A local television production team claims to have located a World War II merchant vessel that was part of the famous 1942 Santa Marija convoy.

The X'Qala' l-Bahar team, headed by Emi Farrugia, said they had found the co-ordinates of the mv Glenorchy, a merchant ship that was part of the Convoy of Santa Marija which was sunk by a German e-boat torpedo, with no survivors, on August 13, 1942.

According to the team, the ship is in Tunisian waters. Information was provided by local fishermen.

Operation Pedestal, or the Convoy of Santa Marija, as it is popularly known, was the British operation to get essential supplies to Malta during World War II.

The convoy included two battleships, three aircraft carriers, seven cruisers, 32 destroyers and 14 merchant ships, one of which was the mv Glenorchy.

Air and sea attacks sank nine cargo ships, an aircraft carrier, two cruisers and a destroyer. The British claimed an Italian submarine and 39 aircraft. Despite these terrible losses, enough crucial supplies were delivered to enable Malta to continue as an offensive base.

X'Qala' l-Bahar is a new programme on TVM featuring marine life, diving sites and wreck exploration. It airs on Mondays after the 8 p.m. news.

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