FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jennifer Sellitti
781-526-0733
[email protected]
DIVERS DISCOVER BOW OF THE M.S. STOCKHOLM, SWEDISH SHIP THAT COLLIDED WITH THE S.S. ANDREA DORIA IN 1956
September 14, 2020 – A team of divers from New Jersey-based Atlantic Wreck Salvage, owners and operators of Dive Vessel Tenacious, has discovered the bow wreckage of the M.S. Stockholm, the ship that collided with the S.S. Andrea Doria off the coast of Nantucket on July 26, 1956. During the collision, the Stockholm knifed into the Andrea Doria’s starboard side, severing a portion of the Stockholm’s icebreaker bow and leaving a gaping wound in the Andrea Doria. The Andrea Doria sank in less than twelve hours. The injured Stockholm made it back to shore under her own steam, without her bow, and carrying with her 500 survivors.
Steve Gatto and Tom Packer, who have been diving the A_ndrea Doria_ since the 1980s and share arrest rights to the wreck with diver John Moyer, were the first to see the _Stockholm’s_ bow since it sank more than sixty years ago. “It was awesome!†said Gatto immediately following the dive. “It took three years of planning with John Moyer, Tom Packer, and _Tenacious_ Captain Joe Mazraani to make this happen, and we are really lucky to be able to accomplish this goal. Finding the bow wreckage of the _Stockholm_ bow puts the puzzle together with the _Doria_ and completes another chapter in the history of this iconic shipwreck.â€
The team used side scan sonar to image both the Andrea Doria and wreckage believed to be of the Stockholm’s bow on August 8, 2020. A team of divers dived it on September 8, 2020 to visually confirm it was the Stockholm. The divers made the confirmation based on the presence and unique style of both anchors, internal bow reinforcements, accordion-style crumpling on the wreckage in the same pattern as seen in photos of the Stockholm after the collision, and the location of the wreckage near the Andrea Doria’s final resting place.
“No discovery happens in isolation. It takes a dive crew, research, and assistance from members of the larger maritime community,†said Packer. “Locating the Stockholm’s bow would not have been possible without the collaboration of Montauk Fishermen Paul Forsberg from the Viking Fleet, and Ben Mahler, who worked with the team to determine the location of the wreck.â€
Andrea Doria was built in Genoa, Italy by Gio. Ansaldo & Company. The 700-foot long passenger was the flagship of the Italian Line, a line of luxury transportation between the United States and Europe. Although she was not the largest or fastest ship of her day, she was regarded by many as the most beautiful and referred to by many as a “floating art gallery†with paintings, murals, sculptures, and tapestries by some of Italy’s most prominent artists. On July 26, 1956, the ship was steaming from the Mediterranean to New York. That same night, the 524-foot Stockholm departed New York for her home port of Gothenberg, Sweden. The ships collided in a dense fog. The Andrea Doria perished but the Stockholm’s bow was repaired, and she sailed as a cruise ship until this year, when she was retired from service for good.
The day after the Andrea Doria sank, investor and diver Peter Gimbel and diver Joseph Fox dove the ship to chronicle the sinking for Life Magazine. Gimbel and Fox’s photographs appeared in Life’s August 8 and September 17, 1956 editions and made the Andrea Doria one of the world’s most famous shipwrecks. Although handfuls of dive expeditions are made to the wreck each year, the Andrea Doria’s 250-foot depth and condition as well as shifting currents and low visibility in the waters surrounding the wreck make her an extremely challenging dive.
Tenacious has visited the Andrea Doria regularly since 2010. Moyer, Gatto and Packer own salvage rights to the wreck, and D/V Tenacious’ expeditions are part of their ongoing efforts to recover and preserve artifacts from this historic luxury liner and to educate the public about her importance in maritime history. The side scan sonar images show the wreck is rapidly deteriorating, which make salvage expeditions more important than ever.
The 2020 discovery team includes: Steve Gatto, Tom Packer, John Moyer, Joe Mazraani, John Copeland, Michael Dudas, Andrew Donn, Jack Lawniczuk, Mark Nix, Jennifer Sellitti, and Joseph St. Amand.
