Schellboot S-31
SPEEDBOAT S-31
The Schnellboot (which translates to 'fast boat') or S-Boot, was the German general designation of the Kriegsmarine for fast attack ships, designated E-boats (E for 'enemy') by the Allied forces. There were ten different classes built between 1931 and 1944 that proved incredibly effective against Allied convoys during WWII.
Schnellboot S-31 was part of a group of eight ships (S-30 to S-37). The S-31 was sent to join Schnellboot Flotilla 2, which was based in the German-controlled Baltic at the time, participating in raids against Allied ships patrolling the North Sea. In May 1940, during the Battle of Norway, the S-31 torpedoed and severely damaged the British destroyer HMS Kelly, which had to be towed back to its home port, Tyne.
In September 1941, the S-31 was deployed in the Mediterranean, based in the Tunisian port of Augusta, where it conducted demining operations during the Siege of Malta and defended the German supply lines of Rommel's Afrika Korps against the Allied raids.
On May 9, 1942, the Luftwaffe received information that the speedy HMS Welshman would be sailing alone from Gibraltar to Malta carrying vital supplies to the besieged island. Four torpedo-laden Schnellboots were ordered to intercept the Welshman and deployed with orders to lay their mines at the entrance to the Grand Harbor of Valletta.
During the operation, the S-31 suddenly exploded, probably as a result of hitting one of the newly installed mines that had been released from its mooring. The boat split and sank instantly, with the loss of 13 men. Thirteen survivors, including two observers from the Italian Navy, were rescued by Schnellboot S-61.
Today, the wreck lies at a depth of approximately 65 meters just outside the Grand Harbor of Valletta. The ship is divided into two parts where the mine exploded. The hull's wooden outer shell has long been rotten, but the S-31 remains intact, with two torpedoes in its tubes, still ready to launch.
The remains in this series have been declared Archaeological Zones in the Sea by the Cultural Heritage Act of Maltese law, and it should be remembered that most of them are also war graves. As such, the wreck can only be dived through approved and registered dive centers with Heritage Malta's Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit, and protective measures are strictly enforced to prevent unauthorized diving.
The dive and warnings:
• War grave
• Unexploded ordnance
Maximum depth in meters: 65
Diver level: Technical (Normoxic Trimix)