7 WWII wrecks have disappeared from the seabed!

Seven wrecks of allied ships from World War II have disappeared from the bottom of the Java Sea in unexplained circumstances! The matter is even more shocking, as the ships sunk in 1942 were considered war graves and were therefore protected and diving was forbidden. The incident was reported by Dutch Defence Minister Jeanine Hennis, as quoted by the BBC.

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Among the wrecks that disappeared were three large Dutch vessels. Two cruisers – HNLMS ‘De Ruyter’ and HMLMS ‘Java’ – and the destroyer HMLMS ‘Kortenaer’. All were found in 2002 and have since been considered war graves. Today it is known that there is no longer any trace of the cruisers, and part of the destroyer has also disappeared.

The Dutch defence minister said that the disappearance of the wrecks had been observed by divers who were carrying out preparatory work ahead of ceremonies planned for next year to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the sinking of the ships.

Other wrecks of ships involved in the battle in the Java Sea on 27 February 1942 have also disappeared. The Japanese fleet won a crushing victory over the Allies. About 2,200 Allied sailors died, including nearly 900 Dutch and 250 Javanese of Dutch descent.

The Dutch side has announced that it will do its utmost to find out what happened to the wrecks of great importance for all the Dutch people.

“The battle in the Java Sea is part of our collective memory. These shipwrecks were silent witnesses of those tragic events. They were also the backdrop to many stories about the horrors of war and the brotherhood between crew members,” – said Minister Hennis

In addition to the already mentioned Dutch wrecks, the heavy cruiser HMS ‘Exeter’, two destroyers HMS ‘Electra’ and HMS ‘Encounter’ and the wreck of the US submarine USS ‘Perch’ have also disappeared. The whole matter was reported by the British daily The Guardian.

After sonar examination of the seabed at the site of the battle, it turned out… that there was nothing left there but hollows where the wrecks had once rested!

Underwater scrap collectors have been identified as the most likely culprits. They often operate disguised as fishermen, making them difficult to track. Due to attractive prices for raw materials such as steel, aluminium and brass, the whole of East Asia has a problem with wrecks being stolen by specialised groups of scrap collectors. Hundreds of World War II wrecks in the shallow waters surrounding Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore are under threat from thieves.

What is most shocking, apart from the scale of the phenomenon, is the incredible difficulty of ‘getting at’ the wrecks of Dutch vessels. They were located at a distance of 100 km from the coastline, at a depth of about 70 metres. It is hard to believe that such a complicated excavation operation, requiring a mass of equipment, such as cranes, remained unnoticed by anyone.

Both the Dutch and the British have called on Indonesia to take appropriate action and provide explanations.

Source: dutchnews.nl