#himara

The sinking of the Greek passenger steamer “Himara” on January 19, 1947 near South Evia, with a loss of at least 383 people, has been written into history as the “Greek Titanic”.

Previously named “Hertha”, the vessel was handed over to Greece from Germany after WWII as a form of war reparations.

The Himara set sail at 8:30 in the morning of January 18, 1947 from Thessaloniki, with 544 passengers and 86 crew on board, headed for the Athenian port of Piraeus.

Because of the civil war which was raging in Greece at the time, traveling by sea was considered the safest option for the thousands who needed to visit the country’s two largest cities.

While sailing off south Evia Island in thick fog in the early hours of January 19, the ship suddenly struck a rocky islet between the Evian towns of Stira and Agia Marina.

The collision caused water to immediately begin to gush into the Himara’s hull, and the ship quickly became unable to make any headway.

Region of Himara.