S/S Thistlegorm

25 images available

Updated 8th. of August, 2005

Stocklist

The S/S Thistlegorm left the port of Glasgow in Scotland, May, 1941, loaded with supplies for the British 8th. Army in Egypt and North Africa. Because the Germans controlled the Mediterranien Sea at that time, it was considered safer to go arround the African continent, up through the Red Sea, to enter the port of Alexandria.
In the night between the 5-6th. of October, 2 german warplanes (Heinkel HE 111 bomber) discovered the Thistlegorm, anchored in the Strait of Gubal, waiting to go through the Suez-channel. The german warplanes attacked the ship, that was hit in hold number 4, which was heavy loaded withdifferent kind of ammunition.
Among a lot of other things, a 126ton locomotive, tied to the deck was catapulted into the air by the heavy exsplosion and can be found about 30m away from the wreck. Thistlegorm was devided in 2 parts by the explosion and sank in an upright position on a flat, sandy seabed at 30m of depth.
The wreck was found in 1955 by the famous Captain, Jacques Cousteau, but he never revealed the position and the wreck remained untouched until 1992, when it was rediscovered by an Israelian skipper.
On a trip to Egypt, 2005, I had the oppertunity to dive this wreck twice. The first dive was on the outside of the wreck. On the second dive we penetrated through the lower holds that is filled up with Bedford trucks, BSA-motorcycles, spareparts for jeeps, planes, etc. A fantastic experience I'll never forget.