Route de Porto

The Balkan was originally chartered during the Great War by the Fraissinet company to carry passengers on the Marseille-Calvi route, replacing more modern ships requisitioned when war was declared in August 1914. On August 15, 1918, the steamer Le Balkan left the mainland bound for Corsica with 519 passengers on board, including 300 soldiers on leave. On the night of the 15th, the ship was spotted by a German submarine. The steamer was torpedoed off this position. It quickly sank, taking 417 passengers with it. Only 102 survivors were rescued.