Wreck Dive, Manoel Island, Malta
In February 1915, Walter Pollock was asked to design & oversee the construction of 200 motor landing crafts built for the Gallipoli campaign during WW1, These were called the " X-Lighters"
The X127 name comes from the "X-Lighter number 127 out of the 200"
The X127 was converted to carry water and fitted with a Tangye water pump engine to pump the water out of the hull to reservoirs on shore. From 1920, many of the X-Lighters were sold to private companies and 14 managed to come to Malta.
The X127 at first, she continued her duties in Malta as a water carrier then converted to a fuel Oil Lighter carrying Shale Oil for the Tenth Flotilla - HMS Talbot in Manoel Island.
On the 6th March 1942, the submarine based was hit by dive bombers and during a second attack, the submarines P36 and P39 were damaged by near misses and the fuel lighter X127 caught fire and Sank in the same place
It lays upright on a sloping bottom with the bow at 5 meters and the stern lies at 22 meters. Her specifications were as follows; 24m in length and had a 7m beam.
For years, it had remained unidentified. Divers had nicknamed it Carolita or Coralita in the time it had been unidentified. In 2003, an analysis underwater had been done to identify the wreck and was first determined to be the X-131 and a few years later it was confirmed that it is in fact the X-127 by David Mallard, one of our dear and very friendly customers.
Explosion
At 16m, you will find a massive implosion where the metal shards protrude from the inside of the wreck outwards.
Points Of Interest
You can find a long massive power cable running over the wreck from Port side to starboard side.
The engine room is still in tact and the Tangye engines are too.
Experience Needed
You must be certified to dive to a depth of 18 meters to dive this site, as such we would require a minimum of Open Water Diver certification. We would also recommend being a Nitrox Diver.
DIVE SITE SPECIFICATION: The X127 Lighter
- Location: Manoel Island, Malta
- Type Of Dive: Shore Dive
- Max Depth: 22m
- Minimum Certification: PADI Open Water Diver
- Recommended: PADI Nitrox Diver