Latest news with #Leukos
BBC News
14-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Irish trawler sunk by Nazi U-boat found off Donegal coast
The family of a young Irish seaman killed when his trawler was sunk by a German U-boat in 1940 say they hope the discovery of the wreckage will finally allow them to give him a Christian Duggan's uncle, Michael Cullen was one of a crew of 11 who died when the Leukos, an unarmed neutral Irish vessel, was attacked without warning by submarine wreckage was found in the Atlantic Ocean about 30 miles (48km) off the coast of County Donegal in the Republic of Duggan said they always knew Michael, who was 17, had been "lost at sea" but never that he had been a victim of Nazi Germany. For her, it was "very sad" that Michael's body had never been recovered after 85 years and may be lying at the bottom of the ocean. She said she was amazed the wreckage had now been found."Foremost in my mind is just, maybe, getting the remains of my uncle," Ms Duggan said."My [late] father, my [late] grandparents would, I'm sure, be delighted to know that a shipwreck has been found and maybe there's a possibility of having a burial for Michael."It might be just something I could do for my dad; he was his brother." Why did the U-boat attack the Leukos? The Leukos had been fishing alongside five British trawlers off Tory Island on 9 March 1940 when the submarine surfaced and opened fire with its deck a neutral country, all Irish ships, including the Leukos, were unarmed and clearly has never been proven why U-38 fired at the unarmed neutral Irish trawler, and left five British vessels his log, the U-boat captain Heinrich Liebe wrote: "I decided to administer a warning to one of them with the (deck) gun."At 21:13, and within about 200m of the target, the U-boat fired a single round at the ship, hitting her in the engine U-boat withdrew, staying on the surface for about one hour, until the ship are several theories about why it was singled out by the German is that the Leukos had positioned herself between the fleeing British trawlers in the hope that the U-boat would respect Irish that she tried to ram the is the view taken by the Irish Seamen's Relatives Association which holds that the Leukos attempted to ram the U-38 as it threatened the British fishing fleet. They maintain that this "selfless bravery" should be acknowledged by the British government. Downing Street has been asked for certificates for the lost crew were not issued until Leukos was only reported missing three days after the attack, when it failed to return to crew included skipper James Potter Thomasson, William Donnelly, Patricio McCarthy, Alexander McLeod, Thomas Mulligan, Andrew Pill, PJ Scanlon and Bernard teenagers were also on board, including James Hawkins, Michael Cullen, and Robert were from the Irish Free State (now the Republic of Ireland), England and name and those of his fellow shipmates are included on a monument unveiled by President of Ireland Patrick Hillery at City Quay in Dublin in 1990 to commemorate all Irish seafarers killed during World War was attended by the teenager's sisters, Dora Dobbyns and Winnie Sheehy, and Mary Duggan's mother, May Tierney.A painting of the Leukos is kept at the National Maritime Museum in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin. Former Irish Naval Service diver John Kearney, who found the shipwreck, believes the crew "died trying to save the lives of seamen in nearby British vessels".He found the wreckage about 12 nautical miles off Tory Island at the end of May and said a team of international forensics experts had authenticated the used an Atlantic Submersible 2, which took him and a diving buddy to the seabed."I could see the rudder, the propeller, the engine space but the wheelhouse had gone," he said. Mr Kearney described the crew of the Leukos as an "easy target" for the German navy because they were unarmed."They were the same age as my own children, they were young kids going to sea for the first time," he said."What they did was they saved a lot of lives on the other (British) boats that were there."They left Dublin looking to go fishing off the north west coast with an Irish-registered vessel and they paid for it with their lives."
RTÉ News
02-06-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Wreckage of Irish trawler sunk during WWII found off coast of Donegal
One of the first Irish vessels to have been sunk during WWII has been located off the coast of Co Donegal. The trawler, named the Leukos, was sunk by a German U-boat on 9 March 1940, killing all 11 of the young fishermen on board. The discovery of the wreckage was made by diver and submariner, John Kearney, who said they came across the wreckage "by pure chance" while searching for a different vessel. Speaking to RTÉ's News at One, he said that up until last week no one had seen the Leukos in 85 years and it was "incredible to come across it". Several of the fishermen who died were teenagers and Mr Kearney is hoping to make contact with any surviving relatives. "A lot of these young sailors came from Ringsend in Dublin. The oldest was only 28. We would love to reach out to any family members," he said, adding that they have "lots of footage" and images of the Leukos that they would like to share. "They were children but they were brave. They went out in those conditions and it wasn't easy back then to be on a fishing boat." It's not known for certain why the trawler was attacked. Mr Kearney said it would have had an Irish flag on display, indicating it was from a neutral country. He said a number of UK vessels in the area at the time managed to get away. He said anyone who suspects they might be a relative of one of the fishermen can contact the Inishowen Maritime Museum in Greencastle, Co Donegal or the National Maritime Museum in Dún Laoghaire in Dublin.
