Baltictech divers found a part of the name "Kujawiak" on the WW2 wreck

A group of Polish Baltictech technical divers during a visit on Malta made the final identification of the WW2 warship ORP Kujawiak.

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The wreck of the World War II destroyer ORP Kujawiak was found in 2014 by a Polish expedition. However, despite the passage of subsequent years, the vessel still remains virtually unexplored. The situation is certainly not facilitated by the considerable depth, which at this point is as deep as 98 metres.

All the more reason to appreciate the fact that during their stay in Malta the Baltictech divers managed to find a fragment of the name “Kujawiak” on the stern. Thus, the divers provided irrefutable proof and finally identified the wreck of the Polish destroyer ORP Kujawiak (L72). Earlier, in 2016. a ship’s bell was found with the previous name of the vessel – HMS Oakley.

The sinking of ORP Kujawiak and the protection of wrecks in the Maltese way

In June 1942, ORP Kujawiak (L72) was on duty when it ran aground on a mine and sank off the coast of Valletta. As 13 Polish sailors died, the Maltese authorities recognised the wreck as a war grave and placed it under protection. However, as you can see, this does not prevent experienced technical divers from exploring the area around the wreck.

Malta is a great example of how to effectively care for its underwater heritage while making it accessible to divers. Programmes to protect and make available more wrecks around the island not only help to constantly monitor their condition, but also support local tourism, dive centres etc.

This is a model that more and more countries are willing to draw on to effectively care for their underwater heritage. Frequently visited wrecks, which are available for divers under clearly defined rules, are safer. Divers and certified guides systematically appearing on wrecks can easily catch all changes. Those caused by the passage of time, storms and progressive corrosion, as well as any acts of vandalism or looting.

Let’s hope that in Poland we will also see a changes in this direction and the wonderful Baltic wrecks will be safe and accessible for divers.

Photo: Marek Cacaj/Baltictech

Malta is a great place for a diving trip. Very diverse in terms of diving sites and level of difficulty. You can read more about diving in Malta in Carollina Wells’ article, which we published in issue 17. DIVERS24 quarterly! The digital version of the magazine is available free of charge, while the printed version can be purchased from our webshop.