The Yellow Fleet

[Mahmoud Mohamed]

Hello

My name is Mahmoud Mohamed, I'm an author from Cairo, Egypt.

I'm pursuing a novel about the story of The Yellow Fleet written in Arabic. once I read about the story, I was in love with story and decided that is my next novel.

I was hoping that you could help me with information, data, photos, records, diaries etc. to complete my research to make sure of story details.

If any gentleman having any information likes to share it, please contact me.

[Red Lead Ted]

Hi Mahmoud, I sailed threw the Suez after it was opened, I only wish i had a video cam on my person the yellow fleet was a sight to be seen alright. There have been a couple of novels wrote and published on the yellow fleet i wish you all the best with your book, Here is the 15 ships that where trapped,


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 Bierut
Por = MS Port Invercargill
St = MS Scottish Star
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 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.

In the 2010s, there has been renewed interest in this unusual story. Two books have appeared that chronicle the 8-year sojourn of the ships in the Great Bitter Lake, Acht Jahre gefangen im Großen Bittersee by Hans Jürgen Witthöft, in German (2015); and Stranded in the Six-Day War by Cath Senker, in English (2017).

Stranded ships
Name Nationality Owner Captain Cargo Gross tonnage References
MS Nordwind West Germany Nordstern Reederei Gerhard Lomer T-shirts 8,656 [3]
MS Münsterland West Germany Hamburg America Line Karl Hoffmann, replaced by Jürgen Katzler, Wolfgang Scharrnbeck Eggs, fruit 9,365 [4][5]
MS Killara Sweden Rederiaktiebolaget Transatlantic Sture Sundnér Wool, hides, fruit, lead, pigs from Australia 12,990 [6]
MS Nippon Sweden Svenska Ostasiatiska Kompaniet Arthur Bjuréus, Ulf Bergman [sv] Case goods from Far East 10,660
MS Essayons[A 1] France 7,051
MS Agapenor United Kingdom Blue Funnel Line Plastic toys for Woolworths 7,654 [7][8][9]
MS Melampus United Kingdom Blue Funnel Line Jim Starkey 8,509 [8][10]
MS Scottish Star United Kingdom Blue Star Line Brian McManus 10,174 [7][8]
MS Port Invercargill United Kingdom Port Line Arthur Kensett 10,463 [8][11]
SS African Glen[A 2] United States Farrell Lines 6,116
MS Djakarta Poland Polish Ocean Lines 6,915
MS Boleslaw Bierut Poland Polish Ocean Lines Bogdan Kryspin 6,674
MS Vasil Levsky Bulgaria Navigation Maritime 4,975
MS Lednice Czechoslovakia Československá plavba dunajská (Czechoslovak Danube Shipping)[12] Klement Benda, Ladislav Šlechta[13] raw cowhides from Ethiopia 1,462 [14][15]
SS Observer[A 3] United States Marine Carriers Corp. Charles Kapelowitz Wheat (Galveston to Bombay) 17,614
I was in the first first fleet in 1975 to sail through the Suez after it reopened i was aboard a small container ship and i had a good friend who spent 9 months aboard Blue Funnels MS Agapenor before being taken of the ship which by that time all the ships had skeleton crews. It is an episode in Maritime history that should never be forgotten i agree. Regards Terry.

[Mahmoud Mohamed]

Thank you Terry for sharing information and helping my research, I've already read Cath Senker's Stranded in the Six-Day and i found it very useful.

[samlarsoonn]

and you call that a few
thanks to you I now have something to do during these long nights=)
thanks, I appreciate it

[Colin Wood]

When I first saw the title, I thought it was about the 'Yellow Perils' part of a well known British Shipping Company.

[Doc Vernon]

Just wondering reading this Thread how many on here have got the Suez Medal ?
As all those that were in the Zone around that time were eligible !
Cheers

This commemorative medal marks the service of participants and support personnel in the Suez Canal Zone between 1945 and 1957. The dates on the obverse of the medal represent the two most recent periods of unrest and conflict.

[KinghamsJ]

Hi Terry,I also was on one of the ships to go through in May 1975,ships name was United Mariner(Gulfeast shipping)