SS Thistlegorm

Since first learning to dive, we've wanted to visit SS Thistlegorm.  Used by the British military as a cargo ship in WW2, she was sunk on 6th October 1941 by two Heinkel He-111 bombers on a mission from their base in Crete.  The wreck site holds a strange fascination: a massive ship, a bomb site, intact cargo.  9 sailors died when the ship went down and, although their remains are no longer there, it casts a large shadow over the 'fun' of diving.  This site is a snapshot of history, and I really didn't know how I would react (emotionally) at seeing it for the first time.

We did two dives on the Thistlegorm.  The first was a swim around the outside of the ship and the second involved us entering holds 1 and 2 to see their cargo.  In the choppy waters with strong current we were pleased to have a strong mooring line that we could use to pull ourselves down to the wreck.  And the sight that greeted us at first putting our head underwater was astounding: there it was!  This mass of metal, bow and stern clearly visible but with an enormous hole blasted straight through the middle and the surrounding deck bent and twisted, covered with the tangled remains of cargo.

Video 1 - External

As it turned out the reaction I had to diving the Thistlegorm resulted in nothing more than increased air consumption, although this itself meant our dives were shorter than perhaps we would have liked.  This isn't to say I didn't feel any emotional reaction to being among this wreck.  I found the holds strangely homely: although less scrupulous divers have evidently taken souvenirs from some of the cargo, the neat arrangement of supplies looked like it was an underwater museum.

Video 2 - Internal