[ad_1]
News | April 7, 2024 | 16:14
An investigation into two Dutch submarines lost in Malaysian waters during World War II has been completed. One shipwreck has been found. The research was conducted by a team of marine archaeologists from the Cultural Heritage Department and Royal Navy soldiers. This was carried out in good cooperation with the Malaysian authorities, who fully cooperated with the mission.
Enlarge the image
The submarines HNLMS. O20 and Hr.Ms. KXVI were lost in battle against the Japanese in 1941. Divers found the first named vessel in the expected location on the seafloor. Aboard HNLMS. O20 may still contain the remains of seven deceased crew members.
Sir, Madam, unfortunately, KXVI was not found. In the place where the ship sank, divers found only mud and remnants of iron plates. There were also other objects indicating salvage activities. Therefore, the submarine was illegally salvaged. This desecrated the war graves of 36 fallen crew members.
Noble Iron
The discovery of the HNLMS. O20 wreck came as a surprise. During an expedition in Malaysian waters in 2019, two other submarines were found to have gone missing. Illegal salvage was present in both cases. At the time it involved the HNLMS. KXVII and Hr.Ms. O16.
The iron from the sunken submarine is very valuable and sought after. It is of very high quality. This is because it was made before the first nuclear weapon exploded in the atmosphere. Therefore, the iron was not exposed to radioactivity during production and the background radiation is low.
surprise
Martijn Manders, a marine archaeologist at the RCE, led the 2019 expedition. He is again in charge of the current study, which runs from June 15 to July 1. He also did not see O20 coming.
Manders: “Given the disappointing situation before 2019 and the fact that KXVI was also gone, there was little hope for O20. We were very happy and surprised to find that the submarine was still there!”
Cultural Heritage Management Plan
In the near future we will be consulting with the Malaysian government on how best to protect the O20 from illegal recycling. The ship has a special status as a war wreck, war grave and cultural heritage. A long-term management plan must be developed to protect it.
Other sites where submarines sank still have memorial value. A plan is also being developed for these sites.
Final resting place
Lost submarines are the final resting place of those on board. They are war graves. As with the 2019 expedition, the Dutch expedition members are now holding a memorial ceremony.
Relatives of the deceased soldiers have now been informed of the expedition’s findings. A special meeting will be organized for them this autumn.
[ad_2]
Source link
