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EL Mina:
The EL Mina, (also called EL Minia or EL Miniaya) began life as a Russian built Soviet era T-43 class minesweeper. This class of minesweeper was built for the Soviet navy in the late 1940's through to the ind of the 1950's. There were 178 ship of the class built at shipyards at Leningrad, Kerch, in Poland, and modified under license in China. 44 of these ships were exported to various countries over the years, with Egypt receiving 7 of them and renaming them the Assuit class.
T-43 Class Russian built Minesweeper
T-43 Class Minesweeper Specifications:
Displacement: 500 tons standard, 569 tons full load Length: 58 meters Beam: 8.5 meters Draught: 2.15 meters Propulsion: diesel engines 2200 hp Speed: 14 knots (26 km/h) Range: 3,800 nautical miles (7,037.6 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) Crew: 65 to 77 Armament: 4 37mm guns (2x2) 2 x 12.7mm machine guns 1 depth charge launcher Up to 32 mines carried onboard Sweeps MT-1 suite, Type MTSh
Of the 7 minesweepers of the class which were purchased by Egypt, as of this writing (Febrary 2009), 5 are still listed as being on active duty in the Egyptian Navy.
In the case of the EL Mina however, her career came to an abrupt end in early June 1970 when the port of Hurghada was attacked by Israeli aircraft during the first days of the 6 Day War. She was hit by an Israeli missile and sank where she was anchored at 27°13'55"N / 33°51'34"E in 30 meters of water. It is unknown whether any personnel casualties were suffered during the attack or sinking.
For Divers: The Wreck Today:
The ship lies squarely on its port side near shore in 30-33 meters of water and is permanently marked with a buoy attached to its stern. Keeping in mind that this vessel lies in a harbour, the visibility is variable from 20-meters on a great day, down to 5-meters on other days. The twin propellers, shafts, and rudders are clearly visible at the aft end of the wreck. lying on the bottom around the wreck is live ordnance which should remain undisturbed for obvious reasons, and pieces and parts from the ship itself. The deck armament is still clearly visible with the exception of the forward gun, which is missing. The damage from the attack is clearly visible on the forward starboard side of the vessel near the bow. Penetration of the wreck is possible, but keep in mind that it is a small vessel so doorways and passageways are extremely confined areas. There are plenty of portholes and other areas where one can view the interior of the wreck without making a full penetration. Nice wreck for conducting technical and advanced training on. |
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