# Yellow Fleet > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Yellow_Fleet > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Yellow_Fleet.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Fleet > Source revision: 1354365428 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Ships trapped in the Suez Canal (1967–1975)}} {{Distinguish|text = Yellow Sea fleets, such as China's [Beiyang Fleet](/source/Beiyang_Fleet) and [North Sea Fleet](/source/North_Sea_Fleet) or North Korea's [West Sea Fleet](/source/Korean_People's_Navy)}} {{pp-extended|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} One of the trapped ships in 1973|thumb From 1967 to 1975, 15 ships and their crews were trapped in the [Suez Canal](/source/Suez_Canal) after the [Six-Day War](/source/Six-Day_War) between [Israel](/source/Israel) and [Egypt](/source/Egypt). The stranded ships, which belonged to eight countries ([West Germany](/source/West_Germany), [Sweden](/source/Sweden), [France](/source/France), the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom), the [United States](/source/United_States), [Poland](/source/Polish_People's_Republic), [Bulgaria](/source/People's_Republic_of_Bulgaria), and [Czechoslovakia](/source/Czechoslovak_Socialist_Republic)), were nicknamed the '''Yellow Fleet''' after the desert sand that coated them. During the war, Egypt blocked both ends of the canal to prevent its use by Israel. Scuttled ships, [sea mine](/source/Naval_mine)s, and other debris continued to block transport through the canal until the wake of the [Yom Kippur War](/source/Yom_Kippur_War), after which the blockade was lifted. In 1975, the Canal was reopened, enabling the ships to leave after eight years of being stranded. By that time only two ships were capable of moving under their own power. ==History== === Closing of the canal === In June 1967, the 15 ships were sailing northward through the [Suez Canal](/source/Suez_Canal) as a war broke out between Israel and Egypt in what was to become known as the [Six-Day War](/source/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 passage. Fourteen ships were forced to anchor in the widest part of the Suez Canal, the [Great Bitter Lake](/source/Great_Bitter_Lake). Some of the scuttled ships cut off the SS ''Observer'' from the other ships and it had to anchor in [Lake Timsah](/source/Lake_Timsah). Ships, dredgers, other floating craft and even a bridge were sunk to block the canal.{{harvnb|Pearson|Anderson|1975|p=67}} In addition to the vessels that were sunk, there were a number of [sea mines](/source/Naval_mine) that prevented navigation. With the war having left the Israelis in possession of the entire east bank of the canal, the Egyptian President [Gamal Abdel Nasser](/source/Gamal_Abdel_Nasser) quickly resolved to keep the canal closed to all shipping indefinitely. The only alternative would have been to allow the Israelis to use it, which was anathema to the Egyptian government. Even if the political issues surrounding the canal could have somehow been resolved, its maintenance would have been economically nonviable since very few (if any) shippers would have been willing to send their vessels and crews through what was effectively a [no man's land](/source/no_man's_land) in an active combat zone.