Thistlegorm wreck

Construction of the ship
The SS Thistlegorm was a British armed Merchant Navy ship built in 1940 by Joseph Thompson & Son in Sunderland, England. She was sunk on 5 October 1941 near Ras Mohammad in the Red Sea and is now a well known dive site.The vessel was privately owned and therefore not classified as a naval vessel. She was armed with a 4-inch (102 mm) anti-aircraft gun and a heavy caliber machine gun attached after construction for war duty. She was one of a number of "Thistle" ships owned and operated by the Albyn Line. With her construction being in part funded by the British Government, however, she was destined for "War" duties from the moment she was launched.

The Last voyage
The Thistlegorm set sail on her last voyage from Glasgow on 2 June 1941 destined for Alexandria. She was carrying supplies to relieve the 8th Army in preparation for Operation Crusader. As Germany controlled the Mediterranean sea during this period, the ship had to sail in a convoy around the Cape to the Red Sea. In September, Captain Ellis anchored north of the Straits of Gubal at what is now known as Shag Rock near Ras Mohammad National Park.
The Suez Canal at that time was closed as a result of a ship collision. For two weeks the ship stood moored at this supposedly safe position awaiting instructions to proceed through the canal. The Thistlegorm was a sitting target for two German bombers returning from Crete. Allegedly they were searching for a large troop carrier, believed to be the Queen Mary when they ran low on fuel, turned home, and stumbled upon the Thistlegorm. They dropped two 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs directly onto the ship. The bombs penetrated No 4 Hold detonating much ammunition. The explosion killed nine crew members and was so forceful that it launched two railway locomotives stacked on deck into the air. They currently stand upright alongside the wreck at a depth of 33 m (108 ft). Thistlegorm sank immediately, leaving no time for the crew to operate the lifeboats. Instead, they jumped into the water and were later rescued by HMS Carlisle, another British ship moored nearby.

Diving The THISTLEGORM
The ship sits bolt upright on the seabed and is one of the most intact wrecks. As you land on the bows (only 1 5m) you see below you the starboard anchor run out to the seabed and the anchor handling winches before you which are now festooned with dazzling soft corals. The visibility in this area of the gulf can be variable between 20-25 meters. As you swim off the bow deck and down the stairway it is immediately obvious that this ship is both the wreck diver's and photographer's dream rolled into one. So many features are intact and recognizable and the encrusting life and fish species so profuse that initially you may find you do not know where to go next!

Moving down the ship you encounter the first of the steam engines on the upper deck with its boiler partially imploded and close behind are items of rolling stock. Adjacent are the forward holds, now without their hatches, which hold munitions motor cycles and jeeps at a depth of 22 - 25m. Beyond the holds you make a decision to either explore the bridge and accommodation areas or continue down the companionway towards the stern section. The bridge and accommodation areas are still very intact and safe to explore. This is the shallowest part of the wreck at 10 - 12 m, and everyday items from glassware to bathrooms can be explored.

The greatest damage to the ship is behind the bridge superstructure where the bombs first struck and the subsequent explosion tore into the hull. Here the holds are well opened up and below you are tracked vehicles, shells and land mines. But also watch out for some enormous resident Jew fish (perhaps 6ft in length!) who are both very bold and inquisitive. Beyond this badly damaged area you can see the stem section lying slightly to her port side. That 4.7" gun and a heavy caliber machine gun is still there, but now home to a selection of corals and sponges. The rudder and propeller are still in place, home to more extremely large groupers and maximum depth here is 31m.