Yellow Fleet
Encyclopedia
The Yellow Fleet was the name given to a group of fifteen ships trapped in the Suez Canal
(in the Great Bitter Lake
section) from 1967 to 1975 as a result of the Six-Day War
. Both sides of the canal had been blocked by ships scuttled by the Egyptians. The name Yellow Fleet derived from their yellow appearance as they were increasingly covered in a desert
sand
swept on board. After eight years the only ships able to leave under their own power were the German ships, Münsterland and Nordwind.
as fighting broke out between Israel
and Egypt
in what was to become known as the Six-Day War
. Both ends of the canal
were closed, and after three days it became apparent that the canal would remain blocked for some time as a result of the scuttling of ships to block its passage. The fourteen ships were forced to anchor
in the widest part of the Suez Canal, the Great Bitter Lake
. Some of the scuttled ships cut off the MS Observer from the other ships and it had to anchor in Lake Timsah
.
that prevented navigation. Throughout the eight years the Israeli and Egyptian armies would face off against each other on either side of the Suez Canal
. Sometimes raiding parties from both sides would slip across the canal to carry out intelligence gathering missions. One of the big concerns was that canal would become silted up without regular dredging. However, this was a non-issue as 90% of the normal silt is a result of currents caused by the turning of ships' propellers, which was virtually non-existent during this period.
in Mexico City
. Life boat races were arranged and soccer games were played on the largest ship the MS Port Invercargill while church services were held on the West German motorship Nordwind and movies were shown on the Bulgarian freighter Vasil Levsky. The Swedish Killara even had a pool.
In time it was possible to reduce the number of crew members on board the ships, and in 1969 the ships were gathered into several groups to further reduce the number of crew necessary for their upkeep. Those crew that were left to maintain the vessels were rotated every three months. In 1972 the last crew members of the German ships were finally sent home, with the maintenance of the ships left to a Norwegian company.
of which became collectors' items around the world. The Egyptian postal authority recognized the stamps so that they could be used world wide. In terms of the postal system, this resulted in the creation of group stamps such as:
port, cheered by more than 30,000 spectators. They were reportedly the only ships to have left the canal under their own power. For the Münsterland this was the end of a voyage to Australia
which had lasted eight years, three months and five days.
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
(in the Great Bitter Lake
Great Bitter Lake
The Great Bitter Lake is a salt water lake between the north and south part of the Suez Canal. It is adjoined by the Small Bitter Lake . Before the Canal was built, their site was occupied by dry salt valleys. Together, the Bitter Lakes now have a surface area of about 250 km²...
section) from 1967 to 1975 as a result of the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
. Both sides of the canal had been blocked by ships scuttled by the Egyptians. The name Yellow Fleet derived from their yellow appearance as they were increasingly covered in a desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
swept on board. After eight years the only ships able to leave under their own power were the German ships, Münsterland and Nordwind.
Stranded ships
| Name | Image | Nationality | Owner | Captain | Cargo | Tonnage | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS Nordwind |  West GermanyWest Germany West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990.... |
T-shirts | |||||
| MS Münsterland | West Germany West Germany West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990.... |
||||||
| MS Killara |  Sweden |
10,715 gross | |||||
| MS Nippon | Sweden |
||||||
| MS Essayons |  Early Modern France |
||||||
| MS Agapenor | Blue Funnel Line Blue Funnel Line Alfred Holt and Company, marketed as the Blue Funnel Line, was founded by Alfred Holt on 16 January 1866.The main operating subsidiary was the Ocean Steam Ship Company, which owned and operated the majority of the company's vessels.... |
Plastic toys for Woolworths Woolworths Group Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books... |
|||||
| MS Melampus | 8509 gross | ||||||
| MS Scottish Star | Captain Brian McManus | ||||||
| MS Port Invercargill | |||||||
| SS African Glen |  United States |
||||||
| MS Djakarta |  Poland |
||||||
| MS Boleslaw Bierut | Poland |
||||||
| MS Vassil Levsky |  Kingdom of Bulgaria |
||||||
| MS Lednice |  Czechoslovakia |
||||||
| MS Observer | United States |
Trapped
In June 1967 the fourteen (or fifteen?) ships were sailing northwards through the Suez CanalSuez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
as fighting broke out between Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in what was to become known as the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
. Both ends of the canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
were closed, and after three days it became apparent that the canal would remain blocked for some time as a result of the scuttling of ships to block its passage. The fourteen ships were forced to anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
in the widest part of the Suez Canal, the Great Bitter Lake
Great Bitter Lake
The Great Bitter Lake is a salt water lake between the north and south part of the Suez Canal. It is adjoined by the Small Bitter Lake . Before the Canal was built, their site was occupied by dry salt valleys. Together, the Bitter Lakes now have a surface area of about 250 km²...
