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Home/ Dive Sites/ HMS Urge
Off Malta · War Grave · CCR Only · 112-130m

HMS Urge
Royal Navy submarine · war grave · 112m

HMS Urge was a Royal Navy U-class submarine lost on 27 April 1942 with 44 officers and men. Located at 112-130m northeast of Malta, the submarine was discovered in 2019 by Heritage Malta and the Morskie Oko diving foundation. HMS Urge is an official British war grave and the resting place of her entire crew. All visits are conducted with full respect for the site's memorial status.

35°56.754'N · 14°33.306'E  |  NE Malta
130m
Max Depth
112m
Min Depth
1942
Year Lost
20-30m
Visibility
CCR Only
Cert Req.
17-27°C
Water Temp
Dive Information Enquire
112-130m
Depth Range
CCR
Platform
43
Crew Lost
2019
Discovered
Boat
Entry Type
War Grave
Status
History

HMS Urge: history and location

War Grave Notice. HMS Urge is an official British war grave. The wreck is the final resting place of 43 Royal Navy officers and men. Visitors are expected to approach the site with appropriate respect. No photography of human remains. No entry to the pressure hull. All artefacts remain in situ under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 and Maltese heritage law.

  • 1940
    HMS Urge was launched at Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness and commissioned into the Royal Navy. She was a U-class submarine, displacing 1,090 tons surfaced and 1,575 tons submerged, with a crew complement of 59.
  • 1941-1942
    Based at Malta with the 10th Submarine Flotilla, HMS Urge conducted extensive patrols in the central Mediterranean. Her confirmed kills included the Italian cruiser Bande Nere on 1 April 1942, as well as several Axis merchant vessels and a destroyer. Her operations contributed significantly to disrupting Axis supply lines to North Africa during the critical period of the Malta Siege.
  • 27 April 1942
    HMS Urge departed Malta with 44 crew bound for Alexandria, Egypt. She was never seen again. The cause of loss was attributed to an Axis mine laid in the swept channel north of Malta, though this was not confirmed for 77 years.
  • 2019
    A joint operation by Heritage Malta and the Polish Morskie Oko diving foundation located the wreck at 112-130m NE of Malta. The submarine was positively identified as HMS Urge through external features. The discovery brought closure to the families of the 44 crew members who had been listed as missing at sea for nearly eight decades.
HMS URGE DEPTH PROFILE (112-130m) CCR 0 26 56 112 130 112m 130m WAR GRAVE · 43 CREW · 1942
Marine Life

What You Might See

Species commonly encountered at this site, based on depth and habitat. Click any card to read the full species guide.

Atlantic Wreckfish underwater Malta 50–400m
Bony Fish

Atlantic Wreckfish

Polyprion americanus
Dogtooth Grouper underwater Malta 10–200m
Bony Fish

Dogtooth Grouper

Epinephelus caninus
Conger Eel underwater Malta 5–500m
Bony Fish

Conger Eel

Conger conger
Feather Black Coral underwater Malta 30–200m
Cnidarians

Feather Black Coral

Antipathella subpinnata
Violescent Sea Whip underwater Malta 30–200m
Cnidarians

Violescent Sea Whip

Paramuricea clavata
Basket Star underwater Malta 15–200m
Echinoderms

Basket Star

Astrospartus mediterraneus
Red Coral underwater Malta 10–300m
Cnidarians

Red Coral

Corallium rubrum
Mediterranean Feather Star underwater Malta 0–200m
Echinoderms

Mediterranean Feather Star

Antedon mediterranea
Dive Conditions

Site conditions at 112-130m

MonthWater TempVisibilityConditions
Jan-Mar15-17°C15-25mWinter operations require full drysuit and settled weather window.
Apr-Jun17-22°C20-28mConditions improving. CCR expedition planning period.
Jul-Sep24-27°C22-30mPeak season. Best surface conditions and visibility for deep CCR ops.
Oct-Dec19-23°C18-25mGood through October. Weather variable November onwards.
Summer visibility
Winter visibility

Currents

Open NE Malta water. Variable current profile depending on sea state. At 112-130m, any current during ascent significantly increases decompression risk. Full weather assessment required minimum 48 hours before operations.

Entry / Exit

Boat dive only. GPS descent. No mooring buoy. Dedicated surface support vessel with tender required throughout. Recovery procedures for CCR diver must be confirmed before descent. War grave protocols briefed before entry to water.

Equipment Notes

CCR mandatory for operational bottom time. Full deco gas strategy confirmed before descent. Drysuit. Redundant buoyancy. Primary torch and backup. Two DSMBs and GPS pinger per diver. DAN membership current.

Dive Briefing

Safety, access and war grave protocols

CCR Mandatory

At 112-130m, open-circuit operations are not appropriate for a meaningful visit to the wreck. CCR is the required platform. All divers must hold current CCR certification from SSI or an equivalent agency, with logged deep CCR dives evidenced before joining any expedition.

War Grave Conduct

HMS Urge is a protected war grave under both the UK Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 and Maltese heritage law. Entry to any compartment is absolutely prohibited. No artefact disturbance. Photography of human remains is not acceptable. The visit is a memorial, not an exploration.

Heritage Malta Permit

Access to HMS Urge requires a Heritage Malta permit coordinated through a licensed Maltese dive operator. diveshack manages the permit process for authorised expeditions. No independent access is permitted. Permit lead times are confirmed individually.

Decompression Planning

Full deco schedule calculated before descent. Gas reserves for extended worst-case deco confirmed before entering the water. No improvised profiles. CCR scrubber endurance verified against planned dive time plus contingency before every dive.

DSMB and Recovery

Two DSMBs per diver minimum. GPS pinger recommended. Surface vessel maintains monitoring throughout full ascent. Recovery plan for incapacitated diver confirmed before descent. Reel and spool per diver.

Emergency Contacts

Mater Dei Hospital hyperbaric chamber, Malta. DAN Europe emergency line confirmed before departure. Site GPS and emergency contacts held by surface support throughout the operation.

Heritage Dive Enquiry

Visiting HMS Urge with diveshack

HMS Urge is a war grave and protected heritage site. Any visit is conducted in the spirit of remembrance for the 43 Royal Navy men who are entombed there. diveshack coordinates Heritage Malta access permits and manages CCR expedition logistics for qualified divers wishing to pay their respects at this historically significant site.

Contact diveshack with your CCR certification documentation, logged deep CCR dive history, and any connection you may have to the crew or their families. Permit availability is arranged case by case and lead times vary.

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Related Malta war grave sites:

HMS Urge and HMS Olympus represent Malta's two deepest Royal Navy war graves. Both require CCR and Heritage Malta permits. diveshack can arrange access to both as part of a dedicated Malta submarine memorial programme.