Croatian Army rescues Roman ship replica stranded on Drava River

The Croatian Army has been deployed to rescue the ‘Danuvina Alacris’, an 18-meter-long, five-tonne replica of an ancient Roman galley, after it became stranded on the banks of the Drava River near Osijek. The vessel, valued at approximately one million euros, was grounded due to exceptionally low water levels and heatwaves.

Built by the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg as part of a European project to revive Roman maritime history, the wooden ship was at risk of irreversible structural damage. To prevent the hull from drying out and cracking, military engineers have been continuously watering the wood and securing the structure with wooden beams.

Eighteen personnel from the Croatian Armed Forces, including members of the Engineering Battalion of the Guards Armoured Mechanised Brigade, are managing the operation. They have constructed access routes and special sliding skis to move the vessel back into the water. The relaunch is tentatively scheduled for August 26, pending the arrival of specialized lifting equipment from Germany. Once recovered, the ship is expected to be towed to the transit port in Osijek before being transported back to Germany.