Blenheim Bomber

The Bristol Blenheim Bomber is a WWII plane wreck that crashed in Malta. The Bristol Aeroplane Company built the Blenheim, which served in the British Royal Air Force. The plane was a twin-engine light bomber with a crew of three, measuring about 13 meters in length and 17.2 meters in wingspan. This Blenheim bomber was attacked en route by an Italian enemy aircraft on December 13, 1941, while on a mission to Kefalonia, Greece. Blenheim reverted to Malta, where the pilot was forced to ditch the plane in the sea. The crew escaped with only minor injuries.

The Bristol Blenheim Bomber wreck is about 500 meters off the east coast of Malta, near Xrobb l-Ghagin. This is a deep boat dive for experienced divers only, with strong currents at times. The plane wreck is upright at a depth of 42 meters on sand and a small reef seabed. The bomber’s wings and radial engines are mostly intact; the starboard engine’s propeller is bent, but the port engine’s propeller is missing. The cockpit cover is also missing, and the rear fuselage has broken off and is lying a few metres away, upside down and mostly buried in sand, in front of the main plane wreckage. There was also a pilot’s seat at one point, but it has since been removed.