HMS Maori Malta -16 meters.

HMS MAORI, this Tribal class British Destroyer was 1959 ton, built in Govan in 1937 with total length of 115 meters and 11 meters wide, her armaments were 8* 4.7 in guns 4*21 in torpedo tubes, she was twin screw with top speed of 37 knots and had crew of 190 men, she had a very event full life in the Royal Navy.
Bit of a history lesson on her, May 1940 stationed in Norway, May 1941 she was involved in the chase to hunt down the Bismark  and helped save 90 sailors from her, later 1941-42 she was involved in a number of convoys around Malta.

During the early morning bombing raid on Valletta, a parachute flare was dropped to light up the harbour so enemy fighter bombers could see what was ships were docked and the destruction started, as the flare came down it got caught in the  mast and she light up like a Christmas tree, every plane tried to bomb her but unfortunately she took a direct hit and the order to abandon ship was given &   3 hours later she sank.                                                                                                                             

In 1945 it was decided that she could not stay were she was due to shipping hazards, so she was re-floated and cut in half the stern section was taken out of the harbour and sunk in deeper water, romours between divers over the last 3 years have emerged saying the stern has been found in 80 meters of water 3 miles out but till now they are romours, but the bow section was towed to the next harbour bay of Fort St Elmo we she sits today, originally in 18 meters of water but over the last 60 years the sea is claiming her as her own as most of the deck have collapsed and filled with sand.

Gun shells clearly marked 1941.

But today it still has so much for entry level divers to see the big guns were salvaged but the turrets are very visible so are a lot of her gun shells clearly marked 1941, the radio mast lays down on the sand now broken in 2, sea bream and scorpion fish swim between her decks and some days you can even see the odd  sting ray passing, a lot of sponges of different colours grow freely on her structure.

And if your like me your always on the look out for something new and different to find while side mount diving i decided to head into the lower deck and this should only be done by experienced divers,after 73 years after she was sunk to my amazement sitting in the back of the lower deck sticking out of the sand was a teapot after 1000 dives on this wreck that was the last thing i ever thought i would see.

Upper deck

Teapot found in the lower decks....

Still even though she is a shallow wreck she is full of life and always some thing new to find on her, and to take beginners on her who have never dived a wreck its just a absolute pleasure to see there faces when we get up after a dive and all you can hear them talk about is the wreck and the next thing is 'is it time to go back in' now you know they are hooked on wreck diving.                                                                                                                                                                    


For more information on diving in Malta or HMS Maori    techdivingmalta@gmail.com