Egypt is a country where diving is one of the most popular tourist activities, and Hurghada is currently the most visited city for fans of the underwater world. The main attractions in this area are coral reefs, but there are also a few wrecks. One of them is El Mina, which attracts many different kinds of divers.
The ship, a minesweeper for the Egyptian Navy, was built in Russia during the Soviet era, in the late 1950s. It is a T-43 class ship and the Egyptians had seven of them. It was 58 meters long and 8.5 meters wide, powered by a 2200hp diesel engine that could reach a top speed of 14 knots. The range of the ship, at a speed of 10 knots, was 3800 nautical miles. It was served by 65 crew members and its weapons consisted of four cannons, two machine guns and 32 mines.
Its sinking
The Egyptian-Israeli conflict, the so-called "War of Attrition", lasted from 1968 to 1970. It was characterized by Egyptian artillery attacks in the Suez Canal zone and Israeli air strikes. Just before the end of the war, on February 6, 1970, six Israeli planes flew from the east to the Hurghada region. The target of the attack was a military airport. Flying low above the sea, El Mina, anchored in front of the port of Hurghada, was spotted. The ship was recognized as a potential threat, so two Israeli planes were ordered to act. The first rocket to hit El Mino was the fatal one. In the explosion, the ship lost its mast and one turret with cannons. Almost immediately it rolled onto one side, floating on the surface of the sea. The planes then machine-gunned the already seriously damaged ship, sealing its fate, and El Mina disappeared quickly beneath the surface.
We encountered some current and some interesting visibility on this wreck dive but it added to the "feel" of the dive. Another piece of history visitied
The ship, a minesweeper for the Egyptian Navy, was built in Russia during the Soviet era, in the late 1950s. It is a T-43 class ship and the Egyptians had seven of them. It was 58 meters long and 8.5 meters wide, powered by a 2200hp diesel engine that could reach a top speed of 14 knots. The range of the ship, at a speed of 10 knots, was 3800 nautical miles. It was served by 65 crew members and its weapons consisted of four cannons, two machine guns and 32 mines.
Its sinking
The Egyptian-Israeli conflict, the so-called "War of Attrition", lasted from 1968 to 1970. It was characterized by Egyptian artillery attacks in the Suez Canal zone and Israeli air strikes. Just before the end of the war, on February 6, 1970, six Israeli planes flew from the east to the Hurghada region. The target of the attack was a military airport. Flying low above the sea, El Mina, anchored in front of the port of Hurghada, was spotted. The ship was recognized as a potential threat, so two Israeli planes were ordered to act. The first rocket to hit El Mino was the fatal one. In the explosion, the ship lost its mast and one turret with cannons. Almost immediately it rolled onto one side, floating on the surface of the sea. The planes then machine-gunned the already seriously damaged ship, sealing its fate, and El Mina disappeared quickly beneath the surface.
We encountered some current and some interesting visibility on this wreck dive but it added to the "feel" of the dive. Another piece of history visitied
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