Yellow Fleet
Ships trapped in Suez Canal as a result of the Six-Day War
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⚡ Key Takeaways
- From 1967 to 1975, 15 ships and their crews were trapped in the Suez Canal after the Six-Day War between Israel and Egypt.
- During the war, Egypt blocked both ends of the canal to prevent its use by Israel.
- In 1975, the Canal was reopened, enabling the ships to leave after eight years of being stranded.
- History Closing of the canal In June 1967, the 15 ships were sailing northward through the Suez Canal as a war broke out between Israel and Egypt in what was to become known as the Six-Day War.
- Fourteen ships were forced to anchor in the widest part of the Suez Canal, the Great Bitter Lake.
From 1967 to 1975, 15 ships and their crews were trapped in the Suez Canal after the Six-Day War between Israel and Egypt. The stranded ships, which belonged to eight countries (West Germany, Sweden, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Poland, Bulgaria, and Czechoslovakia), 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 mines, and other debris continued to block transport through the canal until the wake of the 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. At 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 as a war 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 passage. 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 SS Observer from the other ships and it had to anchor in Lake Timsah.
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