HMS Russell

HMS Russell is a World War I wreck dive located approximately 6 km east of Fort St. Elmo, Malta. The wreck, a Duncan class battleship built in 1901, lies at a depth of 115 m and is a boat dive suitable for technical trimix divers. The wreck is 132 m in length and lies completely upside down on a sandy seabed, with her stern section missing. The area is scattered with gun cases, and some guns can be seen on the sand. Diving the wreck requires a special permit and is managed by Heritage Malta. The wreck was opened for divers on 1st May 2019.

The HMS Russell arrived in Malta on the night of 26th April 1916 and struck two naval mines laid by a German submarine the following morning. This caused a fire and an explosion near one of the turrets, causing her to capsize and sink. A total of 27 officers and 98 ratings lost their lives. The wreck of HMS Russell was found in July 2003 and first dived by a British technical diving team. There are two other WWI wrecks nearby: HMS Nasturtium and HMY Aegusa sank in the same minefield on the same day as HMS Russell.