Konke kwaqala ngo-2002, ngesikhathi sesifundo sokutshuza nekhasimende elingumfundi, uDkt. Ashraf Sabri, udokotela wokuqala ngqa eSinayi, futhi ongumnikazi we-Alexandria Dive Centre (ADC), ethola ithunzi elimnyama phansi koLwandle LwaseMedithera olucebile noluvundile.
Enelukuluku lokwembula le mfihlakalo, wasondela eduze “nesilo esingaphili” esasihlezi phansi olwandle olunamadwala. "Lalikhona, lilele ngakwesokudla, lihlukaniswe kabili, lilinde ukuthi silithole ngemva kwayo yonke le minyaka," esho njengoba ejula ekujuleni kwamamitha angu-30 endaweni yaseMex, imizuzu engu-20 ukusuka echwebeni elisempumalanga. yase-Alexandria kanye ne-ADC.
USabri waqagela ukuthi i-torpedo ebangele ukuthi izike kufanele ukuthi ishaye umkhumbi. “Ngayizwa inhliziyo yami ishaya ngamandla njengoba sisondela endaweni eyingozi. Mina nomfundi wami sabona ukuthi lokhu kube yinto enhle kakhulu esiyitholile,” esho ngokuzithela phezu kwengozi yakhe yokuqala. Lapho bekhuphukela ogwini, wayelokhu ezibuza ukuthi kungani kungekho muntu owake wathola le nhlekelele ngaphambili nokuthi zingaki ezinye izinhlekelele e-Alex. Kwagcina kanjani lapho? Kungani lehlela e-Alexandria?
USabri wabhekana nokuphahlazeka kwenqola yokudoba yaseJalimane eyayisetshenziswa njengomshayi-mayini ngesikhathi seMpi Yezwe Yesibili. Cishe, wathi i-torpedo yaseBrithani, eyahlukanisa izingxenye ezimbili eziyinhloko, kodwa yashiya ingxenye encane yesigaba phakathi nendawo, yehlisa. Ingxenye engemuva noma ingemuva ingamamitha angama-24.5; eliphakathi, amamitha amane kanti ingaphambili noma umnsalo lingamamitha angu-15.3. Ibanga elingamamitha amathathu kuya kwamahlanu lihlukanisa ingxenye ngayinye, umnsalo ubheke ku-300 eningizimu-mpumalanga lapho ubheke ngasogwini. Lokhu kufakazela ukuthi ishaywe ngesikhathi izama ukufinyelela itheku e-Alexandria. Ingxenye yomnsalo incike ngakwesokudla, futhi ingxenye enkulu yayo igqitshwe esihlabathini. Kufanele kube nenganono enkulu elele lapho, engavela kuphela ngokumuncwa isihlabathi noma enye indlela yokuhlanza ezoveza negama lomkhumbi. Inqubo yokufunda ngokuphahlazeka yayithathe amasonto.
Ku-Sabri nethimba lakhe e-ADC, bekuyisiqalo nje sezingozi eziningi ezengeziwe. Uthe, “Njengomnikazi wendawo okuwukuphela kwayo yokucwila emanzini kuhulumeni, ngangazi ukuthi amathuba okuthola ezinye izinhlekelele ayelele kimina kanye ne-ADC. Lokhu okutholakele kwafeza iphupho lami. Kwakuyisikhathi esihle kakhulu.”
Ngemuva kwempumelelo yakhe yokuqala yokucwila emanzini, waya emanzini kaninginingi, hhayi nje ukuthatha amaqembu e-dive futhi anikeze izifundo, kodwa ukuze ahlole noma yikuphi okunye ukuhlola okungenzeka. Mhlawumbe u-Aleksandriya kungenzeka ukuthi ubecashe ngaphezu kwalokho ayesekubonile kuze kube manje.
USabri wayeqinisile ngomuzwa wakhe wamathumbu. Ngokushesha wathola indiza yeMpi Yezwe II yaseBrithani eyayiphelele, izungezwe ama-amphora asebukhosini ayesetshenziselwa ukudla neziphuzo, ama-limestone ambalwa kanye nezinsika ezivela esigodlweni sasendulo sasebukhosini. Kubonakala sengathi izinkathi ezimbili zomlando zicwile endaweni eyodwa.
