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Scuba
Diving
in Malta is considered the best diving in the Mediterranean. The Maltese islands are blessed with warm
temperatures, even in winter, clear, unpolluted seas, with
visibility underwater in excess of thirty metres. Hundreds of kilometres of coastline, many of which are still unexplored,
make the Maltese archipelago a favourite with adventurous
divers.
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Liberator
Bomber B24 |
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The Consolidated Vultee Liberator was an American four-engine
heavy bomber (known by the USAAF as the B-24) first supplied in
small numbers to the RAF in 1940/41 and soon found to be
unsuitable for bombing operations in Europe. Subsequently used
mainly by RAF Coastal Command for long-range reconnaissance
missions and as a transport aircraft (a Liberator was used by
Winston Churchill as his personal transport).
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The crew needed to operate a Liberator consisted
of ten people:
Pilot, Co-pilot, Navigator, Bombardier, Flight
Engineer, Radio Operator, Tail runner, Nose
Gunner, Sperry Ball, and an Armourer Gunner.
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The
Liberator had a number of virtues which made it a highly
sought-after bomber: it was fast (300 m.p.h. at 30,000
feet); capable of carrying a payload of 8,000 pounds;
and had an operational range of approximately 2,290
miles. |
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The plane
was powered by four Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp 1,200
horsepower, 14 cylinder radial engines, The wing span
was 110 feet; the length 67 feet, two inches; and the
height was 18 feet. When empty, the Liberator’s weight
was 37,000 pounds; when operational, the plane weighed
65,000 pounds. The plane had a maximum operational speed
of 300 miles per hour at 30,000 feet.
The
Liberator was not as stable as the B-17 and could not
fly in tight formations. As a result, many planes were
lost during the war. Though not as responsive as other
planes, the B-24 was built to be faster, while carrying
a heaver payload. The Liberator's superior range meant
that the B-24 supplanted the Fortress in the maritime
patrol role in both the European and Pacific theatres of
war. It is arguable that the Liberator's greatest
contribution to Allied victory was through its vital
work against U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic.
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Information about this wreck will be available soon... |
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Subway Dive Centre |
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