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The mystery of the sunken "Thistlegorm"
Underwater photographer Andrey Nekrasov examines the Thistlegorm, a British merchant ship armed fleet, which sank 6 October 1941 near Ras Muhammad in the Red Sea during the Second World War. Today this place is popular with divers.
For many years on the board, "Thistlegorm» (Thistlegorm) nothing has changed. Here, since the Second World War rusting trucks, trucks and motorcycles. The vessel did not have time to deliver military equipment and ammunition, it was sunk by German bombers off the coast of Egypt.
10 photos + text.
"Thistlegorm" was built in shipyards' Thompson and Sons "in Sunderland for" Albin Line Ltd "in April 1940. The ship was in private ownership, but also partly funded by the British government and has been classified as an armed freighter. Due to wartime "Thistlegorm" was armed with 4, 7-inch (120 mm) anti-aircraft guns and heavy machine gun after the construction of the ship. Based in Sunderland.
The ship carried three successful flight after his descent. The first was in the US to collect the steel rails and parts of the aircraft, the second in Argentina for the grain, and the third to the West Indies for the rum. Prior to his fourth and last voyage of the "Thistlegorm" was renovated in Glasgow.
"Thistlegorm" was involved in a secret operation called "crusade", the essence of which was that the convoy of 16 ships have to go around Africa to ensure the equipment of troops operating in the north of the continent. This route was much longer crossing the Mediterranean, but allowed British Transport without risk to reach Alexandria. Assigned to the freighter task was delivery of ammunition, equipment and technology for the Eighth British Army, there are 200 000 people, which was located in Egypt and eastern Libya. In May 1941, "Thistlegorm" with a crew of 39 people came from the Scottish port of Glasgow.
Truck on board the sunken British ship 'Thistlegorm'. Red Sea, the Straits of Gubal. Photo: Andrey Nekrasov / Barcroft Media
The ship was equipped with a cargo of ammunition, bombs of different purposes, anti-tank mines, rifles Lee-Enfield MK III, hundreds of motorcycles BSA W-M20, Matchless G3L and Norton 16H, cars Bedford, Morris and Ford, trailers, portable power generators, spare parts for airplanes and automobiles , medicine and rubber boots. Addition to the main cargo were two light tank MK II, two locomotives Stanier Class 8F complete with water tanks
When the "Thistlegorm" finishes its way into the waters of the Red Sea, were ordered to drop anchor in the Strait of Gubal, near the reef Shaab Ali and wait for an opportunity to pass the Suez Canal, is temporarily blocked by a German mine trodden ship
On the night of 5 to 6 October 1941 two German bomber Heinkel He 111, exiled from Crete to explore the British transports to supply the 8th Army in North Africa, quite accidentally stumbled into one of the bays at the entrance to the Gulf of Suez, at anchor transport "Thistlegorm" in the holds was a large arsenal of explosives - anti-tank mines, artillery shells, bullets and grenades. On deck were two light tanks, two railroad cars and two locomotives. At full moon, going from the stern, and without encountering the slightest anti-aircraft fire, they attacked him. The bombs were just the fourth hold, which was loaded with ammunition. Forage was cut off, the deck littered with debris. In 1 hour and 30 minutes the ship sank and sank with a roll of about 45 ° at a depth of about 30 m
For the first time, "Thistlegorm" was discovered in March 1955 by a team of Jacques-Yves Cousteau during his expeditions into the Indian Ocean on the research vessel Calypso. Follow the prompts local fishermen, Cousteau was able to find the skeleton of a sunken ship and picked up a few items, including a motorcycle, the captain's safe, and ship's bell. These studies are described in the famous book of Jacques Yves Cousteau "The Silent World" and the scene underwater wreck entered the eponymous documentary.
A diver examines the British ship "Thistlegorm". Red Sea, the Straits of Gubal. Photo: Andrey Nekrasov / Barcroft Media
Now tropical fish drift slowly past the twisted metal casing of a warship, which lies on the same place where he was shot down by German bombers.