“Lokhu bekuyindida ikakhulukazi. Bengidinga izimpendulo zemibuzo eminingi efana nalena:
Kungani indiza yehlela lapho phakathi netheku? Yini eyabangela
ukuphahlazeka? Kungani indiza yayisaphelele, icishe isesimweni esihle, ilondolozwe kahle ngaphandle kwezingilazi ezimbalwa eziphukile? Ngisho ne-oxygen mask yomshayeli wendiza yayisekhona lapho,” usho kanje.
Isimo esingezansi samkhathaza. Wadinga izincazelo kwaze kwaba ngolunye usuku, ephuze inkomishi yetiye nomakhelwane omdala, ethola izimpendulo.
“Lapho ngivakashele efulethini lalesi salukazi esiphezu kwehhovisi lami ebhilidini elingaphesheya kwe-ADC, ngijabule kakhulu ukusho into entsha esisanda kuyithola ngokuphahlazeka kwendiza. Ngamangala lapho engitshela ngesigameko asikhumbula kahle mayelana nale ndiza,” kuchaza uSabri.
Wabheka emuva ngalolo suku lwasekuseni oluyinhlekelele ngo-1942, phakathi neMpi Yezwe II, (lapho intombazanyana ehlala nabazali bayo endlini ebheke itheku elisempumalanga), wabona okuthile okuyinqaba. Indiza yempi yaseBrithani yayiza ngqo kubo. Le ndiza ngokuvamile, yayivame ukundiza phezu kwe-Alexandria. Ngaleso sikhathi sesibili, lase lizophahlazeka esakhiweni sokuhlala.
Wadazuluka edonsa amehlo unina. “Bheka, indiza iza ngqo kithi,” esho ekhala. Nokho, ngomzuzu wokugcina, umshayeli wendiza wakwazi ukugwema izakhiwo futhi waqondisa indiza yakhe ngasethekwini. Yacwila olwandle, ilandela intuthu eningi ngemva kwayo. Lapho sebehambile ngokuphepha edolobheni futhi ngaphambi kokuthinta amanzi, umshayeli wendiza nethimba lakhe bavula intambo yokubalekela, bafaka amapharashuthi abo. Bakhohlisa ukufa enhlekeleleni eyalandela. Uthe, ngaleso sikhathi, abantu okuhlanganisa namasosha, basenesosha nesimilo esihloniphekile kanye nenhlonipho ngempilo yabantu. Babeka ukuphila kwabo engozini ukuze bavikele abangenacala. Babengeke bagxume baphume endizeni ngamapharashuthi, futhi bayiyeke iklebhule ezakhiweni futhi ibulale izakhamuzi.
USabri ukuqinisekisile ukuthi uthole indiza yaseBrithani, ilele phezu kwesigodlo esingaphansi kwamanzi sikaMark Anthony, kodwa wayeludinga kakhulu ulwazi nemikhondo mayelana nokwakhiwa kwayo kanye neqembu. Kamuva, kwafika izivakashi zendoda nomfazi emnyango wakhe ongaphambili. Le ndoda yathi, “Ngeshwa, angitshuzi, futhi angiboni inhlekelele, kodwa ngikholelwa ukuthi ubaba wayengumshayeli wale ndiza. Wayengomunye wabashayeli bezindiza abaphahlaza indiza yakhe yempi ethekwini lase-Alexandria phakathi neMpi Yezwe II!”
“Ukusabela kwami kwaba wukungakholwa, ukushaqeka nokumangala. Angikaze ngizizwe nginenhlanhla kangaka ngaphambili. Nakhu ngihlangana ubuso nobuso nendoda eyayizodalula impicabadala yale ndiza. UCliff Colis udlulise indaba kayise, uFrederick Collis.
Ngencwadi eyathunyelwa kamuva kuSabri, uCliff wathi, “Ubaba wami wendiza uLieutenant Fredrick Thomas Collis ekuqaleni wayeyi-Air Observer wabe eseba iNavigator. Ujoyine iRoyal Australian Air Force (njengoba ayengowase-Australia, ngokuzalwa) futhi wathunyelwa ku-RAF yaseBrithani.”
