A British ship that was sunk by the Nazis in World War 2 has been transformed into a paradise for divers. The 413-foot-long SS Thistlegorm lies in the Red Sea after it was submerged by a German bomber aircraft in 1941. Now, divers can witness amazing sea life combined with underwater jeeps and firearms that have lain under the sea for over 80 years.
According to The Sun, the wreck rests off the coast of Egypt’s Ras Muhammad National Park, and is frequented by divers eager to explore its preserved military cargo. The ship lay undiscovered until 1952, when French naval officer and oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau located the wreck based on in-person tips from local fishermen.
German forces, including its infamous U-Boat fleet, targeted transporters that used the earth’s waters as vital supply routes during the war. The freighter was being used to carry military equipment and was heading for Alexandria, Egypt, when it was attacked and sunk.
The Thistlegorm was armed with a 4.7-inch gun mounted on her stern and a heavy-calibre machine gun, which was used for anti-aircraft defence. The freighter was classed as a Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship (DEMS), according to the National Maritime Museum.
In 2007, it was named as one of the top 10 wreck diving sites on the planet by The Times. The area is popular with divers who have the choice of meandering amongst the scattered remains of trucks, armoured vehicles, motorcycles, Wellington boots, rifles, aircraft wings on the wreck or more natural surroundings nearby.
The wreck also attracts tourists thanks to the vibrant coral reefs off the coast of Sharm El Sheikh and is located just 25 miles away from the Ras Mohamed National Park. The national park is home to over 200 species of corals and around 1,000 species of fish, as per the Red Sea Project.
Divers who explore the site and nearby waters could see tuna, batfish, moray eels, stonefish, and barracuda on their travels. Sea turtles have also been spotted in the region.
The wreck has deteriorated over the years due to rust and damage caused by mooring dive boats. In an effort to preserve the site, the non-governmental Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association stepped in.
A total of 32 mooring buoys have been installed around the site, and holes were drilled in the hull to release trapped air in December 2007. These measures were undertaken to ensure divers and historians could continue exploring the iconic WWII wreck.
There are many ships sunk since World War I, with some naval assets being lost in battles, while others have been scuttled after years of dedicated service to create dive sites and sanctuaries for marine life.
