Independent Scuba

HMS Maori

Few places in the world can offer World War Wrecks only a minute away from the nations capital. The intense bombings during 1942 sank many shjps and one of the most accessible ones is the HMS Maori. Although she is fairly broken down it is still one of the most famous sites in Malta which offer not only the wreck but also good marine life with a large number of species of fish and invertrebrates. For those interested in history there is a lot to discover.

History has several examples of ships that become legends for one reason or the other.

HMS Maori

The most famous is beyond doubt the Titanic – perhaps because of the drama of her sinking and the great loss of life. Her sinking was also covered in world media and the reports contained many elements the readers could identify themselves with. This is what makes a legend – drama and imagination rather than actual facts. While the sinking of the Titanic saw a great loss of life it is nowhere near the worst disaster of all times. 1945 in the Baltic three ships were torpedoed with a total loss of
perhaps 25000 lifes. On the Wilhelm Gustloff alone, up to 10000 people lost their lives – some 5 times more than on the Titanic.

Another ship shrouded in legend is the Bismarck. As the Titanic, she was the biggest ship of her time and also her sinking included a great deal of drama. Fighting against a very superior enemy she could finally not withstand any longer and sank in the North Atlantic at a depth of over 4000 meters. Some 2000 people lost their lives but some were saved by the allied ships. One of the ships that picked up survivors were the HMS Maori.

The HMS Maori belonged tothe tribala class of destroyers, designed to be fast rather than having superior firepower. She saw considerable action in the North Atlantic before the was moved to the Mediterranean where she was involved in several remarkable missions, among them the sinking of the Italian cruisers Alberico Da Barbiano and Alberto Di Guissano.

In 1942 Malta was the last allied outpost in the Mediterranean and the Axis powers tried to bomb Malta out of action went. For 141 consecutive days the bomb campaign on until the siege was finally called off after the arrival of the tanker Ohio. London, as a comparison, was bombed for 40 days – Malta saw another 100 days of action!

Due to the constant threat of bombs ships moored in the harbours were practically empty during night time and this is probably why only one man was killed when a bomb hit the engine room in the morning of February 12th 1942.

HMS Maori in the Grand Harbour

HMS Maori sank slowly at the entrance of Dockyard Creek. Because she was blocking the entrance she was raised and pulled over to the quiet backwaters of St Elmo Bay which is where she rests today in shallow water – the deepest section is only 15 meters below the surface. During the operation her stern was broken off and it rests in deeper waters. Unconfirmed rumours say that it can be dived in about 50 meters but we do not know of anyone who has actually done it.

The shallow water in which the known section lies, means that she is fairly broken down and much of her has also been salvaged. That said, there are still interesting details to be found such as shells and cables.She is suitable for all levels of experience and is also a favourite among photographers who can create amazing photos using the light that falls in through the holes in her hull.

A diver inside the HMS Maori

One can still easily see where the cannons used to stand and parts of the superstructure is still standing. It is thrilling to swim above the deck and think of how her radar picked up the echo of the Bismarck and how she assisted in picking up the survivors after the sinking. Sometimes one does not need to be an experienced diver to touch legend!

This dive gets a rating of 3 stars.