Deeper and deeper – HMS Southwold
Share This Post
Use the links above to share or bookmark this post.
By Dave Whitlam
OK Sunday morning the sun is shining! Fancy a trip to Southwold?
Yes, I love Southwold is my instant replay! Circa early 1970’s and I am 10 years of age. The small seaside town of Southwold is only 9 miles from my Home town of Lowestoft in sleepy Suffolk England as a boy my father would many a time pack us all in the car and take a day trip to Southwold we would have great adventures playing along the river Blyth whilst dad would sit in a local pub enjoying a fine brew from the towns own brewery Adams (Still going strong today) Happy memoires indeed .
So 35 years later it’s a Sunday, the sun is shining and I am off to visit Southwold! This time not to play by the waters edge but to venture under it down 70 meters to the wreck of HMS SOUTHWOLD now laying in peace at the bottom of the Mediterranean of the coast of Malta.
A hunt class destroyer was going to the aid of the merchant ship Breconshire when she hit a mine under her engine room 5 guys lost they life’s that day and shortly after Southwold sunk in 2 pieces. Today’s dive is to the Bow section. The Scubaworks team are all up for anther deep sortie as of the last few weekends dives being 60+meters.
One starts diving by the jetty to retrieve a mask dropped when boarding the rib! All recovered safely we set off comfortable on the large rib we are using. In no time we have covered the short distance out to the final resting place of the Southword.
No playing around! We very quickly kitted up rolled over the side and headed down the shot!! 2 mins sinking steadily brings you to 60m and the once fearsome destroyer appears laying on her starboard side with the deck now vertical gravity is working slowly to bring all her once mighty power to the sea bed. But still resilient her deck guns cling on still facing forward as if ready to give a last salvo not yet ready for the sea floor beckoning some 5 meters away.
The bow still an engineered piece of craftsmanship looks as she is cutting a channel through the water. Only when swimming aft can you see the destruction the mine had done!! Metal plate ripped open like a tin can twisted turned ugly!! The stern is nowhere in sight of this section so we turn back to see port holes’. Cannon shells racks of AA bullets all lying still at rest along with the 5 brave guys who 70 years ago shared the same fate.
Heading back to the shot line all start their ascent each Buddy pair with different stops back to 9-6meter we are all stuck for around 20-25 mins to bring us back safely to the surface . The first time on the Southwold for me and many of today’s group but all are chatting and counting down for a return trip soon. Sun Sea and Southwold 35 years apart but still I LOVE IT!
Tags: Deco diving in Malta, HMS Southwold. Trimix diving, Malta Deep Wrecks, WWII wrecks in malta diving
Posted by Scuba Works Malta under Diving, Sites | Permalink