Secret Wrecks of the Gulf of Suez

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Secret Wrecks of
the Gulf of Suez
Free E BOOK Preview
Peter Collingsi
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ESTABLISHED 1954
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Premier Dive, Outdoor and Watersports Store
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CONTENTS
Introduction
S.S. Zietieh
Wrecks of Ashrafi
Ras Dib,M .V Elliot
Tor Banks
Ras Shukier; Birchwood,
Ras Gharib; Aboudy ,
S.S Scalaria
M .V. Bakr
S.S. Shillong
Ras Zafarana, SS Turkia
M .V Escuat
Pride of al Salam
page 6
page8
page 9
page 11
page 12
page 13
page16
page 17
page 20
page 24
page 25
page30
page32
THE E BOOK CONCEPT
The idea of the E BOOK series came about after seeing so many incorrect p ublications quoting the wrong
identity of the Tile Wreck at Abu Nuhas in the Red Sea. Despite a plethora of undeniable facts p resented
by myself and members of the Red Sea Wreck Academy, self proclaiming experts still, for reasons known
only to themselves, continued to quote the M ARCUS as the CHRISOULA K. It was archive photographs
from Howard Rosenstien and the location of the ships bell, which added weight to Stephan Jablonski’s
accounts of the sinkings’. This new material gave us enough to produce the first E book in 2008.
Being free from restrictions it soon found its way around the world and was passed on from diver to
diver. It had the desired effect-Now more and more reports carry the correct identity.
It was also an opportunity to give something back to diving –and promote the forthcoming “EGYPTIAN
SHIPWRECKS. ”.The release of these books also marks 25 years in publication Of course there was also
controversy over the identity and purpose of the RUSSIAN WRECK at Zabagad, and this lead to the
second title. THISTLEGORM REVEALED is a leader for the new publication “SUNDERLAND TO
SUEZ THE STORY OF THE THISTLEGORM ”, out now. “SUEZ WRECKS ” highlights the
achievements of our regular wreck hunting trips up into the Gulf, and “EGYPTIAN SHIPWRECKS”
gives a glimpse of the forthcoming book featuring over 200 wrecks in Egyptian waters.
So now we have a total of 5 titles available, ( and several more on the way), yours to enjoy and pass onto anyone who may be interested- with my compliments and don’t forget we run regular expeditions and
safaris to all these featured Red Sea Wrecks
Safe diving!
PETER COLLINGS
AKA ABU HADIDA
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INTRODUCTION
Of the 30 + wrecks we have discovered ,surveyed ands dived in Egyptian waters, many of them lie in the
Gulf of Suez, the long stretch of water running from Sha’ab Ali in the south to the Suez Canal in the
north. With such a concentrated amount of shipping in this busy waterway, It was in evitable that we
would not only find many of our targets, but that we would encounter wrecks we hadn’t bargained for.
To date we have completed 15 wreck hunting expeditions up as far as ZAFARANA as a group and to
within the limits of the Canal itself (a solo effort on my part, with only local fishermen for cover). Several
of these trips produced some amazing finds-the first netted no less than 7 wrecks in two days reaching
Ras Shukier, then as we pushed further north 3 more wrecks were located in a single day. Our furthest
venture as a group was to Zafarana where we made perhaps the best of all the surveys on a wreck I had
found previously using only a glass bottom boat-the S.S. TURKIA.
Several substantial wrecks still await our attention-one in particular defies location, the S.S. SHILLONG.
Everything and every one tells us we are looking in the right place, but for 3 years she has eluded us .Its
only a matter of Time.
The depths are between 10 and 35 mtrs and as you will see most are more recent sinkings (WW2
onwards) with several casualties of the other conflicts which have occurred since then., including an ex
British Corvette sunk by a British Cruiser!
The Marine life was an added bonus. As we went north, invertebrates such as Nudibranchs seemed to not
only increase in numbers but also in size. The Turkia seemed to have attracted every juvenile barracuda
for miles, and we even found an amazing new reef system, about 1000mtrs long with pristine fan corals.
Although we have concentrated on the mainland side of the Gulf, The Sinai side should also produce
some good finds in the near future-such as an ex American lend lease Frigate which sank in a collision .
While most of the tour operators either go round in convoys or follow the same old tourist routes, our
safaris have brought back the un expected and restored the meaning of adventure. If your reading this
then you probably are interested in what we do-so why not join us, y ou never know it might be YOU who
discovers the Shillong!
Safe Diving and enjoy this glimpse into the wrecks of the Gulf of Suez
Peter Collings
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S.S.ZIETIEH
THE SINKINGS
On 26th August 1914,the Zietieh was along side a quay at Suez loading with sp ares for the oil fields of
st
Ashrafi , Quisum and Ganim, when she sank. By the 21 of September she was once again in service,
carrying out her duties as a general supply vessel. The Zietieh was at anchor close to Ras Ziet on January
th
29 1915, when she caught fire during an oil burner change over. Her boiler and deck cargo shifted and
she began to ship water, finally capsizing with a list to port
She has a straight rake bow, and a fantail stern, typ ical of the 1890-1900 type of hull. .