. Some of the scuttled ships cut off the MS Observer from the other ships and it had to anchor in Lake Timsah
Lake Timsah
Lake Timsah, also known as Crocodile Lake, is a lake in Egypt on the Nile delta. It lies in a basin developed along a fault extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the Gulf of Suez through the Bitter Lakes region. In 1800, a flood filled the Wadi Tumilat, which caused Timsah's banks to overflow and...
.
Blockage of Canal
A number of ships, dredgers, other floating crafts and even a bridge were sunk to block the canal. As well as vessels that were sunk there were a number of sea minesNaval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
that prevented navigation. Throughout the eight years the Israeli and Egyptian armies would face off against each other on either side of the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
. Sometimes raiding parties from both sides would slip across the canal to carry out intelligence gathering missions. One of the big concerns was that canal would become silted up without regular dredging. However, this was a non-issue as 90% of the normal silt is a result of currents caused by the turning of ships' propellers, which was virtually non-existent during this period.
Trapped for eight years
In October 1967 the officers and crews of all fourteen ships met on the Melampus to found the "Great Bitter Lake Association" which would provide mutual support. In the time to come, the crew members regularly met on board their ships, organized social events, founded a yachting club and held the "Bitter Lake Olympic Games" to complement the 1968 Summer Olympics1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. Life boat races were arranged and soccer games were played on the largest ship the MS Port Invercargill while church services were held on the West German motorship Nordwind and movies were shown on the Bulgarian freighter Vasil Levsky. The Swedish Killara even had a pool.
In time it was possible to reduce the number of crew members on board the ships, and in 1969 the ships were gathered into several groups to further reduce the number of crew necessary for their upkeep. Those crew that were left to maintain the vessels were rotated every three months. In 1972 the last crew members of the German ships were finally sent home, with the maintenance of the ships left to a Norwegian company.
Postage System
In time, a postal system evolved, the hand-crafted stampPostage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
of which became collectors' items around the world. The Egyptian postal authority recognized the stamps so that they could be used world wide. In terms of the postal system, this resulted in the creation of group stamps such as:
| Group Name | Abbreviation | |
|---|---|---|
| ”Müwinikies” | Mü = | MS Münsterland |
| Wi = | MS Nordwind | |
| Ni = | MS Nippon | |
| Ki = | MS Killara | |
| Es = | MS Essayons | |
| ”Ledmelaga” | Led = | MS Lednice |
| Mel = | MS Melampus | |
| Aga = | MS Agapenor | |
| ”Djabiporst” | Dja = | MS Djakarta |
| Bi = | MS Boleslaw Beirut | |
| Por = | MS Port Invercargill | |
| St = | MS Scottish Star |
Cleared canal
In spring 1975 the Suez Canal was once again opened for international transport, and on May 24, 1975, the German ships Münsterland and Nordwind reached HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
port, cheered by more than 30,000 spectators. They were reportedly the only ships to have left the canal under their own power. For the Münsterland this was the end of a voyage to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
which had lasted eight years, three months and five days.