THISTLEGORM Dive Site | THISTLEGORM Wreck
The SS Thistlegorm was built in 1940 in England by Thomson & Sons. It measures 131 metre long and 17.5wide. Coming from Cape Town, loaded with war material ( ammunitions, mines, locomotive, tank cars, motor bikes, boots, medicine etc.) to supply the British troops in North Africa.
German bombers coming from Crete on October 6, 1941 attacked it, the bombs hit the aft hold. The remains of this tremendous explosion can still be seen, it Hs become the area’s most sought after wreck.
Thistlegorm was build to transport refurbished wartime materials for the British troops. In May1941 with a crew of 39 men it had left the port of Glasgow. Scotland, with a cargo of munitions, bombs of different kinds, anti tank mines, Lee Enfield MKIIIrifles, a hundred of BSA motorcycles, BSA W-M20, Matchless G3L and Norton 16H, Bedford, Morris and Ford trucks, two light Bern Carrier Mk IItanks, Two steam Stanier 8 F locomotives complete with two coal tenders and water tankers necessary for travel in desert zones, transport trucks portable field generators, spare parts for airplanes and automobiles, medicine, tyres and rubber boots. The cargo was destined for British 8th Army stationed in Egypt and Cyrenaica(Libya): yet the German forces controlled the Mediterranean so circumnavigating Africa and passing through the Suez Canal to reach the port of Alexandria was considered safer route, The Thistelgorm was already on its way up to the Red Sea when it received the order to anchor Gubal and wait as the Suez Canal was temporarily obstructed by a vassal that had hit a German mine. On the night of 5-6th October two German Heinkel Helll bombers, coming from their base in Crete, Sighted and attacked the ship. It was hit by two bombs on hold no 4 where the munitions deposit was situated. The explosion was very violent and tore the ship in two whilst the locomotives, despite their weight of 126tons each and the fact they were tied to the deck, were catapulted into the air, sinking to seabed about 30mat 1.30am on 6th Oct 1941. It was Jacques-Yves Cousteau with his ship Calypso who discovered the wreck in 1955 and who mentioned it in an article published in February 1956 in the monthly National Geographic Magazine, however, did not reveal the position of the wreck, thus it went forgotten for almost 40 years until 1992 was rediscovered by an Israeli skipper. In a short time a great favorite with scuba divers from all over the world and is now the most visited wreck in the whole Red Sea.
Exploration of the ship is usually done in two phases. The 1st dive is a general tour of the wreck resting in its NW-SE position: the 2nd dive includes penetration of the holds. Descent and ascents are done along the ropes with which dive boat is moored to the wreck. Visibility is not always good and tidal currents from bow to stern can be present sometimes very strong.