HNLMS De Ruyter (1935)

==Wreck==

==Wreck==

[[File:Hr. Ms. De Ruyter aft turret face - wreck angle.jpg|thumb|This photo of Hr. Ms. ''De Ruyter's'' aft 15cm / 6in gun turret face shows the angle the wreck laid on when discovered in 2002.]]

[[File:Hr. Ms. De Ruyter aft turret face - wreck angle.jpg|thumb|This photo of Hr. Ms. ''De Ruyter's'' aft 15cm / 6in gun turret face shows the angle the wreck laid on when discovered in 2002.]]

The cruiser sank in 69m (226ft) of water and when discovered in 2002 by a group of deep wreck divers out searching for the British heavy cruiser HMS ''Exeter'' (sunk two days after ''De Ruyter'') aboard the dive vessel MV ''Empress'', was found to be laying partially upright with a list over to starboard of about 45 degrees, and intact save for her battle damage.<ref>https://www.scribd.com/document/560392889/Cruisers-for-Breakfast</ref> Coincidentally, her wreck, and that of her consort Hr. Ms. ''Java'', were both sunk on the same day in 1942 and discovered on the same day in 2002.Unfortunately the discovery occurred at the very end of the explorers two week long expedition so at the time only two dives were conducted on the wreck in relatively poor visibility conditions. However enough photographs were taken and data gathered to prove beyond doubt that this was the wreck of ''De Ruyter''. <ref>www.ww2wrecks.com/portfolio/the-ww2-shipwrecks-that-disappeared-underwater-explorer-kevin-denlay-interview-on-the-lost-fleet-of-the-pacific-part-2/</ref> The wreck was then dived intermittently over the following decade by divers aboard MV ''Empress'' until an expedition in 2016,<ref>Explorer’s Club Flag-192, 01-12 November 2016. https://www.anzec.org/</ref> also aboard MV ''Empress'', was only able to find an imprint left in the seabed where the wreck once lay. This soon lead to the realisation that the wreck, and other WWII wrecks nearby, had been intentionally dismantled and salvaged<ref name="Guardian"/><ref>https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/how-does-entire-shipwreck-disappear-bolts-and-all</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 February 2017 |title=Verification of the Location and Condition of the Dutch Shipwrecks in the Java Sea |url=https://english.cultureelerfgoed.nl/binaries/cultureelerfgoed-en/documenten/publications/2017/01/01/report-of-the-dutch-shipwrecks-in-the-java-sea/Verification_of_the_location_and+_ondition_of_the_Dutch_Shipwrecks_in_the_Java_Sea.pdf |url-status= |access-date=18 April 2025 |website=[[Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed]] (Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands) |page=20}}</ref><ref>https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/history-of-war/java-sea-shipwrecks-of-world-war-2-one-of-the-men-who-found-them-reflects-on-their-loss/</ref> some time in the intervening years between when ''Empress'' stopped visiting the wreck site circa 2012, and the 2016 expedition.

The cruiser sank in 69m (226ft) of water and when discovered in 2002 by a group of deep wreck divers out searching for the British heavy cruiser HMS ''Exeter'' (sunk two days after ''De Ruyter'') aboard the dive vessel MV ''Empress'', was found to be laying partially upright with a list over to starboard of about 45 degrees, and intact save for her battle damage.<ref>https://www.scribd.com/document/560392889/Cruisers-for-Breakfast</ref> Coincidentally, her wreck, and that of her consort Hr. Ms. ''Java'', were both sunk on the same day in 1942 and discovered on the same day in 2002.Unfortunately the discovery occurred at the very end of the explorers two week long expedition so at the time only two dives were conducted on the wreck in relatively poor visibility conditions. However enough photographs were taken and data gathered to prove beyond doubt that this was the wreck of ''De Ruyter''. <ref>www.ww2wrecks.com/portfolio/the-ww2-shipwrecks-that-disappeared-underwater-explorer-kevin-denlay-interview-on-the-lost-fleet-of-the-pacific-part-2/</ref> The wreck was then dived intermittently over the following decade by divers aboard MV ''Empress'' until an expedition in 2016,<ref>Explorer’s Club Flag-192, 01-12 November 2016. https://www.anzec.org/</ref> also aboard MV ''Empress'', was only able to find an imprint left in the seabed where the wreck once lay. This soon lead to the realisation that the wreck, and other WWII wrecks nearby, had been intentionally dismantled and salvaged.<ref name="Guardian"/><ref>https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/how-does-entire-shipwreck-disappear-bolts-and-all</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 February 2017 |title=Verification of the Location and Condition of the Dutch Shipwrecks in the Java Sea |url=https://english.cultureelerfgoed.nl/binaries/cultureelerfgoed-en/documenten/publications/2017/01/01/report-of-the-dutch-shipwrecks-in-the-java-sea/Verification_of_the_location_and+_ondition_of_the_Dutch_Shipwrecks_in_the_Java_Sea.pdf |url-status= |access-date=18 April 2025 |website=[[Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed]] (Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands) |page=20}}</ref><ref>https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/history-of-war/java-sea-shipwrecks-of-world-war-2-one-of-the-men-who-found-them-reflects-on-their-loss/</ref>

