Suez Canal
The ships were trapped in the hostilities between Israel and Egypt from 1967 to 1975. In 1967 they had been travelling through the Suez Canal when Egypt closed and then blocked it both in front of them and behind. One ship of the 15, the Africa Glen (USA), was sunk in the war of 1973 but the rest survived in what became a close-knit community. In 1975 when the barriers were cleared for the other 14 ships to sail out of the Suez after 8 years of being immobilised there, the Nordwind and Münsterland, the two German ships, were still able to sail out under their own power. The other 12 were towed out to Port Said.
