Malta's 10-Gun Terror

Malta offer glorious sunny weather, beautiful beaches, thriving nightlife and – of course – world class diving. The clear blue Mediterranean Sea that surrounds the islands provides the sort of quality diving that attracts divers from across the world. Malta has it all – reefs, sea caves and more, all within depths to suit all levels of experience and training. Of course what really brings divers to Malta is its wreck diving. Whilst many have been placed in recent years for the purpose of attracting visiting divers, the seas around Malta are home to a number of wrecks that reveal a little of its fascinating wartime past.

The Siege of Malta

It’s all too easy to forget that behind the charm and tranquillity of modern Malta, the islands suffered greatly during World War 2. Reminders of the war can still be found and no visit to Valetta, the tiny capital of Malta, is complete without a tour of the National War Museum in Fort St. Elmo. There you’ll find an array of fascinating exhibits which provide a glimpse into Malta’s wartime past including the Gloster Gladiator biplane ‘Faith’ – one of only three defensive aircraft stationed on the island when Mussolini declared war on the 10th June 1940.

Britain’s wartime prime minister Winston Churchill understood the strategic importance of the Maltese Islands to the war effort. Throughout the war, Axis forces engaged in relentless attacks on the islands in an effort to subdue her. Stuka dive bombers based in Sicily pounded Malta – the heaviest of these attacks taking place during 1942 in what would become known as the 'Siege of Malta'. On the 15th August, the siege was mercifully broken after the badly damaged remnants of the famous 'Operation Pedestal' convoy limped into Valetta harbour carrying life-saving supplies and all-important fuel for the Spitfires tasked with defending the islands.

Located not far from the Maori is another war time wreck - the X127 Lighter. Sunk off Manoel Island during an air raid, the ‘Lighters’ were purpose-built landing craft designed for the transportation of troops, horses and field guns during the Dardanelles landings of World War One. After the war, X127 found its way to Malta and was converted to carry fuel oil for submarines. Today she lies upright on a 20 degree slope with her bow at 5 metres and her stern at 22 metres. Although very silty and suffering from poor visibility, the wreck has taken on a new role as an artificial reef with sightings of octopus and cuttlefish not uncommon.

Bristol Blenheim Bomber

If you’re looking for something a little bit different, Malta offers the opportunity to visit two wartime aircraft wrecks. The first – and perhaps the better known of the two – is the Bristol Blenheim Bomber located approximately 800 metres due east of Xrobb l-Ghagin at a depth of 42 metres. The Blenheim was heavily damaged shortly after take-off after being engaged by enemy aircraft. Fearing that the damaged aircraft could make the runway inoperable, the pilot ditched the aircraft in the sea. All three crew members escaped with only minor injuries as the aircraft sank beneath the waves.

Seventy years on, the wreck of the Blenheim Bomber is still reasonably intact with both wings and its twin Bristol Mercury engines (one of which still has its battered propeller in place) easy to make out as you descend the shotline through the clear Mediterranean waters. Due to the force of impact when the aircraft ditched in the sea, the fuselage has broken away from the cockpit and wing section and now lies upside down on the opposite side of where it should be! Look out too for the pilot’s control column and seat which is still in situ.

Today what remains of the Beaufighter lies upside down on a clean, white sandy sea bed at a depth of 37m. Accessible only by boat, diving the wreck is nonetheless a relaxed and enjoyable experience. To protect the wreck from badly-placed shots and anchors, a permanent block and line has been placed near the wreck to remove the need for visiting boats to shot the wreck for themselves. This line buoy needs replacing on a regular basis as the wrecks sit in the main path for boat traffic travelling to and from the islands of Gozo and Comino.

Colourful Marine Growth

Dropping down the shotline, the outline of the wreck begins to appear through the haze. It’s clear that even after seventy odd years on the sea bed, the lightweight airframe is in surprisingly good condition. Partially buried and laying upside down in the sand, only the tail section of the fuselage is missing from an otherwise complete wreck. Rising up from the wings on either side of the centre fuselage, both undercarriage frames remain locked in the landing position. Covered in colourful marine growth, their shredded and degrading rubber hang limply from their hubs.

The real attraction are the aircraft’s twin supercharged Hercules engines. Although partially buried in the sand, much of the engine’s workings including its array of radial cylinders can clearly be seen. Like the Blenheim Bomber, the Beaufighter has lost one of its two propellers. Considering the speed at which she must have hit the water, it’s a miracle that either of them stayed in place!

For visiting photographers, no dive on the Beaufighter is complete with at least one shot of the port engine with its twisted propeller particularly buried in the sand. Look out too for the four ports that housed the aircraft’s death-dealing 20mm Hispano cannons, one of which is now bent upwards at a 45 degree angle. These destructive weapons of war now serve as home for a pair of moray eels that have taken up residence around the wreck.