The Dutch government investigated, offended at the mass disturbance of [[War grave|war graves]]. An investigation determined the wreck's disappearance was part of a trend where shallow World War II-era shipwrecks were blown apart and salvaged by groups posing as fishermen.<ref name="Guardian">{{Cite news |last=Holmes |first=Oliver |last2= |first2= |date=2016-11-16 |title=Mystery as wrecks of three Dutch WWII ships vanish from Java seabed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/16/three-dutch-second-world-war-shipwrecks-vanish-java-sea-indonesia |access-date=2025-04-13 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The vessel believed to be responsible, the Chinese [[Dredging|dredger]] ''Chuan Hong 68,'' was detained by Malaysian authorities in 2024 and accused of dismantling the wrecks for either [[low-background steel]] or [[Scrap|scrap metal]]. They alleged the scrapping was done regardless of the wrecks' nationality, with American, Dutch, Japanese, British, and Australian ships affected.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grady |first=John |date=2023-05-25 |title=U.K. Royal Navy 'Distressed and Concerned' by Illegal Chinese Salvage of WWII Wrecks |url=https://news.usni.org/2023/05/25/u-k-royal-navy-distressed-and-concerned-by-illegal-chinese-salvage-of-wwii-wrecks |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=USNI News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Grady |first=John |date=2024-07-04 |title=Chinese Ship Suspected of Raiding World War II Wrecks Detained |url=https://news.usni.org/2024/07/04/chinese-ship-suspected-of-raiding-world-war-ii-wrecks-detained |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=USNI News |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2018, ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported the bones from ''De Ruyter'' and other warships were removed from their respective wrecks during scrapping in Indonesia and were dumped in several [[mass grave]]s nearby. The Dutch and Indonesian governments collaborated in the investigation, [[Burial#Exhumation|exhumed]] suspected graves, and laid out plans to prevent further damage to the shipwrecks.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-07-21 |title=Investigation into disappeared WWII wrecks in Asia - Maritime Heritage - Cultural Heritage Agency |url=https://english.cultureelerfgoed.nl/topics/maritime-heritage/international-projects/indonesia/investigation-into-disappeared-wwii-wrecks-in-asia-continues |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913003542/https://english.cultureelerfgoed.nl/topics/maritime-heritage/international-projects/indonesia/investigation-into-disappeared-wwii-wrecks-in-asia-continues |archive-date=13 September 2024 |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=english.cultureelerfgoed.nl |publisher=[[Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed]] (Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands) |language=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Boffey |first=Daniel |date=2018-01-22 |title=Bodies of second world war sailors in Java sea 'dumped in mass grave' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/22/bodies-of-second-world-war-sailors-in-java-sea-dumped-in-mass-grave |access-date=2025-04-13 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lamb |first=Kate |date=2018-02-28 |title=Lost bones, a mass grave and war wrecks plundered off Indonesia |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/28/bones-mass-grave-british-war-wrecks-java-indonesia |access-date=2025-04-13 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

The Dutch government investigated, offended at the mass disturbance of [[War grave|war graves]]. An investigation determined the wreck's disappearance was part of a trend where shallow World War II-era shipwrecks were blown apart and salvaged by groups posing as fishermen.<ref name="Guardian">{{Cite news |last=Holmes |first=Oliver |last2= |first2= |date=2016-11-16 |title=Mystery as wrecks of three Dutch WWII ships vanish from Java seabed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/16/three-dutch-second-world-war-shipwrecks-vanish-java-sea-indonesia |access-date=2025-04-13 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The vessel believed to be responsible, the Chinese [[Dredging|dredger]] ''Chuan Hong 68,'' was detained by Malaysian authorities in 2024 and accused of dismantling the wrecks for either [[low-background steel]] or [[Scrap|scrap metal]]. They alleged the scrapping was done regardless of the wrecks' nationality, with American, Dutch, Japanese, British, and Australian ships affected.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grady |first=John |date=2023-05-25 |title=U.K. Royal Navy 'Distressed and Concerned' by Illegal Chinese Salvage of WWII Wrecks |url=https://news.usni.org/2023/05/25/u-k-royal-navy-distressed-and-concerned-by-illegal-chinese-salvage-of-wwii-wrecks |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=USNI News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Grady |first=John |date=2024-07-04 |title=Chinese Ship Suspected of Raiding World War II Wrecks Detained |url=https://news.usni.org/2024/07/04/chinese-ship-suspected-of-raiding-world-war-ii-wrecks-detained |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=USNI News |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2018, ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported the bones from ''De Ruyter'' and other warships were removed from their respective wrecks during scrapping in Indonesia and were dumped in several [[mass grave]]s nearby. The Dutch and Indonesian governments collaborated in the investigation, [[Burial#Exhumation|exhumed]] suspected graves, and laid out plans to prevent further damage to the shipwrecks.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-07-21 |title=Investigation into disappeared WWII wrecks in Asia - Maritime Heritage - Cultural Heritage Agency |url=https://english.cultureelerfgoed.nl/topics/maritime-heritage/international-projects/indonesia/investigation-into-disappeared-wwii-wrecks-in-asia-continues |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913003542/https://english.cultureelerfgoed.nl/topics/maritime-heritage/international-projects/indonesia/investigation-into-disappeared-wwii-wrecks-in-asia-continues |archive-date=13 September 2024 |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=english.cultureelerfgoed.nl |publisher=[[Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed]] (Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands) |language=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Boffey |first=Daniel |date=2018-01-22 |title=Bodies of second world war sailors in Java sea 'dumped in mass grave' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/22/bodies-of-second-world-war-sailors-in-java-sea-dumped-in-mass-grave |access-date=2025-04-13 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lamb |first=Kate |date=2018-02-28 |title=Lost bones, a mass grave and war wrecks plundered off Indonesia |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/28/bones-mass-grave-british-war-wrecks-java-indonesia |access-date=2025-04-13 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>