X-LIGHTER 127 Malta -22 meters.

For many years she was nicknamed the Coralita, till 10 years ago when some divers decided to clear out the sand and silt from her engine rooms and found her id tag and she was put to rest, to there amazement she was the X-Lighter 127 and the only one left all the others have been totally destroyed, Built in 1915 for the admiralty during WWI, 200 support landing craft were built and this is the last one in the world, the hull was based on Thames London barge boats, with a ramp but X-127 was to be slightly redesigned to carry water, 35 meters long 6.5 meters wide she could car lots of water for the troops during the Gallipoli campaign.

Bomb damage.

With twin props and campbell 80hp engine she was ready weight around 130 tons, and then fitted with Tangye water pump she and  dozens of X-Lighters were then towed 3000 miles to Cape Hellas Gallipoli, where 2 major reservoirs were built so they would pump fresh drinking water into the reservoirs from the ships for troops and horses.
After the war in the 1920's they got sold off or moved around  some went to private company's were some travel near and far France Spain Greece and Malta,

Skylight to the accomadation

 So 16 ended here in Malta and X-127 was one of them,WWII started and her duty's started again carrying fresh water this time from land to the war ships and submarines, then in the late 1941 she was converted to carry shale oil for the 10th submarine flotilla, at HMS Talbot Manoel island,
durning the night of 6th March 1942 while she was unloading, the harbour came under attach and 2 submarines P36 & P39 were damaged but X-127 was on fire shortly after she sank and remains in the same spot as she was in 1942.

2 Hanchs that lead down to the pump room (Tangye pump)

Today when you dive her she is mainly dived when other dive sites are out due to weather as she sits in the harbour and as most harbour dives dont differ that much visibility can be 10 meters on good day or 1 meter on bad one, she sits on a bank bow at 5 meters stern at 22 meters, every thing still sits upon her the water pumps are visible and so is the engine room, the sky light hatches are still on the main deck were her  12 crew use to sleep in shifts know as hot bunking,

Ladder leading into the pump room.

The direct hit with a bomb blew a hole in both sides of her hull and deck causing the fire thus causing her to sink, but flag pole fittings are still visable so is the bullet proof  screen, she is a remarkable ship from WWI just a pity she didnt make it through to the end, be carefull at this site as it busy harbour boat traffic.

Main towing Bollards.