SS Thistlegorm: the wreck of a ship sunk during WWII loaded with weapons and vehicles

@ElentirENG ES 3·01·2023 · 23:48 0

The cargo ship SS Thistlegorm was launched on April 9, 1940 was launched in Sunderland, England. She was 126.5 meters long and 17.7 meters wide.

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The Second World War had started a few months earlier, so their journeys were at risk due to the activity of German submarines. Her first trip was to the United States to collect airplane parts, among other materials. In the following months, the SS Thistlegorm made another two voyages to Argentina and the West Indies, after which she returned to the United Kingdom, undergoing repairs in Glasgow, Scotland.

The SS Thistlegorm sailed from that city on June 2, 1941 bound for the port of Alexandria, in northern Egypt, captained by William Ellis and with 41 souls on board, including 9 Royal Navy gunners to handle the 100mm gun and 76mm anti-aircraft gun that had been installed on the ship as protective measures. The shipment consisted of a varied shipment of weapons and vehicles that included Bedford trucks, BSA and Norton motorcycles, aircraft parts, Bren machine guns and rifles, among other materials. The jewels of this cargo were two LMS Stanier Class 8F steam locomotives of 73 tons each. All destined for the 8th British Army.

Due to intense German and Italian activity in the Mediterranean Sea, the SS Thistlegorm sailed to her destination as part of a convoy that traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, where it was joined by the cruiser HMS Carlisle. When the SS Thistlegorm was moored at Sha'ab Ali in the Red Sea, waiting to sail through the Suez Canal, two Luftwaffe Heinkel He-111 bombers from Crete attacked the convoy, throwing two bombs against the freighter protagonist of this story. The bombs hit the ammunition stored on the ship, causing it to sink. HMS Carlisle managed to pull the survivors to safety. Four sailors and five gunners were killed, and the ship sank to the bottom of the sea with most of her cargo.

In the early 1950s, Jacques Cousteau discovered the wreck and managed to salvage some of its pieces, including a motorcycle and the ship's bell. Today, the wreck of the SS Thistlegorm is among the best-preserved wrecks from World War II, attracting many divers. You can see here the video of a dive by SCUBA ASMR published a month ago, in the one that is seen part of the ship's cargo:

Here you can see some video captures, in which you can see some of the trucks and motorcycles that rest in this wreck, at the bottom of the Red Sea.