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Said to be one of the most famous wreck in the World, the Thistlegorm is indeed simply an incredible museum piece. 126 meters long, lying at 30 meters in the Gubal Straits (West of the Sinai Peninsula), she offers plenty of possibilities when it comes to its exploration.
Wreck diving gives a large space to history as it is precisely history that you get to witness once underwater. A few words about the Thistlegorm
The story of the Thistlegorm, a British armed freighter started in April 1940. During that year & the first part of 1941, she went to US to collect steel and aircraft parts, then to Argentine for grains and finally to the West Indies to bring back Rum to England.
The Last Voyage started in the midst of the Second World War, when she left Glasgow for Alexandria in June 1941.
Instead of the classic route through the Mediterranean Sea, she undertook a long journey through Cape Town and then along East Africa.
On board the cargo included trucks, BSA motorcycles, ammunition, armored vehicles, guns, rifles and boots for the allied forces stationed in Egypt as well as two LMS Stanier Class
Ammunitions
SS Thistlegorm, Red Sea8F steam locomotives for the Egyptian Railways.
A collision in the Suez Canal prevented her from transiting through it so instead the Thistlegorm anchored at what is known as Anchorage F.
The discovery & sinking of the Thistlegorm by two German bombers in October 1941 was in a way a pure coincidence as these aircraft were not looking for her but for troop carriers…Still, they dropped two bombs which struck the freighter near the stern. The ship then sunk fast and one man, Mr. Rejda, saved most of the sailor but nine by swimming in and out of the wreck as it was starting to go down to get them to safety…
Survivors were then evacuated and the Thistlegorm with all her cargo & the two steam locomotive which were blown out of the ship by the explosion, remained untouched,
She was rediscovered by Jacques Cousteau in 1956 and then forgotten again until the early 90’s. The location of Thistlegorm is now very much on the maps and over the years it has become the most famous wreck diving in the Red Sea.
Diving time!
Actually cruising & sun bathing time first as the
School of fish
SS Thistlegorm, Red Sea Thistlegorm is located at about 3 hours by boat from Sharm El Sheikh!
As we were still approaching the location of the Thistlegorm, we were already fully geared up, ready to head for an early start in what is known as a busy diving location…Well, great surprise when we arrived as there was only three other boats when you would normally have up to 20 at a times! As mentioned in my previous blog
Red Sea, South Sinai: Getting lost in the colours! , it is truly the best time to come to Egypt for some diving.
The site is known for its strong current and as the bottom of the ship lays at 30 meters, Nitrox diving is simply the best option is you don’t want to end up with decompression time.
The diving takes place in two parts, first dive is exclusively taking place outside of the ship and the second one is dedicated to the exploration of the inside of the wreckage.
Exploring the outside of the wreck…
As you slowly go down along the mooring line, the first glimpse of the ship that you get is one that you simply don’t forget… The size of it and the story behind
it comes straight back to your mind, we were on for two very special dives!
Going down first to the sea bed, to see one of the two locomotives, I was impressed by the abundance of sea life in the area. Plenty of Jacks, bat fish and smaller reef fish, scorpion fish here and there, all in all a very good start. The steam locomotive looks like it came out straight from a museum and as you slowly go back toward the boat, cases and cases of ammunitions lies around and became a play ground for the smaller fish.
The date of 1921 on the back of some of the ammunition is clearly visible and brings you once more to the past.
The damages caused by the bombs are clearly visible with a huge hole and the roof entirely ripped off at the location of the impact. Bren Carrier tanks lie upside down on one side of the wreck, more ammunitions and bombs here and there and then as you approach from the stern which lies horizontally to the sea bed, you get to see the two anti-aircraft guns of the Thistlegorm.
As you slowly go back
Stanler Locomotive
SS Thistlegorm, Red Sea toward the Bow and start a progressive ascent, you can see what remains of the captain cabin, coal tender, torn stairways and then the anchor winch. By then you have gone up from 30 meters to 15 meters depth.
Temptation to stay a little longer is high but unfortunately you dive as a group so got to go up as a group too…
… And the inside !
Second dive, ready this time to discover the inside of the Thistlegorm !
Going down straight to the bow, and then inside through the hold no.1, we slowly started to explore the lower level, before moving to the upper level and then toward and inside the hold no.2 which has as well two levels.
The indoor space is quite huge and packed with the cargo which was to reach the Allied Troops stationed in Egypt 70 years ago… It somehow felt like going through an underwater museum, here some Ford trucks, Morris Jeep & Norton motorcycles some with side cars, there spare tires, more riffles, crates of medicines…As you slowly explore one room after the other, using the torch light as the main source of light
Bren Carrier MK II Tank
SS Thistlegorm, Red Sea allowing you to see your surroundings, you keep discovering more at every move of the light, up and down within the ship wreck you then further explore the inside with the visit of the bridge with the little that remain of the living quarters.
Bubbles are in there stuck inside the wreck trying to find a way out and in one place you even have an air pocket where you can have a chat with your buddy, quite fun !
On the downside of the indoor exploration of the wreck, a bit too many divers at a time (and I don’t even want to start to imagine how it must be when tourist will be back to Egypt!) including some quite inexperienced ones who tend to bang on the wreck every time they move…Not quite sure this is going to be of any help to protect this site and keep it available for the next generations.
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thedribbleman
Drew Prineas
So Jealous
I wanted to do this this year but couldn't cause I got stuck in the Egypt revolution. Words can't describe how jealous I am right now. Hopefully the whole inexperienced diver is for the time being because the dive companies are desperate for money so will take on anyone at the moment??