Indiza ka-Fred, i-Beaufort ye-Royal Air Force ibe yinhlekelele endala elele phansi olwandle, umnsalo wayo ubheke kumzila wokungena wechweba elikhulu. UCollis omncane uthe, “Ngikhumbula isigameko sokuhlala kwakhe e-Egypt – lapho bona (yena nethimba lakhe) besekusele imizuzu embalwa ukuthi bashayise ihhotela eliseCornish (ihhotela iCecil e-Alexandria). Indiza yakhe yalahlekelwa ukuphakama ngenxa yezinkinga zobuchwepheshe. Ngobubanzi bezinwele, indiza yasika kancane izakhiwo zogu phezu kweCornish. Ngokwethuka, izisebenzi zavala amehlo (okuhlanganisa nomshayeli wendiza). Ngemva kwemizuzu embalwa ibona ukuthi basaphila, indiza yagingqika yabheka eceleni, yanqamula ekupheleni kwehhotela, yasindisa izivakashi zeCecil kanye nazo ngokwazo.”
UFred kwakufanele andiza aye eMalta ngalolo suku, ukuze ayosebenza ngokucashile; Nokho, uzakwabo wacela ukuhwebelana naye. UFred washintsha umsebenzi wakhe lapho bonke babulawa eMalta. U-Lt. Collis usinde ngokushintshana, nokho waphatheka kabi ngokulahlekelwa yikho konke engozini.
Ukuphahlazeka kwaba uthando lukaSabri; okutholakele, umsebenzi wakhe. Ubelokhu efuna okwengeziwe ukuzakhela igama kanye nesikhungo sokuntywila esikhiqize ukutholakala okuningi kwe-WWII kukho konke okutholwe ngaphansi kwamanzi e-Egypt.
Uthole i-SS Aragon, umkhumbi wesibhedlela se-WWII ophelezelwa i-HMS Attack etholakala cishe ngamamayela ayisishiyagalombili enyakatho yeWestern Harbour. Ihlangabezane nesiphetho sayo ngqo esiteshini esikhethelwe ukungena ezikebheni. Lapho ithimba lokutshuza lithola ukuphahlazeka komkhumbi, ukuphahlazeka kwesayithi kwacwila ndawonye (i-SS Aragon ne-HMS Attack).
Ngokombiko kaSabri, i-SS Aragon yethulwa ngoFebhuwari 23, 1905, yinkampani yokuqala yamawele ephethwe ngu-Countess Fitzwilliam. Isuke eNgilandi ilibangise eMarseille eFrance, kwase kuthi iMalta isendleleni eya e-Alexandria, inamasosha angama-2700. Ngenkathi ingena ethekwini ngoDisemba 30, 1917, yashaywa umkhumbi-ngwenya waseJalimane i-UC34. Yacwila ngokushesha, yahamba namatilosi angu-610.
I-HMS Attack, umbhubhisi, yasiza kodwa yaphinde yahlaselwa yi-torpeed. Le nhlekelele yabhalwa encwadini engasayiniwe yangoMashi 5, 1918 - eyathunyelwa yisikhulu esingaziwa se-SS Aragon kuJohn William Hannay emzamweni wokumisa ingqondo yakhe ekuphumuleni mayelana nendodakazi yakhe, u-Agnes McCall uNee Hannay. UNkosazana Hannay wayeyi-VAD owayegibele ngesikhathi sokuhlasela. Nangempela wasinda.
Kuze kube manje, ithimba le-dive eliholwa nguDkt. Sabri, liyaqhubeka nokudalula izimfihlakalo zolwandle kanye nokuphahlazeka okufihliwe e-Alexandria, kuhlanganise nezindiza zempi zaseJalimane ezicwiliswe amabutho ahlangene futhi mhlawumbe, ingcebo eyigugu kaCleopatra kanye no-Anthony.
Indodana kaKaputeni ongasekho uKaputeni uMedhat Sabri, isikhulu sasolwandle saseGibhithe esasiphethe uxhaxha lwemikhumbi yasogwini futhi kamuva, yayala bonke abashayeli bezindiza baseSuez Canal ngemuva kokwenziwa kwesiteshi sikazwelonke, kanye nomzukulu kaColonel Ibrahim Sabri, inhloko ye-Coast Guard. endaweni yaseWestern Desert futhi kamuva waba umbusi wase-Alex, uSabri uthole izingozi eziyi-13, kuze kube manje, e-Alexandria phakathi kuka-Abu Qir no-Abu Taalat. Ubheke phambili ekutadisheni futhi athole ezinye iziphahlazeke ezingaba ngu-180 ezihlezi endaweni ewudedangendlale yolwandle kulo lonke elaseGibhithe. Udokotela uqinisekisa ukuthi balaphaya ndawana thize ukuze abatshuzi nabashisekayo bahlole.
