25 June in
1229:
296:
Nevzat Erül came alongside the second lifeboat with a pistol in his hand and directed a rescue operation for 24 passengers. However, the lifeboat could not be launched because the
380:
However, disclosed documents from
Italian and German archives support an alternative story. A report published by the Italian Navy gives coordinates where the Italian submarine
328:
Turkey had declared its neutrality in the war eleven times before, and no country claimed responsibility for the attack on the
Turkish ship. Britain's ambassador to Turkey, Sir
377:
for a vessel of Free France. Later, although not officially announced, it is believed that French government handed over two of her warships to Turkey as compensation.
443:
450:
788:
1204:
1174:
707:
646:
674:
1169:
210:
547:
890:
193:
were available, each for 24 people. He concluded that the cargo ship was not suitable for a journey of this kind across the
Mediterranean Sea.
447:
159:) in 1931 by the Turkish owner. The 3,805-ton vessel was 102.20 m (335 ft 4 in) long with 14.80 m (48 ft 7 in)
1199:
104:
272:
Around at 22:30 hours, while the passengers were eating their rations throughout the ship, an explosion occurred as the ship was about 10
185:
Zeki Işın, appointed leader of the mission, inspected the 40-year-old, coal cargo vessel and reported his findings to the authorities in
1194:
356:
flew over the scene the next morning without reporting the incident to
Turkish authorities. He added that a French officer told him in
1080:
781:
201:
and also on the weather deck. In order to signal her identity as a neutral country's vessel even in the night, she was brightly lit.
1184:
757:
1244:
616:
493:
1224:
1150:
1146:
803:
439:
261:
boarded the vessel immediately before her departure, who gave the ship's captain İzzet Dalgakıran the necessary route details.
189:: the ship had insufficient cabins, beds and toilets for the estimated 170 passengers she was expected to carry, and only two
1239:
1141:
1137:
1234:
1219:
1002:
900:
830:
774:
336:
submarine operating in the area. The allegation was denied by the Nazi German news agency DNB. Another assertion that the
1086:
1209:
1074:
470:
123:
place in the United Kingdom. The direct air route from Turkey to the United Kingdom would have meant travelling over
1133:
1129:
1125:
1121:
1117:
60:
1214:
1179:
329:
254:
144:
382:
225:
and stood on Turkey's doorstep. While this pact angered the British government, Nazi Germany, its allies and
353:
393:
s sinking matches that information. The latest release by the Italian Naval Ministry admitted the sinking.
218:
35:
1012:
992:
401:
under the command of Corrado Dal Pozzo at location indicated as (36.08N-34.44E) in Italian naval records.
342:
116:
416:
551:
1092:
953:
230:
190:
1045:
1022:
840:
576:
1102:
850:
813:
766:
651:
293:
422:
and Walrus warplanes near Cyprus At (34-35 N, 34-56 E) on 11 July 1942. However, the command of
352:
Haydar Gürsan, one of the survivors, the ship was torpedoed twice by a French submarine. French
1054:
986:
753:
198:
88:
21:
870:
52:
1189:
258:
160:
474:
40:
679:
176:
143:, a cargo ship owned by the Berzilay & Benjamen Company. She was built in 1901 at
1163:
942:
880:
860:
624:
501:
349:
273:
250:
112:
931:
824:
458:
362:
333:
246:
234:
214:
164:
124:
108:
64:
974:
593:
366:
175:
on 16 June 1941 and arrived five days later in the southeastern Turkish port of
168:
963:
921:
310:
305:
27:
979:
426:
was under Lieutenant Gabriele Adolfi at that time. The Italian sailors from
285:
182:
128:
92:
80:
1064:
172:
910:
281:
226:
222:
357:
277:
186:
171:(15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) maximum speed. The ship departed from
76:
72:
617:"Kıbrıs açıklarında Refah Şilebi'ni torpilliyerek kimler batırdı?"
370:
297:
257:
cadets and two civilians. The ship had 28 crew members. A British
84:
34:
20:
39:
Refah monument from the south (The inscription is the message of
770:
245:
The Turkish military mission came to 171 people, comprising 19
221:. Meanwhile, Nazi German troops had already invaded the entire
438:
After the disaster became generally known, discussions in the
405:
and Italian Naval records show the submarine fired a torpedo.
217:
with his letter from 4 March 1941 to the Turkish president
95:. Of the 200 passengers and crew aboard, only 32 survived.
477:
of Mersin, which is situated next to the Port of Mersin.
