B-24 Liberator Bomber

The B-24 Liberator Bomber is a World War II airplane wreck located approximately 1.5 km off Marsaxlokk in southeast Malta. The four-engine heavy bomber, measuring about 20 m in length with a 33 m wingspan, lies at a depth of 55 m, making it a boat dive suitable for technical divers. The wreck is upright on a sandy seabed, with a well-preserved wing structure partly covered in corals. Two of the four engines still have propellers in place, while the plane’s nose is destroyed and the cockpit torn open. The tail section is broken and lies under the fuselage. The B-24 Liberator Bomber was ditched into the sea in 1943 and discovered in 2015. Diving the wreck requires a special permit and is managed by Heritage Malta.

The B-24 Liberator was an American four-engine heavy bomber used extensively in World War II. This particular B-24 was on a bombing mission from Libya to southern Italy in May 1943 when it was hit by anti-aircraft fire. After failed landing attempts at Luqa airfield, the plane was forced to ditch into the sea off Benghisa Point in southern Malta. The 10-member crew survived except for one, making the wreck a war grave. The wreck was found in 2015 and opened for diving in 2020. For divers interested in airplane wrecks, there are other shallower dive sites in Malta, including the Bristol Beaufighter, Bristol Blenheim Bomber, Mosquito Fighter Bomber, and Lockheed P2V Neptune. These plane wrecks are between 30 and 42 m deep. Other technical airplane wreck dives include the Junkers Ju 88, Fairey Swordfish, Douglas A-1 Skyraider, and another Junkers Ju 88, ranging from 55 to 106 m in depth.