The F495 is a small World War II German Landing Craft hit by the Italians and starting the siege of Argostoli in September 1943.
| Name Dive Site: | F495 German WWII Landing Craft |
| Depth: | 9-15m (29-49ft) |
| Inserted/Added by: | diveinkefalonia |
| Rated: | Rated 3.2, 4 votes |
| Specifications: |    |
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The German Navy (Kriegs Marine) F495 Landing Craft was bombed on its route to Argostoli in 1943 off the coast of Lixouri and recently discovered in August 2007 by local dive shops. She rests in shallow waters of 9 to 15 meters deep and was severely damaged. The sea bed composition is sand with wreck debris scattered over a huge area 250 meters long and 38 meters wide with fuel barrels, jerry cans, motorcycles and other cargo everywhere. Because of the shallow depth the duration of each dive is typically 55 minutes to an hour depending on air consumption. The wreck has now become home to a huge variety of aquatic life offering fantastic photo opportunities.
In World War II, Kefalonia was occupied by Axis powers. Until late 1943, the occupying force was predominantly Italian; the Acqui Division plus Navy personnel consisted of 11,500 soldiers and 525 officers under the command of General Antonio Gandin. The island was largely spared the fighting, until the armistice with Italy concluded by the Allies on September 8th 1943. On the 13th of September two German lighters/landing craft carrying soldiers and fuel for the German tanks and vehicles on the island tried to enter the harbour. An Italian artillery unit saw troops and large guns on the ships and decided to open fire resulting in direct hits to the F494 and F495. A great wreck dive with a lot of debris and metal scrapings littered on the ocean floor.
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