Prompt Cast
The Yellow Fleet: How 14 ships formed a micro-nation in the Suez Canal during the Six-Day War
TLDR During the Six-Day War, 14 ships became trapped in the Suez Canal and formed the Great Bitter Lake Association, creating their own micro-nation complete with a postage system and stamps. After years of being stuck, the Suez Canal reopened and the ships were finally able to leave.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
During the Six-Day War, ships in the Suez Canal got stuck and formed a fleet known as the Yellow Fleet.
01:49
During the Six-Day War, Israeli forces quickly advanced across the Sinai Peninsula and were nearing the strategically significant Suez Canal.
03:19
The closure of the Suez Canal during the Six-Day War trapped 14 ships in the middle of the canal.
04:30
The 14 trapped ships in the Great Bitter Lake formed the Great Bitter Lake Association to keep the crews occupied with activities such as soccer matches, church services, movie nights, and a pool.
05:38
In order to address the issue of the crews being trapped on the ships indefinitely, a plan was developed to cluster the ships into three groups with caretaker crews who would rotate every three months, allowing the rest of the crew to go home.
06:44
The ships trapped in the Great Bitter Lake developed their own micro-nation with their own postage system and stamps, which have become collectibles, and eventually, in 1975, the Suez Canal reopened and the ships were able to leave.
07:55
The German SS Munsterland arrived after a voyage lasting eight years, three months, and five days, and was greeted by a crowd of over 30,000 people.
