UJ 2207 – Cargo Armato

Originally launched in 1926 in France as the Islande, this ocean-going deep-sea fishing boat underwent multiple transformations throughout her life—eventually becoming a German submarine hunter during World War II.

Renamed Cap Nord in 1939, and later Ginette Le Borgne by the French Navy in 1941, she was confiscated by the Germans in 1942 while docked in Marseille. Refitted for war and reclassified as UJ 2207, she became part of the UJ22 flotilla, alongside the Marcella (UJ 2210), which also lies nearby on the seabed.

On 19 November 1944, while escorting the steamer Dominant from Genoa to La Spezia, UJ 2207 was struck by British torpedo boats in the Bay of Sestri Levante—and was sent to the bottom of the sea.

Wreck Overview

• Original Name: Islande

• Later Names: Cap Nord, Ginette Le Borgne, UJ 2207

• Built: 1926, France

• Sunk: 19 November 1944

• Length: Approx. 64 m

• Beam: 10 m

• Depth: Rests at approx. 37 m

• Condition: Broken into two sections

The wreck now lies in navigation position on a sandy seabed at around 37 metres, split into two sections near the engine room. It remains one of the most fascinating dives in the area for both history lovers and wreck diving enthusiasts.

Dive Highlights

The descent begins along the descent line, which leads directly to the bow deck on starboard side. From here, you can explore the fore section, where the deck reveals a large opening into the wreck.

Divers can access the upper structure (the castle) via a narrow staircase, where remarkably, some original features such as toilets, shelving, and accommodation areas still remain. The deck above sits at around 32 metres.

Although the original machine guns on deck are no longer present, shelves and scattered bullets are still visible around the gun mounts, offering a sobering reminder of the ship’s wartime past.

The aft section is detached from the main body and typically has reduced visibility, due to sediment being stirred up by the current. In between the two sections sits the boiler, still structurally recognisable.

The aft deck also features depth charge launchers (bomb catapults) and scattered ammunition, giving insight into the ship’s role in anti-submarine warfare.

Marine Life & Photography

The wreck is home to a rich variety of marine life. Among the hull and debris, you may spot conger eels, octopuses, spiny lobsters, and lobsters sheltering in the shadows.

Photographers and macro enthusiasts will enjoy the presence of nudibranchs, while larger pelagic fish such as snapper, amberjack, and bonito often cruise in from the blue, drawn by the wreck’s resident fish populations.