The Thistlegorm
A British supply ship sunk in 1941, with its motorcycles and trucks still in the holds.
- Where
- Near Ras Mohammed, South Sinai
- Length
- Full day by boat
- Needs
- A certification suited to about 30 m, and recent dives
The story
The SS Thistlegorm was a British cargo steamship built in Sunderland in 1940. She was carrying military supplies for the Allied campaign in North Africa, including motorcycles, trucks, rifles and railway locomotives, when German bombers hit her on 6 October 1941 (Wikipedia).
She lies at about 30 m near Ras Mohammed. The wreck has been surveyed and documented in three dimensions (The Thistlegorm Project). Men of her crew and gun crew died that night; dive it with that in mind.
What happens
A briefing on the ship, its cargo and the night it sank, before you enter the water.
Descend the line to the wreck with a guide who knows its current.
See the cargo in the holds: motorcycles, trucks and the parts of a war supply run.
A second dive or a surface interval to go over what you saw.
A proposed shape, not a fixed programme. The final arrangements and order are agreed before booking.
Who it suits
A diving certification at a level suited to about 30 m, recent experience and comfort in current. We ask for your certificate and log, and so will the dive centre.
- Previous experience
- A certification suited to about 30 m, and recent dives
- Minimum age
- Set by your certification and the dive centre
- Best season
- Year-round, weather and current permitting
- What you see
- Motorcycles, trucks and the cargo of a 1941 supply ship
Time and travel
- Starting location
- Sharm El Sheikh
- Total time
- Full day by boat
- Active time
- Usually two dives
Times are planning estimates. Confirm pickup, travel from your accommodation and the time you need to be back. Our effort judgement: active.
Our recommendation
Most listings sell it as a famous dive. We brief it as history: whose ship, what cargo, and the men who died with her.
What we confirm before you go
- A dive centre licensed through CDWS, with a guide who dives the wreck regularly
- Your certification level and your last dive
- Weather and current on the day; the boat may not go
Every item is settled in writing before anything is arranged.
Where it fits
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Questions?
Ask about The Thistlegorm
Tell us your dates, where you will be and who is coming. We confirm the host, the timing, the price for your party and the terms before anything is booked.
Sources and review
Reviewed on by Deluxe Trips Egypt. Facts are attributed to their sources; where we give a judgement, we say so. Arranged on request; we confirm every detail before anything is booked.
Photography credits (5)
Wikicomman, CC BY-SA 4.0; Igorgalli, CC BY-SA 4.0; cattan2011, CC BY 2.0; Lars Plougmann, CC BY-SA 2.0; Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and cropped for display.
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