442:
led to the opening of an investigation into the case.
332:, stated that the attack was made by a Nazi German or
325:
There are a number of speculations on who sunk Refah.
209:
On 18 June 1941, Nazi Germany and Turkey signed the
1035:
802:
1230:World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea
708:"Neutral Turkish Vessel Was Sunk by Italian Sub"
469:In remembrance of the victims of the tragedy, a
304:Darga added that the British officer wearing a
276:(19 km; 12 mi) east off the coast of
91:waters by a torpedo fired from an unidentified
797:Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in June 1941
752:(in Turkish). Denizler Kitabevi. p. 270.
782:
550:(in Turkish). arastiralim.com. Archived from
139:The Turkish government chartered the steamer
8:
675:"Turkey Bars Her Ships From Using Black Sea"
411:was also sunk a year later by the warships
373:; one of Vichy France's submarines mistook
75:, carrying Turkish military personnel from
789:
775:
767:
623:(in Turkish). 12 May 2007. Archived from
735:, Tempo yayınları, İstanbul, 1998. p. 89
288:. The vessel flooded and began to sink.
237:, relying on its secure southern front.
500:(in Turkish) (56). 2006. Archived from
485:
434:Political consequences and compensation
397:was sunk by an Italian submarine named
163:and 7.00 m (23 ft 0 in)
67:, in June 1941, when the cargo steamer
596:(in Turkish). Denizaltıccılar Birliği.
548:"Savunma tarihimizden trajik bir olay"
264:On 23 June at 17:30 hours local time,
702:
700:
698:
571:
569:
567:
565:
563:
561:
147:, England, and sailed under the name
131:to join a British convoy going home.
25:Refah tragedy in the daily newspaper
7:
611:
609:
607:
605:
603:
588:
586:
541:
539:
537:
535:
533:
531:
369:and Vichy France were fighting over
579:(in Turkish). Dünden Bugüne Mersin.
529:
527:
525:
523:
521:
519:
517:
515:
513:
511:
365:. In the summer of 1941, forces of
211:German–Turkish Treaty of Friendship
457:The Turkish government paid 4,000
14:
205:Unexpected political developments
1175:International maritime incidents
1145:
1140:
1128:
1120:
594:"Refah Faciası. 23-Haziran-1941"
577:"Tarih (3. Bölüm)-Refah Faciası"
546:Solak, Cemil (4 December 2008).
430:were recovered by the warships.
1205:Turkey–United Kingdom relations
1170:Maritime incidents in June 1941
213:that followed an invitation by
386:attacked vessels. The site of
341:in the war on the side of the
1:
43:, the chief of general staff)
448:Minister of National Defence
284:fired from an unidentified
16:A marine disaster in Turkey
1261:
1195:History of Mersin Province
446:Cevdet Kerim İncedayı and
321:Aftermath and speculations
1115:
330:Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen
255:Turkish Air Force Academy
233:) on 22 June against the
119:from the United Kingdom.
1185:1941 disasters in Turkey
647:"Turkish Ship Torpedoed"
494:"Bahriyeli Şehitlerimiz"
107:until the final year of
1245:Controversies in Turkey
1200:France–Turkey relations
354:reconnaissance aircraft
63:that took place during
1225:Turkey in World War II
748:Gündeş, Osman (2006).
229:started an offensive (
115:and aircraft for four
87:, was sunk in eastern
56:
44:
32:
1240:Egypt in World War II
444:Minister of Transport
38:
24:
1235:History of Port Said
1220:Shipwrecks of Turkey
231:Operation Barbarossa
750:Refah'ı Kim Batırdı
733:Türkiye'nin 50 yılı
504:on 11 January 2007.
473:was erected in the
280:. She was hit by a
1210:Maritime disasters
652:The Calgary Herald
554:on 1 October 2010.
440:Turkish parliament
348:According to Ret.
