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Bristol Beaufighter
 St. Julian’s, Malta
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Max Depth: 121-130ft/37-40m
Average Viz: 61-70ft/19-21m
Entry Type: Boat
Bottom Composition: Sand
Aquatic Life: Might See Something
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Bristol Beaufighter is a boat accessible salt water dive site, located in St. Julian’s, Malta. The maximum depth is 121-130ft/37-40m. The average visibility is 61-70ft/19-21m.
900 metres offshore St Julian’s Point. The wrecks co-ordinates are of N 35’ 55.455 // E 014’ 30.189
The Bristol Beaufighter dive is done from a boat and usually divers can see Moray Eels and conger eels. Exploring this aircraft can be a good option to explore wrecks and due to its location in St. Julian’s this wreck dive is easily accessible for many people on a diving holiday in Malta.
The aircraft lies upside down on a sandy bottom with the wings and center fuselage still intact most of it buried in the sand. Both undercarriage frames and shredded tires stick up from their wing position behind the engines. One of the propellers still intact to the engine partly buried.
The Beaufighter was introduced into Coastal Command as a strike fighter, where its gun armament was retained but rockets and torpedoes were added giving it an even greater fire power. The 5562 Beaufighters that were produced earned a considerable reputation in the Middle and Far East. After its withdrawal from operational use many Beaufighters were converted to target tug duties and in fact the last flight of the type in Royal Air Force service took place on 17 May 1960 when a TT10 made a final target towing flight from Seletar
"On 17th March 1943 at 1125 hours nine Beaufighters of No 272 squadron took off to escort nine Beauforts of No 39 Squadron on a shipping strike of Point Stelo. At 1138 hours Beau fighter ‘N,’ with Sgt Donald Frazee at the controls and Sgt Sandery as observer, began to vibrate violently and lost speed rapidly. There was no option but to ditch the aircraft and this was accomplished at 100mph in a slight swell about 1000 yards off Dragonara Point, Sliema. As all this took place close to shore, persons watching informed Fighter Control but Maltese dghajsas reached the crew some five minutes before rescue launch HSL 166 arrived on the spot. The air crew was transferred to the launch.
YouTube;
youtube.com/watch?v=Fdjqs0zXAJI