Wreck - Thistlegorm - Straits of Gubal - 1998

[superwide]

I got an email from a friend I have not seen in years today, he sent me this picture of me diving on the Thistlegorm a WW2 casualty in the Straits of Gubal, Egypt. I have dived this wreck around 8 times, its truly amazing. With some amazing overhead environment dives, everything from huge holds to small tunnels.

There are locomotive engines on the deck and around the wreck, an armoured Rolls Royce, Bedford trucks, armoured vehicles, Norton & BSA motorcycles, Bren guns, cases of ammunition and rifles laid muzzle to butt in one of the holds.

This is near the bridge if i remember correctly, he is going to try and find the rest, he took around 70 shots that dive.

Thistlegorm Built: January 1941, Joseph L. Thompson and Sons Ltd, Sunderland

Type: Steamship, single screw

Gross Tonnage: 4898 tonnes

Length: 415 feet/126m

Sale price: £115,000

Launched: 9th April 1940, by Mrs K.W. Black

Voyages:

1) USA to bring back steel rails and aircraft parts

2) Argentina, returning with grain

3) West Indies for sugar and rum

4) Final voyage to Suez

Crew: 41

Bombed: 6th October 1941

Casualties: 9

Cousteau's visit: 1955

Rediscovered: 1974 first known dive to wreck

Dive site: First publicised in 1992

Location: Safe anchorage 'F' in the Straits of Gubal

Depth: Deepest point at 30m

Shallowest point at 13m

Position: Sha'ab Ali 27 48.800 N / 33 55.250 E

 

[Ryda]

:O Sweeeeet picture mate, would love to see the rest!

That looks so good

 

[superwide]

Is this urbexing or surfexing? :lol: Looks fun, what's the visibility like in those waters? Look forward to seeing some more pix from this in due course.

The vis can be 30m+ out there but vis was around 20m on those dives.

 

[superwide]

A few more sunk in April

Apr. 6 Bush (DD-529) (destroyer)

Apr. 6 Colhoun (DD-801) (destroyer)

Apr. 6 Emmons (DMS-22) (high-speed minesweeper)

Apr. 6 Hobbs Victory (cargo ship)

Apr. 6 Logan Victory (cargo ship)

Apr. 7 LST-447 (landing ship, tank)

Apr. 12 Mannert L. Abele (DD-733) (destroyer)

Apr. 12 LCS(L)(3)-33 (landing craft, support (large) (Mk. III))

Apr. 16 Pringle (DD-477) (destroyer)

Apr. 22 Swallow (AM-65) (minesweeper)

Apr. 22 LCS(L)(3)-15 (landing craft, support (large) (Mk. III))

Apr. 27 Canada Victory (cargo ship)

 

[Maniac]

That's pretty cool. I'd love to do some diving one day, it's on my 'to do' list.

Thanks for posting that :mrgreen:

M