Combat Divers of Debrecen Explore Shipwreck
Szöveg: Sándor Galambos | 2012. május 29. 9:00After 60 years, combat divers of the Hungarian Defence Forces are to dive into sea again. They are participating in mapping the wreck of SMS Franz Joseph I, a battle cruiser of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy lying at a depth of 45 meters. WO Bence Miklós, S/Sgt. Zsolt Horváth, Sgt. Lajos Bíró and L./Sgt. Péter Hollós, the combat divers of the HDF 5th ‘Bocskai István’ Infantry Brigade 24th ‘Bornemissza Gergely’ Reconnaissance Battalion set out for the Adriatic Sea on May 25.
The ship christened “SMS Kaiser Franz Joseph I" took part in several sea battles until it was allocated to France after World War I. It sank at the entry to Cattaro Bay on October 17, 1919 when it foundered during a storm. The fact that it lies exactly on the Montenegrin–Croatian border makes the exploration of the shipwreck more difficult, so that for several decades, the Hungarian specialists had not received permits for documenting its condition. It was the staff of Czakó Diver Ltd that took the first photos of the battle cruiser in 2007.
Brig.-Gen. Dr. Gábor Böröndi, the commander of the HDF 5th ‘Bocskai István’ Infantry Brigade told us that through this exploration the Hungarian soldiers can contribute to learning more about a small segment of Hungarian military history and our national past. At the end of the expedition, the divers will swim to the wreck carrying two flags emblazoned with the coats of arms of the HDF 5th ‘Bocskai István’ Infantry Brigade and the 24th ‘Bornemissza Gergely’ Reconnaissance Battalion, in order to pay tribute to the memory of the former Hungarian warship crews and military divers who had served aboard the cruiser Franz Joseph I.
Beyond the preservation of traditions, the expeditionary dive will serve training purposes as well. Thanks to its location, the wreck provides an ideal opportunity to do extra deep dives that couldn’t be executed in Hungary. The divers will be able to practice underwater reconnaissance and approach missions. Moreover, the poor visibility – the result of sea currents and the sediment that may be stirred up easily – offers unique conditions for the training, as the soldiers can learn how to deal with emergencies during the diving.
Photo: Zsolt Molnár and the author
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