TCG Atılay
Atılay underway at sea
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History | |
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Turkey | |
Name | TCG Atılay |
Builder | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
Laid down | 14 August 1937[1][unreliable source?] |
Launched | 1938 |
Status | Mined and sunk 14 July 1942 |
General characteristics [2] | |
Class and type | Ay-class submarine (model:Germania) |
Displacement | 934 long tons (949 t) surfaced 1,210 long tons (1,230 t) submerged |
Length | 80.0 m (262 ft 6 in) |
Beam | 6.40 m (21 ft 0 in) |
Draught | 4.26 m (14 ft 0 in) |
Propulsion | 2 shafts
Burmeister & Wain diesels: 3,500 bhp (2,600 kW) 2 electric motors: 1,000 shp (750 kW) |
Speed | 20 kn (23 mph; 37 km/h) surfaced 9 kn (10 mph; 17 km/h) dived |
Armament | 6× 533 mm (21 inch) torpedo tubes
1× 100 mm gun 1× 20 mm anti-aircraft gun |
TCG Atılay was a submarine of the Turkish Navy, which sank on 14 July 1942. Its wreck was located after more than 50 years.
She was built at Germaniawerft, Kiel, being launched in 1938.[2] Her name was chosen as Atılay personally by a written decree of the founder of the modern Turkey President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938). Her sister submarines were named , Batıray and . She was commissioned on 19 May 1939. The submarine was 80 m (260 ft) long and her full crew was 52.[3][unreliable source?]
Sinking[]
On 14 July 1942, Atılay was tasked by the Fleet Command to conduct testing on underwater magnetic security lines in the Dardanelles Strait.[4] Carrying 38 crew,[4] she was commanded by LCdr Sadi Gürcan.[3]
The vessel came to Çanakkale and moored around 7:30 hours local time. After a briefing held between 8:00 and 9:00, she dived in Morto Bay at 14:30 to leave the Strait, accompanied by a security boat on the surface. However, due to bad weather conditions, the escort boat soon lost its contact with the submarine.[4] As the submarine did not return in due time, two navy boats were sent for search and rescue operation. At 20:30, the submarine's rescue buoy was found. The emergency station of the navy was, however, unable to establish a telephone contact with the submarine although the telephone in the rescue buoy was intact.[3] A seaman named Ahmet Bağdat, who had disembarked for crew rations, was the only one to survive the disaster.[4] The fate of the submarine remained unknown for years.[5]
Aftermath[]
In 1994 after more than 50 years, Selçuk Kolay, with the support of the "Rahmi M. Koç Foundation for Museum Studies and Culture",[6][unreliable source?] found in a two-and-half-month research the exact location of the wreck of Atılay.[5] She was 5 km (3.1 mi) offshore and was lying at a depth of 68 m (223 ft). A 1.5-metre-wide (4.9 ft) hole in the hull proved that she hit a naval mine. It is assumed that the mine was a World War I munition, which was laid during the Dardanelles Campaign.[7][8]
A crew member, Warrant officer Fethi Yüceses, was the husband of Hamiyet Yüceses, a well-known Turkish singer. After the 14 July event, she released a song Gitti de Gelmeyiverdi ("He Went and Didn't Return"), which became a popular song of the time.[3]
Museum project[]
In the general congress of Chambers of Shipping a project was proposed by the architect Kaya Şener. According to this project the submarine will be relocated in 30 meters depth and a museum will be established in the submarine. [9] So far the project is not realised.
Citations[]
- ^ Black and white page (in Turkish)
- ^ a b Gardiner & Chesneau 1980, p. 408
- ^ a b c d "Atılay Faciası 14.Temmuz.1942" (in Turkish). Denizaltıcılar Birliği. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
- ^ a b c d "Tarihte bugün: 14 Temmuz". (in Turkish). 2008-07-14. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
- ^ a b "Esrarengiz denizaltı 83 yıl sonra bulundu". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 1999-01-01. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
- ^ "Atatürk'ün adını verdiği ilk denizaltımız Atılay" (in Turkish). Kurucaşile Tarih Araştırmaları. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
- ^ "Denizin derinliklerinde". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2001-07-20. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
- ^ Bartın newspaper (in Turkish)
- ^ Tourism news
References[]
- Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Robert, eds. (1980). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Turkish submarine Atılay. |
- Ships built in Istanbul
- 1938 ships
- Ay-class submarines
- Maritime incidents in Turkey
- 1942 in Turkey
- Maritime incidents in July 1942
- Shipwrecks in the Dardanelles
- Çanakkale Province
- Ships sunk by mines