The raised fo’c’sle is accessible with only iron framework remaining, with lamps and other artefacts lying
in the chain locker. The starboard anchor chain runs out along the sand to anchor. A weather deck runs aft
from the engine room to the steering quadrant and she has high running boards- almost tug like. All the
wooden decking has gone, revealing iron framework, heavily encrusted with sponge and sea fir.
Companionways run alongside the bridge and engine room, starboard accessible, port in sand.
THE SHIP
The Zietieh was built at M aryport at
the yard of William Walker,
Shipbuilders in 1911. She was the last
vessel to be launched beam on at the
yard. She was a steel screw steamship,
machinery aft, fitted for liquid fuel-oil
burning, with a through hold and
suspended bridge. She was 291 tons,
121ft long, with a 22ft beam. She was
powered by a - 2 cy 15",32" 27" stroke
42hp, fed by a single scotch boiler
supp lied by J RITCHIE &Co. Her
owners were the EGYTIAN OIL
TRUST, later the ANGLO EGYPTIAN
OILFIELDS Ltd.
The Zietieh now lies on her port side on a flat sandy sea
bed, in only 12 mtrs of water. Her distinctive bow and
stern enabled us to guess her age to within 2 years!
she has a single hold forward served by a deck winch just
behind the fo’c’le, although there are no signs of a mast. In
the hold is a cargo of prefabricated narrow gauge railway
track in straight lengths of 6mtrs, some of the cargo lies
20mtrs away from wreck. A small compact bridge straddles the aft section of the hold and has a single
door forward. Above this is an open navigation bridge and wheelhouse. The helm is in place but oddly
facing the stern.
The engine room is completely intact with all her fittings, valves, piping and gauges
The tall straight funnel, is broken off and lying on the sea bed, home to a family of snapper. One blade of
the prop is missing , the rudder still in place but the keel is bent below the rudder assembly, otherwise
ther is no sign of any damage to the wreck
Hard corals encrust the upper port side of the hull, which is made of overlapping plates which are
beginning to rot away, allowing an eerie light to filter through into her single hold. The wreck is a haven
for marine life; large groupers, shoals of red sea snapper, free-swimming snowflake morays, and many
large pyjama nudibranchs grazing of red sp onge. Unusually there are sp inney urchins out during the
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daytime, with fish colonies. Batfish and map of Africa Angel fish too are found patrolling the wreck. Lies
on its port side 11.8 mtrs, starboard side in 4 mtrs
This makers plate was located in the
ships engine room by Andy Aston,
who cleaned, photographed and then
returned it deep inside the wreck.
Without this vital piece of evidence
the identity of the wreck may never
have come to light, without hours of
painstaking research
THE WRECKS OF ASHRAFI
This section will deal with the coastal stretch from Ras Ziet north to Ras Garib, then down the Sinai coast
from Shiek Riyah Harbour to Sha’ab Rayis. It is an area crying out for research and exploration, but is an
area of great shipping activity both with the oil fields and the Suez Canal. With care , common sense and
the right permissions it should be possible in the future to unravel some or the secrets of this un tapped
source of wrecks.
The Ashrafi Islands rarely receive any attention from dive boats but here there are several worthwhile
wrecks, including the largest in the Red Sea. It is an area which in time will yield some excellent wrecks.
There are several more wrecks reported here than those listed below. M uch of the seabed is of hard corals
and the visibility is often very good. In some places o il can be seen seeping up through the coral is small
plumes. There are several active oilfields close by. Again attention must be paid to the weather and a
good skipper is needed when diving here.
THE S TAR OF RAWIAH.
This is a small Saudi Arabian cargo steamship of 778 tons, 211ft long which lost her steering on a
journey from Suez to Safaga in ballast. and ran aground in 1972.She later slipped of the reef into 25 mtrs
th
of water, in the vicinity of the Ashrafi lighthouse Ap ril 6 1972.. and is becoming an integral part of the
reef sy stem , with many fish and invertebrates living in and around her remains. Bu ilt at the Collingwood
shipyards in 1943 for the Orri Navigation line.
BACCHIS .
This 270 ft Cyprian vessel was carrying a cargo of cement from Greece to Saudi Arabia when she was
holed, striking the Ashrafi reefs in bad visibility. The cargo solidified and her engine room flooded. She
was abandoned as a total constructive loss and later slipped into deeper water. Now known to have sunk
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at the northern end off SHA’AB MUKOWARAT AT 27 49 18N 33 39 18 E on August 9 1977.2494 ton,
97m long 14.4 m beam, diesel engines. Belonging to the Bacchus Shipping CO. she was built in 1950 at
Bremerhaven
THE TAMARA 11
The Pamananaian registered general cargo vessel was
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stranded on Ashrafi reefs 10 feb 1983.Her cargo
consisted of bagged cement, and she was abandoned as a
total constructive loss. She sits high and dry on top of
the reef to this day. There are rumours of a wreck near
the Tamara11, lying on a sloping reef. This may in fact
be the NAHED, a converted minesweeper, this vessel
rd
sank on Jan 3 1988 .
