The Thistlegorm
A British supply ship sunk in 1941, with its motorcycles and trucks still in the holds.
- Where
- Near Ras Mohammed, South Sinai
- Proposed length
- Full day by boat
- Nerve
- Nerve: Qualified
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.
Our judgement: 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 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 host sets the order on the day.
What it asks of you
- Nerve: CuriousAnyone who is curious. You sit, watch, try and ask.
- Nerve: BoldPhysically demanding or unnerving: steep, tight, deep, hot or remote.
- Nerve: QualifiedA certificate is required before you start. We ask for it, and so will the operator.This experience
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.
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
Where it fits
More in water
Ask about it
Tell us your dates and where you will be. We confirm the host, the timing and the terms before anything is booked.
Your Egypt, your pace
Request a quote
Tell us your dates and party size. A quote will confirm the itinerary, total price, inclusions and cancellation terms before you decide.
Sending a request does not make a booking or reserve availability.
Sources and review
Reviewed on by Deluxe Trips Egypt. Facts are attributed to their sources; where we give a judgement, we say so. This page names no host, school, boat or workshop.
Photo: Wikicomman, CC BY-SA 4.0
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