Irish Independent
02-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Wreck of Irish fishing vessel sunk by U-boat in World War II finally found off Donegal coast
Just over 85 years after the steam trawler Leukos went missing with 11 young fishermen on board, the wreck of the vessel has been located by diver and submariner John Kearney's commercial submersible in 105 metres of water. Mr Kearney, a former Naval Service diver, is now hoping to contact relatives of those who died in the attack – from Dublin, England and Scotland – with a view to laying a plaque on the wreck after further examination. Mystery has surrounded why the 216-tonne trawler was targeted by the German submarine U-38 (Heinrich Liebe), and whether it was trying to use its neutrality as an Irish-owned vessel to shield five British fishing vessels from enemy fire. Owned by the Dublin Steam Trawling Co Ltd, the Leukos had been working in Donegal Bay close to five vessels from Fleetwood, England, at the time. Video footage which Mr Kearney recorded from his submersible, Atlantic Explorer 2, shows that the bow of the vessel is missing – indicating that it may have been cut in two. The research website states that at 9.13pm on March 9, 1940, the neutral Leukos, under skipper James Potter Thomasson (28), was attacked without warning by submarine U-38 about 48km north-west of Tory. It says that the U-boat spotted six trawlers near Tory, and thought they were forming a patrol line. It says the U-boat had surfaced and fired a shot from its deck gun at the Leukos. The shot is said to have hit the trawler's engine room, and it sank. The U-boat waited one hour and then continued its patrol. On board with Mr Thomasson, who was from Dublin, were fireman Michael Cullen (17) from Ringsend, Dublin, mate William Donnelly (no age recorded) from Blackpool, England, apprentice James Hawkins (17) from Ringsend, Dublin, cook Patricio McCarthy (42) from Dublin and chief engineer Alexander McLeod from Stornoway, Scotland. Also on board were young deckhands Thomas Mulligan and Anthony Pill from Dublin, bosun PJ Scanlon from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, second engineer Bernard Smith (23) from Marino, Dublin, and apprentice Robert Sumler (16) from Dublin. The Leukos was only reported missing on March 12, three days after the sinking, when it failed to return to Dublin. A lifeboat bearing the ship's logo was washed ashore near Scarinish on Tiree on the Scottish west coast on March 21, 1940. Mr Kearney, from Baltimore, Co Cork, has been involved in many search, rescue and recovery operations in Irish waters. Last year, he acquired the first of two commercial Dutch-built submersibles, as the craft offers a much larger window for working at depth than diving. There are many stories about what really happened, as some say that it was torpedoed The Atlantic Submersible 2, which he deployed off Donegal last week, can take three people to a depth of 300 metres for 18 hours. It is currently undertaking a number of searches around the coast for the non-profit company, Fastnet Maritime Heritage, he said. 'I had obtained the drawings of the Leukos, and knew the reported position where it was sunk 12 nautical miles north-west of Tory, so I would say that without doubt this is it. I picked a really calm day last week and began diving at 4am. I could see the rudder, the propeller, the engine space, but the wheelhouse had gone. 'A pod of dolphins met up with us and accompanied us on the dive and to the wreck and halfway back into Lough Swilly.' Mr Kearney says the Leukos hull requires further forensic examination, if funding is forthcoming. Seamus Bovaird, a director of the Inishowen Maritime Museum in Greencastle, Co Donegal, welcomed Mr Kearney's confirmation of the vessel's location, and said the Leukos had 'almost been forgotten about'. 'The crew who came from Ringsend and Dublin would be remembered in this area, and a wreath was laid for it at sea by a Greencastle vessel some years ago,' he said. 'There are many stories about what really happened, as some say that it was torpedoed and others say the U-boat started shelling the fleet, while there is another story that the Leukos tried to ram the submarine.' A total of 18 Irish vessels were sunk during the second world war, the first being the passenger ship Munster in Liverpool Bay in February 1940, a month before the Leukos. The late artist Kenneth King was commissioned by the Maritime Institute of Ireland to paint the Leukos as part of a series organised by the institute's president Des Branigan to commemorate the role of Irish seafarers during 'the Emergency'. Maritime historian Capt Frank Forde reported that 136 people died aboard the 16 ships lost and 14 fishermen died on two trawlers, including the Leukos.