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As The Red Sea narrows at its northern extreme, a long thin arm of water stretches north North West
towards the Mediterranean. Flanked to the east by the Sinai Peninsular and to the west by the Egyptian
mainland, the entrance to the Gulf of Suez is marked by a treacherous finger of reef known as Sha’ab Ali.
A busy, narrow and important seaway dating back beyond the opening of the Suez Canal, it is a vital link
between east and west-a vital and important trade route. It is also a hive of industry, with oilfields dotted
along its length, and refineries along its banks.
Very little diving takes place-the coral reefs die away as the water becomes shallower and indeed less
clear due to the presence of sand and silt. Water temperature too plays a part in the ecology, with
temperatures plummeting to 16 degrees in winter.While it is not a viable tourist area; it is a haven for new
unexplored shipwrecks-with the added bonus of some unusual marine life.
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RAS DIB
M.V. ATTIKIA
A 3360 TON, 104MTRS X 16 MTRS motor vessel, built in 1966 by Imabari Zosen, Imabari, and owned
by the Greek company of Lanathos Cia. Bound for Port Sudan with a with a cargo of cement, she ran
aground just before midnight, Ap ril 24th 1978.with her holds and engine room flooded she was abandoned
and then later caught fire
M.V ELLIOT
The wreck sits upright from the engine room forward, her holds still full of the cement, now solidified.
The engine block is complete although the prop shaft and stern would appear to have been removed.
There is much confused metal consisting of plates pipes flanges and fittings forward of the engine block,
The foc’sle is awash with her bow pointing north. The wreck lies parallel to the shore and covers an area
of 100 mtrs by 30 mtrs. Fish life includes surgeon fish, lion fish, golden hatchets and founders
From the attitude of the wreck she was driven ashore at full speed with her rudder straight. There appears
to have been no time or need? to avoid the grounding. She is
bow down
into the reef in 10 mtrs of water her bow broken up and her . The 100 mtr long,
starboard
plates scattered around the seabed. The letters A-N-D, U, and 2874 ton motor vessel J,
easily
discernable on the scattered plates were a great help in was built in 1963, and
confirming
her identity The bow section was easy to access although the sank 200mrs north of
inside was a
th
mass of confused and torn steel. Here a large shoal of golden Ras Dib on July 11
hatchets has
taken up residence. Her hull side plates, which formed the 1984 with a cargo of
main
structure of her holds have all collapsed and form a tangled 3500tons of chic peas.
jungle
of
Owned
by
the
steel with large girders, pies and flanges. Her sup erstructure,
partly
flooded was accessed via the aft bulkhead, allowing access into Panamania company the engine
Ugars M arine. The sea bed
room, generating plant, workshops and accommodation area. of
names
was littered with many interesting items, such as riding lights Previous
complete
include ASK(1973),
with lenses, and her anchor light still stood proud on its mast.
ZEPM ARE
(1974),
JULTAND (1980)
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TOR BANKS
In the middle of the Gulf of Suez, between El TOR on the Sinai coast and Ras
Shukier on the mainland, lie the TOR BANKS, It is an area of oil industry activity, with several active
fields; MORGAN, BADRY and RAMADAM There are several wrecks, mainly connected with the industry.
A Panomanian motor tanker , built in 1945 for the Pan American Oil Co.,the Cristobal sprang a leak
rd
while carrying oil samples off the Morgan 2 Oilwell, on the 23 Feb 1967.Her engine room flooded and
she sank without the loss of life. All 20 of her crew were rescued.
A small Egyptian supply vessel of 175tons, built in 1957, the M V TIM SUFON grounded sw of the
M organ oilfield. The impacted cracked the engine casing and she began to sink .She was taken in tow but
later sank in 32 mtrs
A 784 ton Dutch supply tug, built in 1966 at Krimpen. She was 60 mtrs long. and displaced 784 . tons.
She sank in 25 mtrs after striking an oil well in September 1978 near the M organ Oilfield. Her 7 man
crew were rescued.
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RAS SHUKIER
M.V.BIRCHWOOD 11
With its hull breaking the surface, the Birchwood 2 lies in a sheltered bay at Ras Shukier. With a
maximum depth of only 12 mtrs it offers a great introduction to wreck diving, but also has great potential
for photography and supports a unique eco system.
Lying to the north of the port in a large bay with three other wrecks was a small 50 mtrs motor cargo ship
on its starboard side in 12mtrs of water. Totally intact it was difficult to see why she had sunk. The early
morning light streamed into the holds and bathed the entire wreck and it was easy to make out her
features
A shoal of juvenile barracuda circled her mast complete with radar array and aerials.
Just forward of the Superstructure, itself at the aft of the vessel was an intact crane, obviously used to
serve the hold. The criss-cross gantry was covered in life as we were to find out during a night dive.
