HMS Jersey
A war grave at Grand Harbour

History & Background

• 1940
  HMS Jersey (J00), a J-class destroyer commissioned in 1939, was sunk on 2 May 1941 during the siege of Malta. She struck an Italian aircraft-dropped mine on 2 May 1941 at the entrance to Grand Harbour and sank rapidly. 35 of her crew were killed.
• 1945
  Post-war salvage operations removed surface hazards but the hull was left in place on the seabed. The wreck was documented and partially cleared for harbour navigation. Much of the superstructure was removed during the 1950s and 1960s, leaving the hull largely intact below deck level.
• Today
  HMS Jersey rests in the outer Grand Harbour at 15–19m. At 109m, the destroyer is one of Malta's longest wrecks. The hull is largely intact and densely colonised. The Grand Harbour setting adds historical resonance: the Valletta fortifications are visible from the surface. Shore and boat dive.

HMS Jersey is one of Malta's least-dived but most historically significant wrecks. The 109-metre destroyer hull lies broadside on the seabed at 15–19m, visible in its entirety in good visibility. The bow points toward Valletta; the stern toward the open sea. Penetration into the hull is possible in the mid-section where the deck plating has collapsed, creating open passages accessible to trained divers with torches. The wreck is densely colonised: moray eels are abundant, grouper hold position in the deeper recesses of the hull, and schools of bream cruise the length of the ship. The Grand Harbour's protected waters mean the site is diveable in almost all weather conditions, and visibility of 8–15m is typical. A shore dive, also accessible by boat. A natural link to the Um El Faroud for a Malta wartime wreck day.