Carolita Barge

X127 is one of many World War II wrecks in the Maltese archipelago. The British water lighter X127 was sunk in 1942. The wreck is located in Marsamxett Harbour, off the coast of Manoel Island, near the mouth of Lazzaretto Creek. X127 is upright on a slope, her bow at 5 meters and stern at 22 meters, and she can be dived from the shore.

HMS X-127 was built in England in 1915 for the British Royal Navy to use during World War I. She was a 24 m long landing craft with a 7 m beam that was converted into water lighter and then a fuel lighter. On March 6, 1942, the X127 was sunk.

For years, the wreck went unidentified, and divers referred to it as a regular barge with names like Carolita or Coralita. An underwater survey was conducted in 2003, and the wreck was initially identified as X-131 before being confirmed as X-127 a few years later in 2006.

X127 is one of Malta’s few shallow wreck dives, suitable for PADI OWD or equivalent certification. Other shallow wrecks include the HMS Maori off the coast of Valletta, another WWII wreck in Marsamxett Harbour, Tug 2 off Exiles in Sliema, Tug 10 and St. Michael off Zonqor Point in Marsaskala, and Patrol Boat P31 on Comino Island.