Superb swim-throughs from the weather deck into the holds were easily accomplished and here we found,
like the HAMADA in southern Egypt bags of p olythene granules hard against the port hull
The foc’sle was easy to access and explore and her winch gear, like many parts of the wreck was covered
in sponge and encrusting corals. .Her bow appeared intact and a deep scour ran along her keel, becoming
circular by her prop and rudder. Her starboard running light lay protruding from the sand. Rounding the
stern revealed two access doors at deck level into her engine room, with stair wells leading down into the
lower levels- earmarked for a future visit.
Te wheel house was to prove beyond a doubt that this was y et another undived wreck - the hammering
hordes from Hurghada have never seen this….The ships wheel, and compass binnacle were still in place
and the telegraph lay below on the sand clearly showing its Dutch origin. Superb back drops for the
expedition photo scrapbook
With limited time we managed one additional dive on the wreck – at night and what a gem that was.
Hundreds of nudibranchs, some species new to me despite my many years in the Red Sea, sea hares and
shoals of rabbit fish huddled together everywhere .3 Snowflake morays shared a single hole although the
giant version was missing. Lionfish hovered over the sand in search of small fry and there were many to
choose from.. Almost every surface of the wreck was alive with anemones, sp onges and small
crustaceans. The brilliant reds, oranges and greens highlighted by torch beams.
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M.V LAURA SECURITY
At first glance the wreckage of the Laura security looks disappointing due to its lack of depth .However
below the waves is a photographic studio-back ground props and shoaling fish bathed in strong sunlight
await the
This small 57 mtr long coastal motor tanker was built at Karlstad in 1956, 441 ton
underwater
gross was fitted with a Alpha diesel 5 cyl oil engine built at Fredrikshaven. She had
photograph
sailed under various other names;, BALTICA , BALTIC (69), NIKI (81) until she er.
became the LAURA SECURITY in 1981 when she was purchased by M alacontas
S.A. registered in Pamama.
She
ran
nd
aground with a cargo of gas oil in heavy weather on a voyage from Suez to Ras Shukier on April 22
1983 and was deemed a total constructive loss.
The vessel sits upright with its bridge out of the water . M any of the hull plates had fallen to the seabed
allowing sunlight to stream through its vertical supp orts highlighting shoals of fish. The strong sunlight
afforded by the shallow depths p rovided endless photo opportunities. With the hull intact the bow and
stern are very photogenic and the sup porting fish life is quite amazing. It is possible to explore the
fo’c’sle and engine room-the later being the deepest part of the wreck in only 8mtrs Due to its location the
wreck is blessed by the afternoon sun and the long beams of light shine throu gh many holes in the wreck.
Those who are not put off by the lack of depth are well rewarded The deck lies in only 6 mtrs, but all of
her valves ,p iping and other fittings are all still in situ. Shoals of fish find shelter amongst the frameworks
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RAS GHARIB
This headland is surrounded with many wrecks, and to the best of my knowledge has rarely been dived; It
is a long way north from Sharm El Shiekh. but despite the lack of coral and the reduced visibility there
are some very interesting shipwrecks
M.V ABOUDY
Built in 1960 as the VILLE DE TENES, by Handel SCHPSB Kramer &Body originally designed to
carry wine, she was 76 mtr long, 11.4 mtr beam, 490 tons., fitted with A 4sa 7 cyl oil M.A.N. engine. In
1962 she became the CAPTAIN SAINT JEAN until 1979 when she was bought by Nakhia & Sado
M arine Services (Egypt) and was finally named the ABOUDY .
The Aboudy lies in only 12 mtrs of water and
is virtually intact. Visibility is often cloudy ue
to the sandy seabed
While carrying a general cargo, cargo 120 tons of aluminium, and livestock The ABOUDY sank off Ras
th
Gharib in heavy weather on the 7 M ay 1988. Running aground into shallow water, she capsized onto
th
her port side and was deemed a total constructive loss. She was located September 13 2005 by PC and
members of Bro mley BSAC, inshore of the Scalaria in shallow water. The wreck lies on its p ort side in a
north south attitude with the bows to the north and her keel to seaward. The bridge and superstructure are
located aft and have collapsed. The holds which run continuously through the ship still contain some of
her cargo-hundreds of 120ml bottles of cough medicine lie in the silt and the surrounding sand, and long
lengths of aluminium extrusion lie in twisted heaps. Two huge, and very photogenic A -frame derricks
run horizontal, flanking the holds , served by 4 sets of twin winchesm and a radio mast runs out from the
bridge area. The fo’c’sle has evidence of other items of cargo stored there. Handrails and flagstaffs are
intact, and several bulk head lamps can still be seen. The prop and rudder are still in place in only7 mtrs
of water. Several mast lamps, complete with lenses remain in their appropriate place Given the shallow
depth there is plenty of time to explore this fascinating shipwreck- with the bonus of strong sunlight and
varied marine life which includes shoaling barracuda and fusiliers, emperor angle fish , crocodile fish,
torpedo rays as well as encrusting corals and sponges on the hull and fittings.
