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The ship - the Thistlegorm was a cargo ship and had been launched on 9 April 1940 in Scotland.

Technical data: length 126.5m, width 17.7m, displacement 4,898 register tons, power 1,850 HP with 10,5 knots, crew 49.

To have protection against attacking airplanes the superstructures had been strengthened with concrete plates. At the stern the Thistlegorm was equipped with a cannon and a machine gun, both leftovers World War I.

The charge - the charge, which had been loaded up in Glasgow, was intended for the British troops in Egypt. The goods loaded were important for the war; and in such a way under deck besides small armoured personel carriers also trucks, motorcycles inclusive hundreds of spare tires, trailers with generators, aircraft engines and wings as replacement for the Air Force, fuel and water container as well as rubber boots had been stowed away.

Furthermore naturally also the weapon and ammunition supply had to be ensured. Due to this the Thistlegorm was loaded as welll with carbines, ammunition boxes, mines, rifle shells, fuzes and the ship ammunition. On the upper deck two steam engines of the type "Stanier 8 F" inclusive coal and water waggon were fastened. The British "Universal Carrier MK II" armoured personel carriers were stowed away amidships. 

History - the special order of the SS Thistlegorm on its 4. journey had been to guarantee, in a convoy of 16 ships, the supply of the British troops. The fleet was protected by the cruiser "HMS Carlisle".

The name of this mission was "Operation Crusader". The Destination was the port of Tawfiq at the end of the Suez Channel.

The Thistlegorm left under command of captain Ellis the port of Glasgow in August 1941 and reached without problems the first intermediate stop, Cape Town, and afterwards the entrance to the Gulf of Suez. The 12'000 nautical miles long journey over the Atlantic was some much more safe, than the eight times shorter way over the Mediterranean.

The sinking - two German bombers of the type HE 111 noticed the British convoy at the west coast of the Sinai, at the Sha'Ali, on its travel with direction Suez Channel. Actually they were on the search for the transporter "Queen Mary" with Australian troops on board. One of the bombers immediately sighted a ship from the convoy- the Thistlegorm.

It was 1:30 o'clock at night, when the airplane was heard. At this time, naturally, the majority of the crew laid deeply sleeping in the bunks. The attaching Heinkel released two bombs, which tore an enormous hole amidships into the ship’s side. The hits were exactly behind the bridge where the locomotives had been fastened on deck. Eye-witnesses of the "HMS Carlisle" reported that the steaming boilers exploded immediately and scarcely 10 minutes later also the stored ammunition and the shining cartridges exploded like fireworks. One of the locomotives flew red-glowing with an enormous spark rain in the direction of the cruiser, but sank, however, into the sea. 

Scarcely 10 minutes after the first vibration the Thistlegorm was shaken by a further detonation, which separated the stern from the trunk and hurled pieces of the Thistlegorm onto the ships nearby. It is assumed that the loaded mines, torpedoes and the heavy ammunition exploded by the big heat. After this the Thistlegorm folded up like a Swiss pocketknife and sank.

The Thistlegorm today – Experience it with the DiveIN team

It had only been in the fifties that Custeau rediscovered by coincidence the wreck of the Thistlegorm.
After this the wreck remained 35 years untouched. In 1991 it was finally found by a group of divers due to a well planned search initiative.

The minimum diving depth at the bow of the wreck is 17 meters. The maximum depth of 30 meters is reached at the ship’s propeller. We always go down along an anchor leash, which is fastened by the dive guide to the bow of the Thistlegorm.

Normally one has to count with moderate, but partially even with strong current. The view usually leaves to be desired and lies on average between 10 and 15 meters. Actually the only possibility to dive the Thistlegorm in the early morning hours with good visibilities is to do it on a boat safari.

From the front, the Thistlegorm offers a ghostlike, almost gigantic view. The enormous anchor is still pulled up at the larboard side, the starboard anchor had unsnapped itself while the Thislegorm was sinking and can be found in front of the wreck today.

