Rediscovering the Thistlegorm: A Journey from the Depths to 3D

In May 2023, I led a dive trip to Israel and Jordan for Blue Green Expeditions. Our itinerary included both diving adventures and land-based tours. During the Israeli leg of our journey, we were guided by Ronen Levy, a former boat captain and diver in the Red Sea. We quickly bonded over shared diving stories, and it was during one of these storytelling sessions that Ronen revealed a remarkable chapter of his past: his rediscovery of the wreck of the Thistlegorm in 1993.

The Thistlegorm, a British armed Merchant Navy ship, was sunk by German bombers in 1941 near Ras Mohammed in the Red Sea. It was carrying a cargo of military supplies, including motorbikes, trucks, and other wartime materials. Discovered in 1955 by Jacques Cousteau it was lost again for nearly 40 years. Since that time, it has become a popular site for divers and underwater photographers. I have personally done nearly 50 dives on the Thistlegorm, capturing its haunting beauty from numerous angles. We covered this dive site in an article in Issue #11.

Ronen's tale fascinated me. Not only had he rediscovered the wreck, but he had also salvaged some pieces, including the helm, which now sits proudly in his living room. After returning to the US, Ronen sent me a photo of the helm, and I knew it needed to be shared with a wider audience.

I reached out to Simon Brown, a fellow underwater photographer and member of The Thistlegorm Project. This team has been meticulously documenting the Thistlegorm, building 3D models through photogrammetry, and even publishing a book, Diving the Thistlegorm, a guide for diving the wreck that also describes the various items found within the ship. When I showed Simon the photo, he was astonished. We devised a plan for me on a return trip to Israel to take enough photos of the helm to create a 3D model, which Simon could then integrate into the larger model of the Thistlegorm.

My plans to return to Israel in November 2023 were delayed by the outbreak of war, but I finally made it back in July 2024. Fortuitously, Ronen was also in Israel, as he spends much of his time living on his yacht in Greece. The nine-hour roundtrip drive from north Tel Aviv to Eilat was well worth it. My brother, Yanai, joined me for the journey to keep me company.

Upon arriving in Eilat, Ronen shared stories of his early diving days in the Red Sea. He had been the captain of the S/Y Poolestar, a dive charter catering to British and Swiss divers. In 1993, a group from the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) sought his help in finding the Thistlegorm, known to be near Ras Mohammed and previously located by Jacques Cousteau.

With two weeks to spare before the British divers arrived, Ronen began searching for the wreck. He knew that the sea bottom was 100 feet (30 meters) in this area and so used an anchor tied to a 60 foot (20-meter) line, hoping it would catch on the ship's superstructure while he was making his search pattern. After several unsuccessful attempts, he happened to notice a small wooden fishing boat that wasn’t moving. Approaching it, he found an old Egyptian man with his grandson. In Arabic, he asked if the man knew of any shipwrecks in the area. The old man replied, "Yes - we are over one!" Ronen couldn't believe his luck. He geared up and jumped into the water. Sure enough, it was the Thistlegorm.

Ronen described the excitement of that first dive, discovering motorbikes and trucks still intact. He indicated that at that time, the mast was still standing in the bow of the ship. Ronen went on to explain that there were two bridges and that the ship was broken between them. The front bridge housed the cockpit, whose roof was broken into sections. He described the floor consisting of rectangular concrete blocks about 1×0.5 meters (3×1.5 feet) and about 20 cm (8 inches) thick. These blocks were misaligned due to the bomb that hit the ship. Within one of these blocks stood the helm. Instead of being bolted to the block, it was encased within it; the concrete had been cast around it. Initially, Ronen didn’t recognize it as the helm because it was covered in marine growth, sponges and coral. He first thought it was the compass since there was no wheel; the wheel made of wood, had burned in the fire. It was only after he started to extract the item that he realized it was, in fact, the helm.

In the rear bridge which was completely collapsed and angled down from the explosion, he discovered the mess area. He saw a small gap about 25cm (10 inches) from a door that was barely open. He couldn’t see inside, but he knew there must be something interesting in there. The gap was too small for him to enter with his gear on. He removed his tank, and holding just the regulator in his mouth, he pushed his gear through the hole and then squeezed his body through the tight opening. Once inside, he saw large stoves and big round pots and is convinced that he was the first and only person to dive the galley before it became inaccessible.

After returning to port in Eilat, Ronen called his UK agent to share the news. The BSAC divers were thrilled, and a few months later, an article about the discovery was published in DIVER Magazine.

Ronen returned to the site salvaging various items from the wreck, including portholes, a flare gun, the captain's shower head, and the helm. The helm, embedded in a concrete block, was hoisted to the surface using the Poolestar's boom and block and tackle. Once out of the water, Ronen used heavy hammers to free it from the concrete.

In his home, Ronen proudly showed us the artifacts he had retrieved. His face lit up with excitement as he recounted those days. Unfortunately, Ronen can no longer dive due to a damaged eardrum, making these memories all the more precious.

While Ronen was describing the events, I took as many photographs of the helm as I could from various angles, a process needed to generate a point cloud to render a 3D image. I sent the images to Simon, who, after several iterations and additional photos (thanks Ronen), managed to generate a detailed 3D model. Simon then incorporated the model into the comprehensive 3D reconstruction of the Thistlegorm, allowing more people to appreciate this significant piece of diving history. More information on how the helm was reconstructed and placed in the ship can be found in Simon’s blog.

Some readers may have concerns about taking artifacts from an historic wreck like the Thistlegorm. It's important to understand that during the early days of wreck diving, it was common practice to salvage what was found at sea. There are many examples of divers salvaging famous wrecks, such as the Andrea Doria and the Dunraven. Even Jacques Cousteau took the ship's bell from the Thistlegorm when he dove it in 1955.

Moreover, the artifacts Ronen salvaged would likely be lost to time since those parts of the ship have since collapsed. In a strange way, taking them has protected these pieces of history. The helm, portholes, and other items are preserved and can be shared with the world, offering a tangible connection to the past.

Through this journey, the story of the Thistlegorm has come full circle, from its rediscovery in the depths of the Red Sea to a digital model that can be explored and admired by divers and enthusiasts around the world.