The site is subject to swell as the seabed is sandy and visibility can be greatly reduced in poor weather
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S.S. SCALARIA
THE SHIP
Built in 1922 for the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co at Swan Hunters, Newcastle, this 5683 ton steam tanker
was 411 ft long, 55 FT beam and 30 FT draught, capable of 10 knots and fitted with triple expansion
engines built by the Wallsend Slipway engineering co. She was requisitioned in the Admiralty services
and armed with 1 4”, 1 12pnr 2 twin Lewis 4 Hotchkiss and one Breda. She had a crew of 52 including 4
navy gunners
THE FINAL VOYAGE
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CAPTAIN J. WARING “ We sailed from Hurghada at 0630 on 18 October 1942, arriving off Ras
Gharib at 1530 the same day to load with crude and then proceed to anchorage “B”. I hoisted a signal to
be moored without delay conditions then being favourable. At 1615 I was informed that the vessel could
not be moored until the following morning.”
Next morning the Scalaria docked and started to load 7000 tons of crude oil. At 1750 Waring received an
instruction to house his balloon , and not fire on any aircraft as there was to be a practise flight with
lights burning between 2000 and 2200hrs.
THE S INKING
CAPTAIN J WARING “At 2215 I made the rounds of the ship, saw the gunners at their posts. At 2230 I
retired to my room, being awakened at 2230 by an attacking Heinkel 111 approaching from the land,
roughly westward. The aircraft circled at approximately 100 ft, then dropped a torpedo which struck the
ship on the starboard side abaft of the bridge in no. 3 tank. There was a terrific explosion which caused
the ship to shudder violently and carried away the stern moorings, causing the ship to swing round from
north to south. All the woodwork in my room collapsed and the iron frame twisted, jamming the two
doors. By sheer force I burst one door open and on reaching the deck saw the whole of the after starboard
side of the deck was ablaze, with burning oil pouring from the ships side and drifting aft.”
At this point the Heinkel lined up for another attack, this time releasing a bomb.
Some of the men were trapped aft and ran up onto the poop others on the fo’c’scle slid down ropes over
the bow.
WARING “ I WAS ABOUT TO SHOUT TO THESE MEN WHEN A BOMB STRUCK THE FOREDECK
WITH A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.I WAS BADLY BURNED AND INJURED BY THIS BOMB AND SAW
IT WAS NO USE TRYING TO GET THE MEN TO COME AMIDSHIPS AS THE WHOLE FOREDECK
WAS NOW BLAZING FURIOUSLY”.
“I could not get to the ships p apers as my cabin was completely wrecked and flames were coming up the
accommodation ladder.”
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A sketch of t he Scalaria from an identification log book belonging to the Captain of a
Ger man submarine, hunting for the ship.
THE DISCOVERY
Armed with this detailed information and hydrographic reports three expeditions were carried out to
locate the wreck. By the third trip we had located several other wrecks (Aboudy , Attiki, Bakr,
Birchwood, Elliot, Gemini, laura Security,) These finding has allowed us to eliminate several suspectsScalaria was by far a bigger ship and by the third trip we had a pretty good idea where she was.411ft and
5600 tons of l of ship on a sandy bottom a big clear target.
M embers of Brighton BSAC joined my in the search and we found her a mile north of our
“guesstimation”. Even before we dived her I knew this was the Scalaria-there was her bow facing south
just as J Waring had stated.
The bow and fo’c’sle were found upright broken off from the main section. Iron framework and adders
helped define the section of ship. From here back to the centre island was a dispersed area of huge
proportions with her valve-ing and pipe work twisted, distorted and mangled amongst sectional framing
and bulkheads over an area of 200ft x 50ft. Portholes, deck fittings and winches lay scattered in a chaotic
scrapyard of metal
Where the centre island had been the wreckage stood almost to the surface with more large sections of her
holds standing upright. M ore evidence of the massive explosions in the form of huge sections of steel
folded outwards forming overhangs for fish and encrusting sp ecies.
Three huge boilers mark the aft section of the vessel. With the engine house gone, the triple expansion
engine lies bare –big ends con rods and a huge reversing wheel are easily located and recognised
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PROOF OF ID It was amongst the plates
gratings and pies which had been the
engine room that we found absolute proof
that would keep any sceptics quite. The
engine manufacturers plate lay upside
down amongst the debris covered in
concretion and half buried. Exhumed, and
cleaned it was to read “WALLSEND
SLIPWAY and ENGINEERING CO
LTD NEWCASTLE ON TYNE 1921”
“ ENGINES NO 843
.
The stern, like the bow is upright reaching to within a few feet of the surface- her propeller long since
salvaged, but leaving no doubt as to the size of the vessel
POSTSCRIPT
th
At a Board of Trade enquiry on the 12 October 1943 Captain J Waring further stated
“0n finding the ship would be delayed overnight I pointed out the danger of this delay which was in my
opinion quite unnecessary and in my opinion resulted in the loss of my ship as we would have sailed in
th
safe conditions to anchorage B bu 1000 on the 19 oct.
“All of my crew behaved well throughout, and carried out their duties without fear or panic.
