Also known as: Isolda, SS Isolda
"LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE" -- the words were painted in five-foot letters on both sides of the hull. It made no difference. On 19 December 1940, the Irish Lights tender ILV Isolda left Rosslare Harbour carrying crew and Christmas provisions for the Barrels and Coningbeg lightships. Three miles out, with the Saltee Islands off her starboard beam, a German Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor attacked without warning and sank her. Six crew members from Dun Laoghaire were killed. Ireland was neutral. The Isolda was on a humanitarian mission to supply lighthouses. She was 198 feet long, 734 tonnes, built at Dublin Dockyard and launched on 26 January 1928. The sinking remains one of the most poignant examples of the dangers faced by neutral Ireland during the Second World War.
On the morning of 19 December 1940, the ILV Isolda departed Rosslare Harbour with a crew of twenty-eight and seven relief men. Her mission was to provision and crew the Barrels and Coningbeg lightships for Christmas. Three miles out, a German Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor aircraft attacked the vessel despite the clearly visible "LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE" markings in five-foot letters on both sides. The Isolda sank with the loss of six men. Ireland was officially neutral during WWII, and the Irish Lights service was considered a neutral humanitarian operation.
ILV Isolda is a lighthouse tender wreck located off Wexford, Ireland at a depth of 50 metres. The vessel was lost due to bombing in 1940. The wreck is diveable.
ILV Isolda lies at 30 to 50 metres depth, Off the Saltee Islands, County Wexford.
ILV Isolda was bombed from the air on 19 December 1940 during World War II (neutral Ireland), off Wexford, Ireland. 6 people lost their lives.
Diving the ILV Isolda is rated advanced and is requires an Advanced Open Water certification with wreck diving experience.
The best months to dive ILV Isolda are May, June, July, August, September. Water temperature ranges from 8.5°C in winter to 15°C in summer.
ILV Isolda is accessed by boat from Kilmore Quay, Wexford, Ireland.
| Month | Temp | Visibility | Access | Marine life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9.0°C | 5.0m | poor | approximate |
| Feb | 8.5°C | 5.0m | poor | approximate |
| Mar | 9.0°C | 6.0m | fair | increasing |
| Apr | 9.5°C | 7.0m | fair | moderate |
| May | 10.5°C | 9.0m | good | good |
| Jun | 12.0°C | 10.0m | good | good |
| Jul | 14.0°C | 12.0m | good | excellent |
| Aug | 15.0°C | 12.0m | good | excellent |
| Sep | 14.0°C | 10.0m | good | good |
| Oct | 12.5°C | 7.0m | fair | moderate |
| Nov | 11.0°C | 6.0m | poor | moderate |
| Dec | 10.0°C | 5.0m | poor | approximate |
4 evidence records from 3 sources.
Off the Saltee Islands, County Wexford
Bombed by German aircraft off Saltee Islands, 19 December 1940. 6 crew killed.
Left Rosslare 19 December 1940 with crew and Christmas provisions for lightships. Attacked by German Condor aircraft three miles out. Six killed.
Built at Dublin Dockyard, launched 26 January 1928. 198ft long, 734 tons. Clearly marked LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE in five-foot letters.
Off the Saltee Islands, County Wexford