RTÉ News
02-06-2025
- Science
- RTÉ News
Sunken WWII vessel located near Donegal
Diver and Submariner, John Kearney talks about his discovery of the Leukos trawler off the Donegal coast.
Belfast Telegraph
02-06-2025
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
Wreck of Irish fishing vessel sunk by U-boat in World War II finally found off Donegal coast
Just over 85 years after the steam trawler Leukos went missing with 11 young fishermen on board, the wreck of the vessel has been located by diver and submariner John Kearney's commercial submersible in 105 metres of water. Mr Kearney, a former Naval Service diver, is now hoping to contact relatives of those who died in the attack – from Dublin, England and Scotland – with a view to laying a plaque on the wreck after further examination. Mystery has surrounded why the 216-tonne trawler was targeted by the German submarine U-38 (Heinrich Liebe), and whether it was trying to use its neutrality as an Irish-owned vessel to shield five British fishing vessels from enemy fire. Owned by the Dublin Steam Trawling Co Ltd, the Leukos had been working in Donegal Bay close to five vessels from Fleetwood, England, at the time. Video footage which Mr Kearney recorded from his submersible, Atlantic Explorer 2, shows that the bow of the vessel is missing – indicating that it may have been cut in two. The research website states that at 9.13pm on March 9, 1940, the neutral Leukos, under skipper James Potter Thomasson (28), was attacked without warning by submarine U-38 about 48km north-west of Tory. It says that the U-boat spotted six trawlers near Tory, and thought they were forming a patrol line. It says the U-boat had surfaced and fired a shot from its deck gun at the Leukos. The shot is said to have hit the trawler's engine room, and it sank. The U-boat waited one hour and then continued its patrol. On board with Mr Thomasson, who was from Dublin, were fireman Michael Cullen (17) from Ringsend, Dublin, mate William Donnelly (no age recorded) from Blackpool, England, apprentice James Hawkins (17) from Ringsend, Dublin, cook Patricio McCarthy (42) from Dublin and chief engineer Alexander McLeod from Stornoway, Scotland. Also on board were young deckhands Thomas Mulligan and Anthony Pill from Dublin, bosun PJ Scanlon from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, second engineer Bernard Smith (23) from Marino, Dublin, and apprentice Robert Sumler (16) from Dublin. The Leukos was only reported missing on March 12, three days after the sinking, when it failed to return to Dublin. A lifeboat bearing the ship's logo was washed ashore near Scarinish on Tiree on the Scottish west coast on March 21, 1940. Mr Kearney, from Baltimore, Co Cork, has been involved in many search, rescue and recovery operations in Irish waters. Last year, he acquired the first of two commercial Dutch-built submersibles, as the craft offers a much larger window for working at depth than diving. There are many stories about what really happened, as some say that it was torpedoed The Atlantic Submersible 2, which he deployed off Donegal last week, can take three people to a depth of 300 metres for 18 hours. It is currently undertaking a number of searches around the coast for the non-profit company, Fastnet Maritime Heritage, he said. 'I had obtained the drawings of the Leukos, and knew the reported position where it was sunk 12 nautical miles north-west of Tory, so I would say that without doubt this is it. I picked a really calm day last week and began diving at 4am. I could see the rudder, the propeller, the engine space, but the wheelhouse had gone. 'A pod of dolphins met up with us and accompanied us on the dive and to the wreck and halfway back into Lough Swilly.' Mr Kearney says the Leukos hull requires further forensic examination, if funding is forthcoming. Seamus Bovaird, a director of the Inishowen Maritime Museum in Greencastle, Co Donegal, welcomed Mr Kearney's confirmation of the vessel's location, and said the Leukos had 'almost been forgotten about'. 'The crew who came from Ringsend and Dublin would be remembered in this area, and a wreath was laid for it at sea by a Greencastle vessel some years ago,' he said. 'There are many stories about what really happened, as some say that it was torpedoed and others say the U-boat started shelling the fleet, while there is another story that the Leukos tried to ram the submarine.' A total of 18 Irish vessels were sunk during the second world war, the first being the passenger ship Munster in Liverpool Bay in February 1940, a month before the Leukos. The late artist Kenneth King was commissioned by the Maritime Institute of Ireland to paint the Leukos as part of a series organised by the institute's president Des Branigan to commemorate the role of Irish seafarers during 'the Emergency'. Maritime historian Capt Frank Forde reported that 136 people died aboard the 16 ships lost and 14 fishermen died on two trawlers, including the Leukos.
