World War IIMS Thermopylæ
MV Thermopylæ was on a journey from Alexandria to Malta, carrying general cargo and munitions, amongst this was 800 tons of bombs and ammunitions, including 336 British officers and soldiers. On the 19th of January 1942, the vessel was attacked by a German bomber and was struck at the machine room. Flames and gas blew up and the Captain ordered an evacuation. The lifeboats did not have enough space for everyone. The ship could explode in any minute and soldiers carrying lifebelts were ordered to jump overboard. 200 followed orders. The escort ship arrived and picked most of them up from the water. The situation was incredibly dangerous due to the bomb and ammunition cargo. The rescue operation took one hour and 36 minutes after the attack. Three of the crewmembers perished in the machine room along with 30 soldiers. Thermopylæ sunk midway between Crete and Tobruk.
About MS Thermopylæ
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Nationality
Norway
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Built
1930
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Wrecked
19.01.1942
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Carrier
Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Tønsberg
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Tonnage
10564 dvt