ND
OFFICER ARMATAGE FOR HIS VERY GALLANT
I WOULD ESPECIALLY M ENTION 2
ACTION IN ASSISTING THE BADLY WOUNDED 3 RD OFFICER THROUGH THE FLAM ES TO
THE FOC’SLE HEAD. HE WAS UNDOUBEDLY RESPONCIBLE FOR GETTING THIS OFFICER
SAFELY AWA Y FROM THE BURNING VESSEL, BUT IREGRET TO SAY THE 3RD OFFICER
LATER DIED IN HOSPITAL”
M.V BAKR
A 416 ton survey vessel, 49mtrs long she Built in Kiev by Leninskaya Kuznitza for the United Arab
th
Republic General Petroleum Co, She was sunk at Ras Gharib by Israeli missiles on October 14 1973
during the Yom Kippur War.
In mach 2006 the wreck was discovered sitting upright on a sandy seabed just of the headland at Ras
Gaharib, in 12 mtrs of water. Except for the damage caused by the missiles the hull appears intact, and it
is possible to enter the hull and investigate the interior of the vessel.
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Identification of the wreck was made easy by the embossed name on her stern and her bow. Her booms
are still in an outward position as if she was towing arrays at the time of her sinking. All around the wreck
are the day to day artefacts of the working life of a survey vessel. Winches cable drums , generators and
fittings
The bow is an impressive sight, bathed in strong sunlight in only a few mtrs of water, her anchor winch
still in place. It would appear that the wreck has been swept to the waterline,
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P& O SHILLONG
Built at Vickers Armstrong’s ,Walker yard #104 Mar 1949, for the P&O LINE, The SHILLONG was
8934 tons gross,4816 nett and 522 ft long. She was fitted with three geared steam turbine engines
built at Barrow in Furness which could deliver 13000shp through a single p rop. She had a sp eed of 17
knots. Classified as a general cargo liner, she could carry 12 passengers and had a crew of 87
THE FINAL VOYAGE
In October 1957 the P. & O. Shillong steamed down Southampton Water, Ushant under the command of
Captain Spurling, she carried 6 passengers, 26 British officers and 61 crew. Passing the Queen Mary and
the American aircraft—carrier Forrestal she journeyed through the Bay of Biscay, past Portugal, Spain
and through the Straits of Gibratar to her first port of call, Almeria, in fine clear weather. Here she loaded
grapes for the East; then headed north and east to Genoa to discharge and take on more cargo, and
finally south to Port Said and the entrance to the Suez Canal.
Jan Goddard heard the siren as he went into the chart-room to collect the ‘stations’ book to note down the
helm and engine orders for later inclusion in the log-book. The Captain heard it too, and came racing up
the ladder. Almost at the same time the on coming ship altered her helm to port—she had decided to try
and cross the bows of the Shillong.
The Shillong’s Second officer moved to the single engine-room telegraph in the wheelhouse and rang it
over twice, “Emergency Full Astern!”
Too late. The two vessels raced towards a collision point with their helms turned in opposite directions.
Ian Goddard, standing on the helmsmans starboard side could now make out the huge wide beamed
tanker approaching amidships. He grabbed onto the telegraph as the ship lurched over to port.The on
coming vessel having struck only some 20 ft away-demolishing the #2 motor boat
As the Tanker swung under the momentum of the Shillong, she slid astern leaving a huge gash in her
port side
The sea poured the Shillong’s engine—room, and the port-side deep cargo oil-tank was filling rapidly
with the sea, pulling the ship down. The other empty cargo oil-tank on the starboard side, , was acting as a
buoyancy chamber. The Shillong sp un round and heeled over on her port side The water was now up to
her boat-deck number3 hold had flooded.
The gravity davits, had been designed to work against an adverse list of 15 degrees, but with the Shillong
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s list at 30 degrees they were rendered useless-and the starboard lifeboats unusable. On the port side the
forward boat was smashed, and the aft boat’s davit had been bent by the collision .
Every effort was made to use inflatables, and as the engine room flooded the vessel righted itself and the
starboard lifeboats were utilized. The crew and passengers abandoned ship as she settled low in the water,
Capatin Spurling being the last to leave.
Shortly after a tanker, the SKOTLAND came close by, slowing and lowering her own boats, taking the
survivors on board. Ironically, this was the north bound vessel which had prevented the Shillong from
taking evasive action. M eanwhile the Shillong had settled, and just after midnight she went down stern
first. Three lives were lost.
“The behaviour of the entire crew was magnificent, European and Asian alike . . . It was an honour to
be associated with the men of the Shillong.” (Robert M iller)
To this day, despite our every efforts this ship has not been located. We are assured by the hydrographic
department she is there, she has not been salvaged, just waiting to be found… Throu ghout 2010 we shall
be running expeditions to locate and dive her .Why join our next wreck hunting trip!
RAS ZAFARANA
Travelling north from Ras Garib, the road sp lits off towards Cairo at a check point on a large RAS or
headland.A large hotel, catering for holiday makers from Cairo and Alexandria, bears the name of the
headland. The climate here is very settled, seemingly sheltered from the prevailing northerly wind and
fine natural beaches are the norm rather than coral. It is an area full of potential, with rumours of
amphora wrecks as well as more modern casualties. The area will no doubt in years to come be a major
diving location.
