SS Thistlegorm Wreck

The Thistlegorm was a British merchant ship carrying supplies for the campaign in North Africa when she was bombed at anchor in the Strait of Gubal in October 1941 and sank in about thirty metres of water. She was located by Cousteau in the 1950s, then effectively forgotten until the 1990s, and her cargo is what makes her one of the most visited wrecks anywhere: Norton and BSA motorcycles still strapped in rows, Bedford trucks, Bren gun carriers, rifles, aircraft parts, boots and radio sets, sitting in the holds where they were stowed. Two steam locomotives that were carried on deck lie on the seabed either side, blown clear by the explosion. Divers should treat the ship as a war grave, since men died on her.

What you actually see

• Motorcycles in the holds - rows still strapped in place as loaded.
• Bedford trucks and carriers - vehicles standing in the cargo decks.
• Two locomotives on the seabed - blown off the deck by the explosion.
• The blast damage amidships - where the bombs struck the ammunition hold.

When to go

October to May for surface conditions; the site is exposed and trips are cancelled in wind. Early morning dives beat the day-boat crowd from Sharm and Hurghada. A long day trip, or a leg on a northern liveaboard route.

Honest expectations

This is an advanced site: depth, current and a long boat ride, and penetration of the holds requires proper training. It is heavily dived and the ship is deteriorating, partly from mooring damage and divers taking souvenirs. Nothing should be removed. Seasickness on the crossing is common.

Nearby

Sharm El Sheikh is the usual eastern base; Hurghada lies across the strait to the west.