WW2 Warship Wrecks Vanish from Their Resting Places

I'm not saying it's aliens, but...

The wrecks of Dutch and British warships sunk by the Japanese off the coast of Java during the Second World War have vanished from their resting places, leaving behind only the grooves made in the seabed by their hulls.

Illegal salvage operations would be the obvious suspect, except... these wrecks were lying about 220 feet below the surface.

The area of the Java Sea from which they vanished is very busy, constamtly being crisscrossed by vessels of all kinds. No-one has reported seeing salvage platforms or ships in the area.

Who -- or what -- stole the ships?

a reply to: Astyanax

Interesting indeed. Compromise?

a reply to: Astyanax

My first thought would be that 'modern' ships would be primarily iron, which rusts away. This is why there are so many attempts to rescue this era's sunken ships before they are eaten away.

Those old wood ships on the other hand are likely to last down in those depths well beyond those rusting WW2 offerings.

China must be desperate for scrap metal.

a reply to: Astyanax

That's just sad. That someone would have so little respect for what is/was essentially a war grave is, like the son of Adm. Doorman said, sad.

After nearly 3/4's of a century though, what kind of shape would the metal even be in. Money from salvage wouldn't be worth the time and effort needed to salvage at that depth...

Looking for something else??

Are there any pictures of the sights, before and after, any where?

a reply to: seagull

The military artifacts and possible heirlooms would be of some worth. Perhaps secret tech or documents as well.

a reply to: JinMI

Secret tech from the better part of a century ago? On ships that were attempting to disrupt the invasion on Java? No, that just doesn't compute.

Documents? Now that's a possibility. Still, that seventy plus years thing is really hard to disregard.

None of this makes any sense, to me, at all. Any treasure, gold etc, would not have been taken into battle on board ships, they'd have high tailed it to Australia or the U.S.

This is going to keep me busy for a few hours thinking about this...

Just strange.

a reply to: seagull

Makes as much sense as aliens does to me

It is indeed strange. Are there currents via earthquakes that could potentially move something that large?

originally posted by: TinfoilTP
China must be desperate for scrap metal.

You made me shart! You owe me twenty for new CK's.

Pre-1945 steel is in high demand and expensive. All steel made after that has contamination from the nuclear tests after 1945. Steel used in the production of sensitive instruments cannot have even the slightest elevation in radiation.

Someone figured out a stealthy way to lift those ships and salvage the metal. IMO.

a reply to: charlyv

That is interesting. It would make sense. I guess the only argument is that the steel sitting in saltwater all this time would not have the same metallic properties as something found in a scrapyard.

And the sea shall give up it's dead...

a reply to: charlyv

That might be the only logical explanation but still, it's really bizarre.

a reply to: muzzleflash

DC's Legends of Tomorrow are messing with the timeline again... or Barry Allen.

It had to be Godzilla, he lives in the area.


I wonder if ocean mapping show any area it could of slid along with currents to a lower depth ? Or if there could have been volcanic activity. Salvage just seems all wrong, the price of scrap being so low for a decade or better.

That also sounds plausable....a reply to: charlyv

Here's the part I like:

The British government says it is "distressed" by the reports and is investigating.

The Dutch defence ministry is to investigate the mysterious disappearance.

So, exactly how do you carry out these investigations? Check the water for fingerprints? Ask some of the local fish if they've seen anything "human-y" lately? Maybe break a few fins until you get some answers. Do you put Columbo or Clouseau on the case?

I really want to know how this investigation would go. When was the last time they were seen? Who was the last person to see them? Do they have an alibi? Maybe this is a job for Banacek. He was always good at finding large things that mysteriously disappeared. And he always got some action while solving the case. That's important.

I would thoroughly investigate Jennifer Connelly. She may have nothing to do with it, but that's the direction I would go.

It must be the Mandela Freakin' Effect!!!

The Philadelphia Experiment is an alleged military experiment that is said to have been carried out by the U.S. Navy at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania some time around October 28, 1943. The U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Eldridge (DE-173) was claimed to have been rendered invisible (or "cloaked") to enemy devices. The story is widely understood to be a hoax.[1][2][3] The U.S. Navy maintains that no such experiment was ever conducted, that the details of the story contradict well-established facts about the USS Eldridge, and that the alleged claims do not conform to known physical laws.[4]

en.wikipedia.org...


Seriously though, isn't there an easier way to get scrap metal? The logistics involved are massive. An engineering feat, and then you have to store it and cut them up on shore? -and not get noticed?
Bizarre story.