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(Lee's Wreck)

Diving Information:    

• Sitting in an upright position and exposed at all stages of the tide.
• Ironwork is deteriorating, and liable to collapse - be warned.
• Proliferation of "Dead man's fingers" and sponges at stern of wreck.
• Resembles a garden, full of colour. Always fish around.
• Slack Water is best, high or low tide.
• Boat can be launched from either Strangford or Portaferry.
• Boat can be tied to wreck.
• Warning!! A notice has been issued warning of the wreck’s rapid deterioration and care is needed when diving the site.

Historical Information:

• Formally called the "Carso", and built in 1923 originally as an Italian ship, she was captured by the Allies in 1943.
• Built by Stabilmento of Trieste, she grossed 6,148 tons and measured 406 x 54 x 33ft.
• She was used in the D-Day landings as part of the Gooseberry Breakwater on "Sword" beach (British).
• After the war she was purchased by the breakers yard ‘John Lee’ operating from Ballyhenry Bay.
• The idea was to beach her at high tide, but the current caught her and she struck a rock and sank, later to break in two. The forward section was later cut away and scrapped.
• A depth charge was found aboard in 1996 and disposed of by the Royal Navy.

Source Publications:

Down Recorder article - 11/09/85	by	Dr. R. Brown
"Irish Wrecks Database"	by	Roy Stokes & Liam Dowling
"Shipwreck Index of Ireland"	by	Richard & Bridget Larn
		Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2002 - ISBN: 1900839970
"Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast 932 – 1997"	by	Edward J. Bourke
		Edward J. Bourke 1998 - ISBN: 0952302713
"Underwater Ireland Guide to Irish Dive Sites"	by	Irish Underwater Council
		CFT 1999 - ISBN: 0948283025

Other Sources:

Michael Montgomery		Castlereagh SAC (2005)
Randal Armstrong	-	Castlereagh SAC (1977)

Last update - 02-Dec-2005

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