On the foredeck much is still intact, like the large windlass, the fastining cleats or the chain cables.

Partly soft corals and sponges are settling there.

While diving over the foredeck one passes at the foredeck cabins first. It is possible to dive through them. After this one dives through two opened loading spaces of the foredeck. Their hatches are missing. On the left and on the right are still the two tank wagons on the upper deck, which look like crushed cans.

One threateningly hangs over the first loading space. It shifted, when the upper deck nicked by the explosions. While this explosion the first tween deck collapsed also and the load masts bent over. Far and wide the derricks are laying now over the first loading space. On the right side the openings are large enough to dive into them safely. Here one dives over the trucks which are loaded with many motorcycles. Unfortunately most components of the machines as lamps, seats and steering wheels had been screwn off by many thousand souvenir divers, which had been here in the nineties. It is amazing that after 60 years all tires of the motorcycles and trucks are still fully inflated and virtually as good as new.

In the lower loading space are tires, generators and 303 Enfield carbines, which are rusted together to firm methal clumps. In the rear part of the 1. loading space lie hundreds of rubber boots, which were probably used, due to the enormous shoe sizes, for gas protection suits. 

At the second loading space one can dive at the larboard-side where some Ford WOT2A are rusting. After this the one dives through glass fish filled areas within the rear range of the foredeck towards the nave’s deck with former bridge and coachwork.

On both sides of the Thistlegorm, close to the ship’s side, large bomb-like-looking mine destroying devices and apparently intact three-axis tug-tenders are anchored.

The coachwork reaches upt to 17 meters, a mast snapped off to the left side and is beautifully overgrown.

It is also impressing to see the captain’s wash room, which is already considerably filled with sediment. In the bath tube tubeworms have lodged themselves. At the steel girders soft corals are growing. From the cabin one can dive through relatively narrow passages into middle lower deck.

If one dives towards the stern over the remnants of the chimney, one suddenly perceives the enormous power of the 2,000 kg bomb. Everything is torn up completely, the shop’s thick sides are completely bent. A picture of horror, nothing remained intact. An enormous hole is gaping between the front and rear part of the Thistlegorm. Here ammunition boxes, garnet fuses, large-caliber projectiles and torn up vehicle chassis are laying around. Despite the heat also a few large garnets and eight English ground mines with an explosive force of 400 kilograms did not explode and are lying around in the iron scrap mountain.

Besides the locomotives as well three armoured personnell carrier had been flung away due to the explosion. They are lying on the sandy ground around the destroayd part of the ship. The heavily demaged locomotives lie further away.

Diving further one reaches to the stern of the Thistlegorm, which is lying in a 50 degrees larbord sloping position on the ground. In the stern area the crew cabins und the washing rooms had been situated. Some of them can be dived.

The rooms are not that interesting; the holds at the foreship are much more attractive. But the coachwork at the stern is very interesting. Between the bent methal plates one find the way to the afterdeck.

In the lower deck area the reeling is still more ore less existent and covered with splendid corals.

The helm and the big screw are as well still at their original place.

Here is home of some big groupers. Scatterd around the stern one sees husks of artillery projectiles and besides of them the spaghetti-shaped propelling charge of the missiles.

At the upper deck still the air defence canons are present.

Dumb witnesses of World War II.

The Thistlegorm is one of the most intersting and biggest ships which can be dived in the Red Sea. The wreck can be dived easily – despite the depth and currents. 

Enjoy with us of the DiveIN Divecenter Dahab this unique experience in the context of a daily boat tour ore a more-days dive safari.

For more information please look at the menu at “program & prices”.

Thistlegorm with
DiveIN
Divecenter
Dahab

Experience and Enjoy
the Red Sea.

Explore with us the Thistlegorm e.g. in the context of a one-week boat safari north tour on the King Snefro 4/5/6.

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