45:
33:
1157:
1156:
61:maritime disaster
1252:
1215:June 1941 events
1180:Combat incidents
1149:
1144:
1132:
1124:
1108:
1097:
1069:
1059:
1049:
1028:
1017:
1007:
997:
968:
958:
936:
926:
916:
905:
895:
885:
875:
865:
855:
845:
835:
819:
791:
784:
777:
768:
763:
736:
730:
724:
723:
721:
719:
704:
693:
692:
690:
688:
671:
665:
664:
662:
660:
643:
637:
636:
634:
632:
613:
598:
597:
590:
581:
580:
573:
556:
555:
543:
506:
505:
490:
392:
253:, 58 seamen, 20
103:Turkey remained
1260:
1259:
1255:
1254:
1253:
1251:
1250:
1249:
1160:
1159:
1158:
1153:
1136:
1111:
1100:
1072:
1062:
1052:
1042:
1036:Other incidents
1031:
1020:
1010:
1000:
971:
961:
939:
929:
919:
908:
898:
888:
878:
868:
858:
848:
838:
822:
811:
798:
795:
760:
747:
744:
742:Further reading
739:
731:
727:
717:
715:
706:
705:
696:
686:
684:
673:
672:
668:
658:
656:
645:
644:
640:
630:
628:
627:on 21 July 2011
621:Kıbrıs Gazetesi
615:
614:
601:
592:
591:
584:
575:
574:
559:
545:
544:
509:
492:
491:
487:
483:
467:
436:
390:
323:
259:liaison officer
243:
207:
137:
101:
31:on 27 June 1941
17:
12:
11:
5:
1258:
1256:
1248:
1247:
1242:
1237:
1232:
1227:
1222:
1217:
1212:
1207:
1202:
1197:
1192:
1187:
1182:
1177:
1172:
1162:
1161:
1155:
1154:
1116:
1113:
1112:
1110:
1109:
1098:
1070:
1060:
1050:
1039:
1037:
1033:
1032:
1030:
1029:
1018:
1008:
998:
975:Empire Ability
969:
959:
937:
927:
917:
906:
896:
892:Chevalier Paul
886:
876:
866:
856:
846:
836:
820:
808:
806:
800:
799:
796:
794:
793:
786:
779:
771:
765:
764:
758:
743:
740:
738:
737:
725:
714:. 26 June 1941
712:Ottawa Citizen
694:
680:Ottawa Citizen
666:
655:. 26 June 1941
638:
599:
582:
557:
507:
484:
482:
479:
466:
463:
435:
432:
413:English Protea
322:
319:
274:nautical miles
251:petty officers
242:
239:
206:
203:
151:until renamed
136:
133:
100:
97:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1257:
1246:
1243:
1241:
1238:
1236:
1233:
1231:
1228:
1226:
1223:
1221:
1218:
1216:
1213:
1211:
1208:
1206:
1203:
1201:
1198:
1196:
1193:
1191:
1188:
1186:
1183:
1181:
1178:
1176:
1173:
1171:
1168:
1167:
1165:
1152:
1148:
1143:
1139:
1135:
1131:
1127:
1123:
1119:
1114:
1107:
1106:
1099:
1096:
1095:
1090:
1089:
1084:
1083:
1078:
1077:
1071:
1068:
1067:
1061:
1058:
1057:
1051:
1048:
1047:
1041:
1040:
1038:
1034:
1027:
1026:
1019:
1016:
1015:
1009:
1006:
1005:
999:
996:
995:
990:
989:
984:
983:
977:
976:
970:
967:
966:
960:
957:
956:
951:
950:
945:
944:
943:Brockley Hill
938:
935:
934:
928:
925:
924:
918:
915:
914:
907:
904:
903:
897:
894:
893:
887:
884:
883:
877:
874:
873:
872:Kingston Hill
867:
864:
863:
857:
854:
853:
847:
844:
843:
837:
834:
833:
828:
827:
821:
818:
817:
810:
809:
807:
805:
801:
792:
787:
785:
780:
778:
773:
772:
769:
761:
759:975-00051-5-5
755:
751:
746:
745:
741:
734:
729:
726:
713:
709:
703:
701:
699:
695:
683:. 3 July 1941
682:
681:
676:
670:
667:
654:
653:
648:
642:
639:
626:
622:
618:
612:
610:
608:
606:
604:
600:
595:
589:
587:
583:
578:
572:
570:
568:
566:
564:
562:
558:
553:
549:
542:
540:
538:
536:
534:
532:
530:
528:
526:
524:
522:
520:
518:
516:
514:
512:
508:
503:
499:
495:
489:
486:
480:
478:
476:
472:
465:Commemoration
464:
462:
460:
455:
452:
451:Saffet Arıkan
449:
445:
441:
433:
431:
429:
425:
421:
420:
419:Southern Maid
414:
410:
406:
404:
400:
396:
389:
385:
384:
378:
376:
372:
368:
364:
359:
355:
351:
350:Group Captain
346:
344:
339:
335:
331:
326:
320:
318:
314:
312:
307:
302:
299:
295:
289:
287:
283:
279:
275:
270:
267:
262:
260:
256:
252:
249:officers, 72
248:
240:
238:
236:
232:
228:
224:
220:
216:
212:
204:
202:
200:
194:
192:
188:
184:
180:
178:
174:
170:
166:
162:
158:
154:
150:
146:
142:
134:
132:
130:
126:
120:
118:
114:
113:landing craft
110:
106:
98:
96:
94:
90:
89:Mediterranean
86:
82:
79:in Turkey to
78:
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
57:Refah faciası
54:
50:
49:Refah tragedy
42:
37:
30:
29:
23:
19:
1104:
1093:
1087:
1081:
1075:
1065:
1055:
1044:
1024:
1013:
1003:
993:
987:
981:
973:
964:
954:
948:
947:
941:
932:
922:
912:
901:
891:
881:
871:
861:
852:Van Meerlant
851:
841:
831:
825:
815:
749:
732:
728:
716:. Retrieved
711:
685:. Retrieved
678:
669:
657:. Retrieved
650:
641:
629:. Retrieved
625:the original
620:
552:the original
502:the original
497:
488:
475:Atatürk Park
468:
459:Turkish lira
456:
437:
427:
423:
418:
412:
408:
407:
402:
398:
394:
387:
381:
379:
374:
363:Vichy France
347:
337:
327:
324:
315:
313:lighthouse.