Russian underwater photographer Andrey Nekrasov made a dive and made extraordinary images of a sunken cargo ship
Driving British ship 'Thistlegorm »
That's all, enjoy !!!
SOURCE HERE and HERE
Source:
For many years on the board, "Thistlegorm» (Thistlegorm) nothing has changed. Here, since the Second World War rusting trucks, trucks and motorcycles. The vessel did not have time to deliver military equipment and ammunition, it was sunk by German bombers off the coast of Egypt.
10 photos + text.
"Thistlegorm" was built in shipyards' Thompson and Sons "in Sunderland for" Albin Line Ltd "in April 1940. The ship was in private ownership, but also partly funded by the British government and has been classified as an armed freighter. Due to wartime "Thistlegorm" was armed with 4, 7-inch (120 mm) anti-aircraft guns and heavy machine gun after the construction of the ship. Based in Sunderland.
The ship carried three successful flight after his descent. The first was in the US to collect the steel rails and parts of the aircraft, the second in Argentina for the grain, and the third to the West Indies for the rum. Prior to his fourth and last voyage of the "Thistlegorm" was renovated in Glasgow.
"Thistlegorm" was involved in a secret operation called "crusade", the essence of which was that the convoy of 16 ships have to go around Africa to ensure the equipment of troops operating in the north of the continent. This route was much longer crossing the Mediterranean, but allowed British Transport without risk to reach Alexandria. Assigned to the freighter task was delivery of ammunition, equipment and technology for the Eighth British Army, there are 200 000 people, which was located in Egypt and eastern Libya. In May 1941, "Thistlegorm" with a crew of 39 people came from the Scottish port of Glasgow.
Truck on board the sunken British ship 'Thistlegorm'. Red Sea, the Straits of Gubal. Photo: Andrey Nekrasov / Barcroft Media
The ship was equipped with a cargo of ammunition, bombs of different purposes, anti-tank mines, rifles Lee-Enfield MK III, hundreds of motorcycles BSA W-M20, Matchless G3L and Norton 16H, cars Bedford, Morris and Ford, trailers, portable power generators, spare parts for airplanes and automobiles , medicine and rubber boots. Addition to the main cargo were two light tank MK II, two locomotives Stanier Class 8F complete with water tanks
When the "Thistlegorm" finishes its way into the waters of the Red Sea, were ordered to drop anchor in the Strait of Gubal, near the reef Shaab Ali and wait for an opportunity to pass the Suez Canal, is temporarily blocked by a German mine trodden ship
On the night of 5 to 6 October 1941 two German bomber Heinkel He 111, exiled from Crete to explore the British transports to supply the 8th Army in North Africa, quite accidentally stumbled into one of the bays at the entrance to the Gulf of Suez, at anchor transport "Thistlegorm" in the holds was a large arsenal of explosives - anti-tank mines, artillery shells, bullets and grenades. On deck were two light tanks, two railroad cars and two locomotives. At full moon, going from the stern, and without encountering the slightest anti-aircraft fire, they attacked him. The bombs were just the fourth hold, which was loaded with ammunition. Forage was cut off, the deck littered with debris. In 1 hour and 30 minutes the ship sank and sank with a roll of about 45 ° at a depth of about 30 m
For the first time, "Thistlegorm" was discovered in March 1955 by a team of Jacques-Yves Cousteau during his expeditions into the Indian Ocean on the research vessel Calypso. Follow the prompts local fishermen, Cousteau was able to find the skeleton of a sunken ship and picked up a few items, including a motorcycle, the captain's safe, and ship's bell. These studies are described in the famous book of Jacques Yves Cousteau "The Silent World" and the scene underwater wreck entered the eponymous documentary.
A diver examines the British ship "Thistlegorm". Red Sea, the Straits of Gubal. Photo: Andrey Nekrasov / Barcroft Media
Now tropical fish drift slowly past the twisted metal casing of a warship, which lies on the same place where he was shot down by German bombers.
Russian underwater photographer Andrey Nekrasov made a dive and made extraordinary images of a sunken cargo ship
Driving British ship 'Thistlegorm »
That's all, enjoy !!!
SOURCE HERE and HERE
Source:
