Archaeological remains associated with the loss of this vessel are not confirmed as present at this location, but may be in the vicinity.
Event and Historical Information:
The DIONI was a steel-hulled screw-steamer, built in 1906 at Newcastle Upon Tyne by the Northumberland Ship Building Co Ltd (Yard No. 138). The vessel was 4227 grt, 360ft (110m) long, 48ft (14.6m) breadth, and 20.2ft (6.2m) depth, with 1 deck; spar deck; 6 bulkheads; passenger deck 31ft; boat deck 93ft; forecastle 33ft. It was powered by 3 steam boilers linked to a triple expansion engine producing 374hp, with a single shaft and screw. The ship was launched 24 July 1906 for German owners and had three name changes -ex LESVOS, ex VASILISSA SOFIA, ex ASGARD - during its service life. At time of loss, the ship was owned by G F Avdreadis and was registered at Chios, Greece.
On 8 November 1940, the DIONI was on passage from Dublin to Barry when it went ashore in Sandy Haven Bay. The Lloyds Casualty Reports note that the vessel was refloated, before being sold and broken-up. Further sources note that the breaking up possibly took place at Milford Haven, alternatively, the location could have just been within the Milford Haven waterway.
Sources include:
Larn and Larn Shipwreck Database 2002
Lloyd's Register Casualty Returns, 1 October - 31 December 1940, p.10 (g)
Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, 1938-1939, 73301: https://archive.org/details/HECROS1939ST/page/n255/mode/2up
Lloyds Register Documentation, LRF-PUN-W1256-0266-L: https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/archive-library/ships/dioni-1906-asgard-lesvos/
https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?208442
J. Whitewright, RCAHMW, February 2025.
This record was enhanced in 2020 with funding from Lloyd's Register Foundation as part of the project ‘Making the Link: Lloyd's Register and the National Monuments Record of Wales’. Visit Lloyd’s Register Foundation Heritage and Education Centre for more resources.