One of the few shallow wreck dives in Malta, is the 1915 built 24 metre water lighter HMS X127 known as Carolita.
Originally built as a landing craft she was converted into a water lighter and later again into a fuel lighter ferrying fuel for Royal Navy (RN) 10th Submarine flotilla. She’s one of the many World War II wrecks around Malta.
The wreck is in Marsamxett Harbour off Manoel Island at the start of Lazzaretto Creek. X127 is laying upright on a slope, her bow at 5 metres and stern at 22 metres, and can be dived from the shore.
The wreck was unidentified for years and was considered as an ordinary barge, known by divers with different names like Carolita or Coralita. In 2003 an underwater survey was carried out and the wreck was first identified as X-131 and few years later in 2006 confirmed to be X-127.
Lazzaretto Creek was home for the 10th Submarine Flottila of the RN resulting in the area being heavily bombed throughout 1942 and during a German air raid that happened on 3rd March 1942, she was hit while alongside the U Class Submarine P39 (Submarine was destroyed in an air raid on 26th March 1942),
The submarine base was serviced by a number of other vessels, ferrying fuel and other necessities from the wharf to the submarines. Amongst these vessels was a fuel lighter that was bombed during a German aerial raid on 3rd March 1942, as it was lying next to the submarine P39. The damage sustained by the bomb made her listing on her port side with an explosion later on since she was loaded with fuel and immediately sank.
For diving around the Maltese Islands we recommend the following –
i) Galaxy Charters Malta which is based in Mellieha, who has the Diving Boat CHIKO specially designed for divers allowing comfortable dives all around the islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino, who are our SPONSORS too
For more information they can be contacted on – https://www.facebook.com/galaxychartersmalta or email them on [email protected]
ii) OrangeShark Diving Centre which is based in Mellieha, who has 6 vehicles and the 30ft Diving Boat PAOLA ONE specially designed for divers, allowing comfortable dives all around the islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino, who are our SPONSORS too – https://orangeshark.eu/
iii) Seashell Dive Centre which is also based at Mellieha who has 2 Diving Boats specially designed for divers allowing comfortable dives all around the islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino, who are our SPONSORS too – https://www.seashelldivingmalta.com/
