The SS Thistlegorm was a British armed Merchant Navy ship built in 1940 by Joseph Thompson & Son in Sunderland, England. She was armed with a 4.7-inch (120mm) anti-aircraft gun and a heavy calibre machine gun attached after construction to the stern of the ship. She was sunk on 6 October 1941 near Ras Muhammad in the Red Sea and is now a well known dive site.
The massive explosion blew much of her midships superstructure away and makes the wreck very accessible to divers. The depth of around 30 m (100 feet) at its deepest is ideal for diving without the need for specialist equipment and training.

Made in 1955 and first released in may 1956. The movie is the legendary "Le Monde du Silence", directed by both Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Louis Malle. Those images of 1955 were shot a few after the discovery of the ship, discovered by Cousteau himself.