Red Sea

The Giannis D was a cargo ship of 2,992 GRT originally built as the Shoyo Maru at Kuryshima Dock Company of Imabari, Japan and completed in September of 1969. The ship was 99.5 meters in length, 16 meters in beam, 6.53 meters in draught. Propulsion was provided by a 6-cylinder diesel engine provided by Akasaka Tekkosho KK of Yaizu, Japan, which delivered 3,000 BHP to a single shaft and propeller for a top speed of 12 knots. The ship had two cargo holds located forward of the superstructure, which is located aft, and contained the pilothouse and crew accommodations with workshops and the engineering spaces also located aft below the main deck.

The ship sailed under the name of Shoyo Maru until being sold in 1975 and renamed the Markus. The ship was sold again in 1980 to the Dumarc Shipping and Trading Corporation, Piraeus, Greece, and renamed the Giannis “D”

The Chrisoula K began life as the 3,720 or 3,807 GRT Cargo Ship Dora Oldendorff built at Orenstein, Koppel and Luebekker, Lübeck, Germany for Egon Oldendorff’s growing post-WWII fleet. Launched 16 December 1953 and completed early in 1954, she was 98 meters in length, 14.8 meters in beam, 9 meters in draught, with a single 2,700 bhp 9-cylinder diesel engine from Masch, Augsburg-Nuermbuer (MAN), Augsburg, Germany, connected to a single shaft for a maximum speed of 13.5 knots.

Tile wreck

The Carnatic was as a 1,776 GRT steam-powered wood-on-iron constructed Clipper Ship built at Samuda Brothers, Cubitt Town, Isle of Dogs, Poplar, UK for the Penninsula & Orient S.N. Co., London (later to be known at the P & O Line). When her keel was laid in early 1862, she was originally to be named Mysore. However, when she was launched 12 June 1862 she was renamed the Carnatic. Completed 25 April 1863, she was 89.4 meters in length, 11.6 meters in beam, and 7.8 meters in draught. The ship was outfitted with square-rigged sails typical of clipper ships of the era, and also had a 4-cylinder compound inverted steam engine from Humphry’s and Tennant, London, which provided 2,442 Hp to a single shaft and a 3-blade propeller.

The Ulysses was listed as an “Iron Screw Steamer, Planked” of 1989 GRT built at R. & W. Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Limited, Hebburn-on-Tyne, England, UK, for the Ocean Steamship Company, London, UK. The ship was launched on 08 November 1870 and joined the Ocean Steamship fleet of other ships which all had Greek mythological names (Hector, Menelaus, and Sarpedon) in 1871. The Ulysses was 95.1 meters in length, 10.2 meters in beam, and 7.7 meters in draught. The ship was rigged for sail, but also had a single double-expansion 2-stroke steam 225 HP engine built by P. Stephenson & Cowhich, Newcastle, which proved to be so efficient that the ships of the Ocean Steamship fleet later became known as the “China Boats” because they were able to make the voyage from England to China without re-coaling enroute.

Virtually nothing is known about the Barge at Bluff Point, sometimes also called the Gubal Barge. Local rumour states that it was sank during the Arab-Israeli war in 1973, it was a barge lost in tow, or might be the remains of a dive charter boat. What is known is that the vessel, or barge, was of steel construction and was approximately 35 meters long and 6 meters wide. Rik Vercoe’s drawing of the wreck site here shows the site’s layout. Located at 27°40’07″N; 33°48’32″E in 14 meters of water, this is a wreck on the recreational dive tours

The EL Minya, (also called EL Mina, El Minia, El Miniya or EL Miniaya) began life as a Russian built Soviet era T-43 class minesweeper. This class of minesweeper was built for the Soviet navy in the late 1940’s through to the end of the 1950’s. There were 178 ship of the class built at shipyards at Leningrad, Kerch, in Poland, and modified under license in China. 44 of these ships were exported to various countries over the years, with Egypt receiving 7 of them.

The Rosalie Moller was a 3,963 GRT Cargo Ship originally built as the Francis at Barclay Curle & Co., Glasgow, Scotland (Yard No. 479) for Booth S.S.Co Ltd, Liverpool, England. The ship was launched on 12 December 1909 and completed in January of the following year with a length of 108.2 meters, beam of 15 meters, 7.6 meters in draught, with a triple-expansion steam engine and a single shaft which gave the ship a top speed of 11 knots.

MY FAVOURITE WRECK

The Kingston was an “iron screw steamer” of 1,436 or 1,448 GRT built at Oswald Shipbuilding (Thomas Ridley Oswald, owner), Pallion, Sunderland, UK for the Commercial Steamship Company Ltd. (Mr. John Sheriff Hill, No. 32, Great St. Helens, London, managing owner). The ship was launched 16 February 1871 with a length of 78 meters, 10 meters in beam, and 6 meters in draught. The ship was Brigantine rigged with a mast located both forward and aft. She had a single deck with a 2 tiered superstructure located forward of amidships and a raised deckhouse aft, most likely for accommodations for the 25-man crew. Below decks she was built with 5 cemented bulkheads. Primary propulsion was provided by a 2-cylinder 130-HP compound steam engine (cylinders were 29 ½ & 58 ½ inches diameter respectively)by North East Marine Engine Co., Sunderland, which gave the ship a to speed of 11 knots.

Also known as the Sara H

The Dunraven was a cargo ship of 1,613 GRT officially described as an “Iron Screw Steamer-Planked” when she was built at Charles Mitchell and Co. Iron Ship Builders, Low Walker Yard No. 266, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK., for William Milburn of London.

Launched 14 December 1872 and completed the following year, the ship was 79.6 meters in length, 9.8 meters in beam, and 7.3 meters in draught. Propulsion was provided by a combination of square-rigged sails on fore and aft masts, and a 140 PSI 2-cylinder compound inverted engine, built at Humphreys and Tennant, Newcastle, using steam provided by 2 coal-fired boilers for a speed of 8 knots. Crew compliment was normally 25 men. Given the small number of crew, this would indicate that the ship was normally steam-operated, with sails as an auxiliary form of propulsion

This is possibly the most famous shipwreck in the world and certainly the most dived

Within any twenty four hours over 300 divers will visit the Thistlegorm and at some periods it can be over a thousand.

The SS Thistlegorm was a general cargo Merchant Navy ship built in 1940 by Joseph Thompson & Son in Sunderland, England. She was sunk on 6 October 1941 and was classed as “Armed”, however although she was armed as such, the armaments were just what were lying around and mostly ineffective left overs from the first world war. All of the armaments pointed to the rear as they were for defence not attack. She couldn’t fire forwards.

She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine which generated 365 horse power and was capable of 11 knots. She was built for the Albyn Line, partly funded by the British Government and launched in 1940. The Albyn line had a number of ships all bearing the name “Thistle”

The SS Thistlegorm made three successful journeys before her final voyage. After her third voyage to the West Indies she returned to the River Clyde where repairs to her boilers were undertaken. She was then loaded and departed Glasgow for the port of Alexandria on the Egyptian Mediterranean coast. The cargo was to supply the Western Desert force which later became the 8th Army.

The Cargo included: Bedford trucks, Universal Carrier (armoured vehicles), Norton 16H and BSA motorcycles, Bren guns, cases of ammunition, and 0.303 rifles as well as radio equipment, Wellington boots (you cannot believe the size of them), aircraft parts, and two LMS Stanier Class 8F steam locomotives. The Locomotives had their coal and water tenders and were welded to the deck. For the final voyage the ship was commanded by Captain William Ellis, In addition to the crew there were 9 Royal Navy gunners.