{{Original research inline|date=March 2021}} Throughout the eight years, the Israeli and Egyptian armies faced off against each other on either side of the Suez Canal. Sometimes raiding parties from both sides would slip across the canal to gather intelligence. One of the main concerns was that the canal would become silted up without regular dredging. It turned out to be a non-issue: 90 percent of the canal's silt had been a result of currents caused by the turning of ships' propellers, which was virtually non-existent during this period. === Eight years of war === In October 1967, the officers and crews of all fourteen ships met on the ''Melampus'' to found the "Great Bitter Lake Association" which provided mutual support. Crew members continued to regularly meet on board their ships, organized social events, founded a yachting club and held the "Bitter Lake Olympic Games" to complement the [1968 Summer Olympics](/source/1968_Summer_Olympics) 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](/source/Empire_MacKendrick)''. The Swedish ''Killara'' 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. A postal system evolved, the hand-crafted [postage stamp](/source/postage_stamp)s of which became [collectors'](/source/Stamp_collecting) items around the world. The Egyptian postal authority recognized the stamps, allowing their use worldwide. === Re-opening of the canal === In early 1975, the Suez Canal was once again opened for international transport, and on 24 May 1975, the German ships ''Münsterland'' and ''Nordwind'' finally reached [Hamburg](/source/Hamburg) port, cheered by more than 30,000 spectators. They were reportedly the only ships to have returned to their home port 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/hamburg_journal/hamj95690-amp.html|title=Hamburg damals: Gefangen im Bittersee|trans-title=Hamburg then: Trapped in the Bitter Lake|work=NDR|date=24 May 2020|language=de|access-date=24 March 2021|archive-date=26 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326215138/https://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/hamburg_journal/hamj95690-amp.html|url-status=dead}} === Legacy === In the 2010s, there was renewed interest in this incident. Two books have been published that chronicle the eight-year sojourn of the ships in the Great Bitter Lake, {{Lang|de|Acht Jahre gefangen im Großen Bittersee}} (in German) by Hans Jürgen Witthöft (2015),{{Cite web|url= https://www.dvz.de/rubriken/land/detail/news/acht-jahre-gefangen-im-grossen-bittersee.html|title= Acht Jahre gefangen im Großen Bittersee|trans-title= Trapped in the Great Bitter Lake for 8 years|date= 17 December 2015|work=DVZ|language=de|url-access=subscription}} and ''Stranded in the Six-Day War'' (in English) by Cath Senker (2017).{{Cite web|url= https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/812599/six-day-war-seafarers-stranded-suez-canal|title= Meet the searfarers who were stranded in the Six-Day War|work=The Express|date=3 June 2017}}{{Cite web|url= https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/stranded-suez-canal|title= Stranded in the Suez Canal|website= National Museums Liverpool|access-date= 24 March 2021|archive-date= 22 April 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210422152306/https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/stranded-suez-canal|url-status= dead}} ==Stranded ships== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Name ! Nationality ! Owner ! Captain ! Cargo ! Gross tonnage !class=unsortable| References |- | MS ''Nordwind'' | West Germany | Nordstern Reederei | Gerhard Lomer | T-shirts | 8,656 |{{harvnb|Blair|1975|p=}} |- | MS ''Münsterland'' | West Germany | [Hamburg America Line](/source/Hamburg_America_Line) | Karl Hoffmann, replaced by Jürgen Katzler, Wolfgang Scharrnbeck | Eggs, fruit | 9,365 |{{Cite web|last1=Scharrnbeck |first1=Wolfgang |url=https://www.spiegel.de/einestages/kapitaene-erzaehlen-a-949264.html|title=Kapitäne erzählen: Gefangen im Suezkanal |work=Der Spiegel |trans-title=Captains tell: Trapped in the Suez Canal |date=17 May 2008|via=Spiegel Online}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.mare.de/|title=mare — Startseite: Ausgewählte Beiträge aus der aktuellen mare |trans-title=mare — home page - Selected articles from the current mare |website=www.mare.de}} |- | MS ''Killara'' | Sweden | Rederiaktiebolaget Transatlantic | Sture Sundnér | Wool, hides, fruit, lead, pigs from Australia | 12,990 |{{harvnb|New Zealand Maritime Index|1969|p=}} |- | MS ''Nippon'' | Sweden | Svenska Ostasiatiska Kompaniet | Arthur Bjuréus, {{ill|Ulf Bergman|sv}} | Case goods from Far East | 10,660 | |- | MS ''Essayons''{{#tag:ref|ex ''Sindh''|group="A"}} | France | | | | 7,051 | |- | MS ''Agapenor'' | United Kingdom | [Blue Funnel Line](/source/Blue_Funnel_Line) | | Plastic toys for [Woolworths](/source/Woolworths_(United_Kingdom)) | 7,654 |{{harvnb|BBC|2010|p= }}{{harvnb|Frickers|2009|p=}} |- | MS ''Melampus'' | United Kingdom | [Blue Funnel Line](/source/Blue_Funnel_Line) | Jim Starkey | | 8,509 |{{harvnb|Lee|2010|p=}}{{harvnb|merchantnavyofficers.com|2011|p=}} |- | MS ''Scottish Star'' | United Kingdom | [Blue Star Line](/source/Blue_Star_Line) | Brian McManus | | 10,174 | |- | MS ''Port Invercargill'' | United Kingdom | [Port Line](/source/Port_Line) | Arthur Kensett | | 10,463 |[http://www.chrisjclarke.net/cjcbhftp/Allhands/Summer%202001/Great%20Biter%20lakes.htm Great%20Biter%20lakes] ''www.chrisjclarke.net'' {{Dead link|date=April 2021}} |- | SS ''African Glen''{{#tag:ref|Sunk in 1973 during the [Yom Kippur War](/source/Yom_Kippur_War)|group="A"}} | United States | [Farrell Lines](/source/Farrell_Lines) | | | 6,116 | |- | MS ''Djakarta'' | Poland | [Polish Ocean Lines](/source/Polish_Ocean_Lines) | | | 6,915 | |- | MS ''Boleslaw Bierut'' | Poland | [Polish Ocean Lines](/source/Polish_Ocean_Lines) | Bogdan Kryspin | | 6,674 | |- | MS ''Vasil Levsky'' | Bulgaria | [Navigation Maritime](/source/Navibulgar) | | | 4,975 | |- | MS ''Lednice'' | [Czechoslovakia](/source/Czechoslovakia) | Československá plavba dunajská (Czechoslovak Danube Shipping){{Cite web|url=http://www.namorniplavba.cz/cnp/312.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406091111/http://www.namorniplavba.cz/cnp/312.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 April 2009|title=Československá plavba dunajská (ČSPD): Historie ČNP |trans-title=Czechoslovak Danube Cruise (ČSPD): History of ČNP |website=www.namorniplavba.cz}} | Klement Benda, Ladislav Šlechta{{Cite web|url=http://www.infofila.cz/nepokojny-egypt-r-2-c-3876|title=Nepokojný Egypt — Filatelie, poštovní známky, známka, magazín o filatelii — Infofila.cz |trans-title=Troubled Egypt - Philately, Postage Stamps, Stamp, Magazine on Philately & Infrastructure - Infofila.cz |first=Zdenek|last=Jindra|website=www.infofila.cz |access-date=1 April 2021}} | Raw [cowhide](/source/cowhide)s from Ethiopia | 1,462 |[http://www.hajoregiszter.hu/hajoadatlap/atiranyitott_oldal/1849/kronologia#kepek kronologia#kepek] tr. ''ship data sheet / atiranyitott_oldal / 1849 / chronology pictures'' ''www.hajoregiszter.hu'' {{Dead link|date=April 2021}}{{Cite web|url=http://ww3.plavba.net/?subid1=1d5b8068-6d82-11e9-823f-4ea95446082a|title=plavba.net|website=ww3.plavba.net|access-date=3 May 2019|archive-date=3 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503090319/http://ww3.plavba.net/%3Fsubid1%3D1d5b8068-6d82-11e9-823f-4ea95446082a|url-status=usurped}} |- | SS ''Observer''{{#tag:ref|Was stranded in [Lake Timsah](/source/Lake_Timsah)|group="A"}} | United States | Marine Carriers Corp. | Charles Kapelowitz | Wheat (Galveston to Bombay) | 17,614 |{{harvnb|Time|1969|p=}} |} ;Table notes {{Reflist|group="A"}} ==See also== * [Closure of the Suez Canal (1967-1975)](/source/Closure_of_the_Suez_Canal_(1967-1975)) * [1974 Suez Canal Clearance Operation](/source/1974_Suez_Canal_Clearance_Operation) * [2021 Suez Canal obstruction](/source/2021_Suez_Canal_obstruction) ==Citations== {{reflist|30em}} ==References== *{{cite web |last=Blair|first=Jonathon|date=June 1975|url = http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/1975/06/suez-canal/blair-photography|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120420065852/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/1975/06/suez-canal/blair-photography|url-status = dead|archive-date = 20 April 2012|title = New Life for the Troubled Suez Canal|publisher = [National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic_(magazine))| access-date = 23 August 2011 }} *{{cite journal |last1=Pearson|first1=John|last2=Anderson|first2=Ken |date=May 1975 |title=A 'new' Suez Canal shapes up for 1980s|journal= [Popular Mechanics](/source/Popular_Mechanics)|volume= 143|issue=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=auIDAAAAMBAJ|access-date= 23 August 2011 |publisher=[Hearst Magazines](/source/Hearst_Corporation)|issn=0032-4558}} - Total pages: 208 *{{cite web |last=BBC|author-link=BBC|date=10 November 2010|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vrwrt|title = The Yellow Fleet|publisher = [BBC Radio 4](/source/BBC_Radio_4)| access-date = 22 August 2011 }} *{{cite web|last = Frickers|first = Gordon|year = 2009|url = http://www.frickers.co.uk/blog/2009/03/31/agapenor-manoeuvring-in-bombay-mumbai-roads/|title = Agapenor manoeuvring in Bombay (Mumbai) Roads|publisher = frickers.co.uk|access-date = 23 August 2011|archive-date = 8 August 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140808035800/http://www.frickers.co.uk/blog/2009/03/31/agapenor-manoeuvring-in-bombay-mumbai-roads/|url-status = dead}} *{{cite web |last=Lee|first=Bill |date=18 May 2010|url = http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/community/communityexservicenotes/8171527.Yellow_Fleet_memories_sought/|title = Yellow Fleet memories sough|publisher = [Telegraph & Argus](/source/Telegraph_%26_Argus)| access-date = 22 August 2011 }} *{{cite web |last=merchantnavyofficers.com|year=2011|url = http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/BF65.html|title = Blue Funnel|publisher = merchantnavyofficers.com| access-date = 23 August 2011 }} *{{cite web |last=Time|author-link=Time (magazine)|date=21 November 1969|url = https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,841641,00.html|title = World: The Suez Canal's Bleak Centennial|publisher = [Time](/source/Time_(magazine))| access-date = 23 August 2011 }} *{{cite web|last=New Zealand Maritime Index|year=1969|url=http://www.nzmaritimeindex.org.nz/izvessel.php?ID=80010010&name=KILLARA&db=&dm=&ds=&dh=&gsn=&owner=&num=&sh=&st=&sd=&svv=&typ=&tid=0&tix=0&tot=1&wds=&pix=0&sourceid=&refid=&hit=1|title=New Zealand Maritime Index|publisher=|access-date=23 August 2011|archive-date=7 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307071904/http://nzmaritimeindex.org.nz/izvessel.php?db=&dh=&dm=&ds=&gsn=&hit=1&id=80010010&name=killara&num=&owner=&pix=0&refid=&sd=&sh=&sourceid=&st=&svv=&tid=0&tix=0&tot=1&typ=&wds=|url-status=dead}} *[http://www.seemotive.de/html/dgbla.htm Seemotive – Post vom Großen Bittersee (German)] *[http://www.shipsonstamps.org/Topics/html/gbla.htm The Yellow Fleet at Ships on Stamps] ==External links== * {{cite web |url=http://www.bluefunnel.myzen.co.uk/bluefunnel/melampus/melampus.htm |title=Melampus in Suez |author=Ian Russel |work=The Blue Funnel Line 1866–1986 |access-date=6 September 2010 |archive-date=13 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101113060437/http://www.bluefunnel.myzen.co.uk/bluefunnel/melampus/melampus.htm |url-status=dead }} Category:International maritime incidents Category:Maritime incidents in 1967 Category:Suez Canal Category:Six-Day War --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Yellow Fleet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Fleet) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Fleet?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.