303:
290:
271:
265:
263:
247:Turkish Navy
244:
235:Soviet Union
215:Adolf Hitler
208:
195:
181:
156:
155:(literally:
152:
149:Perseveranza
148:
140:
138:
121:
109:World War II
102:
68:
65:World War II
48:
46:
41:Fevzi Çakmak
26:
18:
849:4 Jun: HMS
367:Free France
219:İsmet İnönü
125:Nazi German
71:of neutral
1164:Categories
1023:HMAS
882:Empire Dew
862:Tregarthen
804:Shipwrecks
481:References
317:survived.
306:lifejacket
294:Lieutenant
167:, and 8.5-
157:Prosperity
145:Sunderland
99:Background
28:Cumhuriyet
1151:July 1941
1103:HMS
1088:Natsushio
1004:Lauenburg
980:HMT
933:Alstertor
911:USS
842:Zealandic
826:Michael E
814:HMS
286:submarine
191:lifeboats
183:Commander
129:Port Said
93:submarine
81:Port Said
1138:May 1941
1101:30 Jun:
1082:Minegumo
1076:Kuroshio
1073:23 Jun:
1063:12 Jun:
1025:Waterhen
1021:30 Jun:
1011:29 Jun:
1001:28 Jun:
972:27 Jun:
962:26 Jun:
940:24 Jun:
930:23 Jun:
920:21 Jun:
909:20 Jun:
899:18 Jun:
889:16 Jun:
879:12 Jun:
816:Calcutta
471:monument
241:Incident
173:Istanbul
59:) was a
1105:Cricket
1056:Persier
1053:9 Jun:
1043:8 Jun:
988:Maasdam
965:Mareeba
923:Gasfire
869:8 Jun:
859:6 Jun:
839:3 Jun:
823:2 Jun:
812:1 Jun:
334:Italian
311:Karataş
292:water.
282:torpedo
227:Finland
223:Balkans
165:draught
117:flights
105:neutral
53:Turkish
1190:Mersin
756:
718:14 May
687:14 May
659:14 May
631:14 May
498:Pusula
428:Ondina
424:Ondina
417:HMSAS
409:Ondina
403:Ondina
399:Ondina
383:Ondina
358:Beirut
343:Allies
278:Cyprus
187:Ankara
177:Mersin
77:Mersin
73:Turkey
1066:Iowan
1046:Gauja
1014:U-556
994:U-556
982:Force
949:Refah
902:U-138
832:U-147
395:Refah
391:'
388:Refah
375:Refah
371:Syria
338:Refah
298:davit
266:Refah
153:Refah
141:Refah
85:Egypt
69:Refah
1134:1942
1126:1941
1118:1940
754:ISBN
720:2011
689:2011
661:2011
633:2011
199:hull
169:knot
161:beam
135:Ship
47:The
1094:S-1
955:S-3
913:O-9
1166::
1091:,
1085:,
1079:,
991:,
985:,
978:,
952:,
946:,
829:,
710:.
697:^
677:.
649:.
619:.
602:^
585:^
560:^
510:^
496:.
415:,
345:.
179:.
83:,
55::
790:e
783:t
776:v
762:.
722:.
691:.
663:.
635:.
51:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
