TRAVELSPECIAL
The B-24 Liberator
A gun on the stern of SS Polynesien
Strategic location
The significant number of wrecks in Maltese waters is not just a matter of happenstance . The British Empire capitalised on the country ’ s strategic geographic location for more than 150 years . During the two World Wars , the ships and aircraft stationed in Malta ( or visiting it enroute to other countries ) were involved in several skirmishes , the result being the loss of many vessels and planes belonging to both sides .
Merchant traffic was also impacted by mines and torpedo strikes . Despite the tragic circumstances in which these aircraft , ships and submarines found their way to the bottom of the sea , divers are nowadays able to explore a wide assortment of historical wrecks . Their depth ranges from 16 metres – as in the case of the destroyer HMS Maori – to 115 metres , the maximum depth of the submarines HMS Urge and HMS Olympus . At depths beyond 85m , you can also find the minesweeper HMD Trusty Star , the destroyer ORP Kujawiak , the collier SS Luciston , and the battleship HMS Russell .
Given that most of the wrecks originating from the two World Wars are found at depths between 50 and 75 metres , Malta is a magnet for technical divers with an irresistible lust for rust . Some of the most legendary wrecks in this depth range are the 152-metre-long ocean liner SS Polynesien , the four-engined B-24 Liberator heavy bomber , and the destroyer HMS Southwold . Despite the many decades spent on the seabed , most of these deep wrecks are to a large extent in a very good condition .
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