SS TURKIA
The rumours of “a wreck north of the Thistlegorm” could well apply to this wreck. A very similar vessel
sunk by explosion and indeed carrying war materials, the SS TURKIA has the potential of being the new
Thistlegorm and could indeed bring prosp erity to a very run down area of Egypt’s coast line. The area has
its own calm settled climate and this wreck is diveable all year round. The added bonus is the amount of
marine life it attracts and its discovery must eventually open up this area to some great new discoveries .
Currently well out of the range of most safari boats based in Hur ghada or Sharm, she is without doubt one
of the very best wrecks found in sport diving depths –so far in Egyptian waters
THE SHIP
Built in Hull in 1909 as the LIVORNO(11)*,she was a schooner rigged steam cargo ship of 1671 tonnes
gross, 300ft long and a 42 ft beam, clinker built by Earles Shipbuilding and Engineering Co.(yard no.
562) She was fitted with a reciprocating, triple expansion, direct acting vertical steam engine producing
an IHP of 1000, making 9.5 knots, made by Amos Smith, also of hull. She has 4 bulkheads and a cruiser
stern, single shaft and propeller.
She was built for Thomas Wilson Sons &Co, again of Hull.
FINAL VOYAGE
The Turkia’s final voyage began in New York in M ay 1941, where she loaded with a full cargo of
“government stores”-she was bound for Pireus. The cargo included explosives, tyres, coils of wire, ingots,
vehicles and firearms
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For over 20 years we have been successfully organizing and leading
photographic and shipwreck safaris around the world, using the very best
livaboards and dive centres. Our destinations include:
Palau
Truk Lagoon
Maldives
Egypt
Sudan
See our regular features in DIVE and H20 magazines
WE SPECIALISE IN WRECK HUNTING
EXPEDITIONS and ASSOCIATED TRAINING
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.
The ships cargo, loaded in New York is still in place; mortar shells in the stern ,tank transporters, and
hundreds of tyres in the ‘tween decks.
THE SINKING
Two conflicting reports
th
“Bombed off Zafarana Light 2 miles SE May 14 1941” - "Destroyed by fire and explosion near Zafarana Light Gulf
of Suez, after being abandoned by her crew when on passage from New York to Piraeus with general cargo and
explosives."
“17/5/1941 she had a fire i n no. 3 hold where explosives were stored (she was carrying explosives and general
cargo) and the fire was beyond control so the vessel was abandoned. 10 minutes later there was a large explosion
and the vessel sank in 12 fathoms. Nothing was being done (later that is) as no competent sal vage service was
available at Port Said.”-Anne Crowe Lloyds
This would explain why she is not i n Lloyds War Losse s as it sounds like an accident rather than enemy action.
Indeed the hull would appear to be intact ( from initial dive)and she looks as if she has settled slowly and upright.
Due to the Straits of Gibralta being closed off by axis forces her journey entailed entering the Red Sea at
its southern end. She entered the Gulf of Suez and was p roceeding north when, just off the lighthouse At
Zafarana , fire broke out in number 3 hold and due to the nature of her cargo she was abandoned.10
minutes later she was rocked by an explosion and settled upright in 12 fathoms. Due to the lack of
facilities at Suez no salvage was attempted. Due to the nature of her sinking she does not appear as a
casualty of war, merely a wartime loss.
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The saloon and ward rooms are full of evidence of her last port of call;crockery and bottles litter the
floor.
THE DISCOVERY
Browsing through the wartime records I came across two separate entries for the sinking. One stated she
had been attacked and bombed by enemy aircraft the other stated that she had sunk due to an internal
explosion. Both agreed about her postion –near Zafarana Lighthouse in the Gulf of Suez,a long way north
of RAS GARIB, our most northerly exploration of the Gulf of Suez so far.
A fisherman claimed to know her position. I decided to enlist the help of my good friend Basim ………
and put together a road trip. At Zafarana the only means of putting to sea available was a disused glass
bottom boat, lying on the beach at the Zafarana Hotel. A10 minute journey took us to the target area, and
with the shallow seabed of sand (24 mtrs,) the shadow of the wreck was soon located, rising up to within
10 mtrs of the surface.
DIVING DETAILS
The wreck sits upright on sand in 24 mtrs, with the bow facing towards the shore. The hull is intact,
although some sections have holes appearing in the upper sections. Both masts have been cut below the
water line and lie off to the side of the wreck. The surrounding seabed is littered with debris from the
wreck and is patrolled by Jacks and Travellies.
Sitting proud and straight the bow appears out of a cloud of circling fish;The focsle hatch allows easy
access into the crews accommodation; The frames of the crews bunks can still be seen.
The bow sits proud bathed in sunlight and is straight raked-same vintage as the Rosalie M oller. Clouds of
fairley basslets swarm over the fo’c’lse head with its access hatches, hawse pipes, panama eye, triple
cleats and windlass. Three deck houses sit at the aft section of the fo’c’sle, and there are coils of wire and
vehicle tyres littered around. M ussels encrust most of the raised structures.
