MV Loredan

MV Loredan was an Italian mixed motor ship and auxiliary cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy in World War II, named in honor of the many admirals of the noble Loredan family of Venice.

Built in 1936 in Monfalcone, it initially served as a civil transport ship on several passenger/cargo lines in the Adriatic Sea. In 1941 the vessel was re-registered as an auxiliary cruiser in the Italian Royal Navy. In twenty-one months of service, it carried out a total of 193 missions, consisting mainly of escort services in the Tyrrhenian Sea. On 10 April 1943, Loredan left the port of Cagliari as an escort to a small convoy headed for the archipelago of La Maddalena. Shortly after the departure, the convoy was spotted by the British submarine HMS Safari, which proceeded to launch torpedoes at the Italian ships, sinking Loredan with nearly all its crew.

The wreck of Loredan lies on its left side, with the stern severely damaged, at a depth of between 52 and 67 meters (171 and 220 ft), on the seabed of the Gulf of Cagliari, at 39°08' N and 9°23' E. The wreck is a frequent diving destination.