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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;jaceravone, post: 600501, member: 9474&quot;]Some really neat WWII history down there.&nbsp; There are many sunken ships that surround the island and one of the most famous is the sinking of the German ship Antilla.&nbsp; Here is a brief summary.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial"><b>ANTILLA</b></font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial"><b></b>The Antilla, also known as the German Freighter Wreck, or Ghost Ship, was</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">397 feet long, had a 55.4 foot beam, weighed 2,164 net tons, and 4,400</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">gross tons. She was built in 1939 by Finkenwarder at Hamburg and was</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">powered by two steam turbines. Although she was a brand new German</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">vessel, the Antilla was sunk intentionally but not to make a dive site or fish</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">haven. She was an unarmed ship used by the Germans to supply their</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">submarines during WW II and was nick-named Ghost Ship by the allies</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">who were never able to locate and attack the ship outside of neutral waters.</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">When Germany invaded Holland in May of 1940, the Antilla was moored</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">just off the shore of Aruba which is a Dutch territory. The local law</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">enforcement immediately asked for her surrender but gave her captain a</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">day to think about it. That night the Antilla was scuttled in order to prevent</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">the ship&#039;s capture. Her captain and crew were detained for the rest of the</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">war in a prisoner of war camp on the island of Bonaire.</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">The Antilla now rests in 50 to 60 feet of water off the south side of Aruba.</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">She is one of the largest wrecks in the Caribbean and rests intact on a</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">sand bottom. This dive is very interesting for beginner and experienced</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">divers alike. Due to the large compartments of this vessel, this is a great</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">wreck for penetration. Many of these compartments are unopened, and,</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">therefore, remain unexplored. Visibility is good but not great, averaging 30</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">to 60 feet. Marine life is abundant on the wreck, she is covered with</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">giant tube sponges and coral formations. The Antilla is also surrounded by</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">rock lobsters and all other types of tropical fish. Night dives at this site</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">are great for macro photography. Many little critters can be found to</font></span></p><p><span style="color: #808000"><font face="Arial">photograph, including banded coral shrimp, arrow crabs, and hermit crabs.</font></span>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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