Entry into the fo’c’sle head can also be accessed from the main deck and leads to the seamans quarterswhere bed frames can still be found
Holds 1 and 2 have two ‘tween decks with large numbers of tyres on the upper shelves. The deeper
section of the holds contain wooden crates some containing hundreds of brass detonator caps. There are
also hundreds of heavy rubber bases, their purpose a s y et not defined. Winches flank the holds, and in
the second hold there are several vehicles, heavily encrusted , but appear to be cabs with extended
chassis, possibly tank transporters
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The superstructure has external companionways, all wood having long since gone, the rooms are easily
entered. The saloon sits below the chart room, with a corridor running port- starboard. Flanking the
engine house, running aft on the starboard side are the 1s t mates room, bathroom,2nd & 3rd mates
accommodation, chief engineers quarters and finally the cooks quarters.
nd
rd
On the port side are the stewards quarters followed by the pantry, galley 2 & 3 engineers quarters. All
are easy to enter and explore. The accommodation areas are littered with crockery and bottles; various
inscriptions help to confirm her last port of call
“FLORIDA WATER ,MURRAY & LANM AN, DRUGISTS, NEW YORK”
“SLOANS LINIM ENT MADE IN THE USA”
“POISON VERGIF 8oz TALANA
They flank the engine room, and her triple expansion steam engine is easy to explore although the lower
levels are filling with dead mussel shells and sand. The repeater telegraph is still in place. A p latform of
grating walkways forms a gallery around the cylinder head, with an auxiliary boiler aft.
The engine room, located amidships is easy to access through several openings, the skylight above
allowing natural light to filter down into the interior. Experienced divers can descend two flights of
stairs, passed the triple cylinder heads.
In the deepest part of the engine room(24mtrs) are the repeater telegraphs and gauges, their dials
obscured by years of concretion. Silt is slowly building up covering the floor in a layer over a foot thick.
Behind the engine house there is access into the no. 3 cargo hold, again with 2 ‘tween decks with more of
her general cargo in view. Number 4 hold is totally full of mortar shells, which have totally concreted into
the hold, still in their cases, the outlines of which can still be made out. Behind this hold is a narrow hold
giving access to the stern store rooms, and steering house. The steering quadrant is located on the poop
deck-and nearby a coral encrusted compass binnacle stands proud.
The cruiser/ fantailed stern leads down to her rudder and prop-shrouded with a fishing net at the time of
writing-the blades are covered with soft corals.
The wreck is covered in a unique eco sy stem of soft fan corals, nudibranchs and schooling reef fishes.
Large schools of juvinille yellow tailed barracuda swarm over the wreck, cascading in an endless
waterfall over the sides of the ship, down to the sea bed and back over the deck, often blotting out the
sunlight.
There is a report that a debris trail lies of her stern, including cases of rifles.
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There would appear to be little or no current over the wreck site.
A STAFFEL OF Hienkel 11 bombers based in Crete, attacked the AIDA (see Chapter 2), which was at
anchor off Zafarana Lighthouse. and although the Aida was damaged she was not sunk. One of the
attacking aircraft had flown so low as to hit Aida’s mast and severely damaged crashed into the sea. To
date (sept 2007) she has not been located. The area is sandy ands less than 30mtrs so could prove to be an
easy search and a great find.
Lloyds Losses “S .S. AID A was sunk at Zafarana Anchorage be HE.111 which crashed at the same
time after hitting Aida’s mast. Aida can be salved”
SUEZ M.V ESCUAT
A Belgium motorship, built in 1938, 1087 tons, 230 ft long, she was taken over by the British navy to be
used as a depot ship, and while of Point Attika in the Gulf of Suez, she was bombed by German aircraft
on August 3rd 1941 “17.3 cables 232degrees from south beacon ships head, Attika Bay”
In response to our clients needs we have produced ,with the help of MIKE
FENNEY at DIVE-LOGS.COM, a full set off log book stickers covering all 40
of the wrecks we feature over 7 different itineraries in Egyptian waters. These
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are the ONLY accurate and universal system available to enhance you log
book, after a memorable trip. Available from DEEPLENS or DIVE LOGS
COM
PETER COLLINGS
BIBLIOGRAPHY-PUBLICATIONS 1986- 2009
1986
2000
2005
1988
1991
2001
2002
2008
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PRIDE OF AL SALAM 95
In January 2009 I went on another “road trip”, this time to Suez, where for a
couple of days I lived on a faluka- a small Egyptian ( and very smelly) fishing
boat. With he help of the fishermen I located several interesting shipwrecks,
including the PRIDE OF AL SALAM, formally the FREE ENTERPRISE V
She lies on her side in 35mtrs of water. Her port lifeboats have not yet made it
to the surface-but they are trying!
An eerie site-a row of lifeboats , still attached float vertically above the wreck
Undived until now-both wing compasses are still in place
The full story and a diving details will appear in
EGYPTIAN SHIPWRECKS….Coming soon
We welcome new members to our wreck hunting team-just drop us a E
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