Baron Gautsch

History

Baron Gautsch was an Austro-Hungarian passenger ship that sank in the northern Adriatic Sea on 13 August 1914, during its voyage from Kotor to Trieste, after running into a minefield laid by the Austro-Hungarian Navy. The sinking resulted in the deaths of 127 passengers and crew members.

On August 12, 1914, Baron Gautsch sailed from Kotor to Trieste for the last time.

Seven nautical miles from the Brijuni islands, Baron Gautsch entered at full speed into a minefield that had just been set by the Navy forces.

It was then that the ship hit the first mine, triggering a huge explosion on the port side of the ship that caused the tailgate to fly open and shook the steamer. Shortly afterwards, a second explosion occurred, probably triggered by a boiler explosion. Baron Gautsch heeled hard to port and quickly began to run fully. Baron Gautsch sank within about five to seven minutes after the first explosion. The Austro-Hungarian destroyers Csepel, Triglav and Balaton were nearby, so they were the first ships that came to the rescue of the victims. Together these ships saved 159 people from the water. However, 147 passengers, mostly women, children, and crew members, were killed. They were buried in the Military cemetery in Pula.

The Dive

Wreck lies at 28m deep in the sandy ground, and extends all the way to 40m.
GPS coordinates are 44°56.25′N 13°34.40′E
The wreck is near a lighthouse “Sv. Ivan na Pučini”, about 6nm, and around 10-12nm from Rovinj and Pula.
Suitable for: Advanced divers (Rescue Diver, CMAS**, NAUI Advanced Scuba Diver and their diving associations equivalents).

The Baron Gautsch wreck is on many top 10 dive site lists in Croatia.