Dive on The Battleship Repulse

HMS Repulse was one of two very fast battlecruisers ordered by the Admiralty in 1915 on the strength of the success of the Invincible-class ships over Admiral Graf von Spee's squadron at the Battle of the Falklands; the other was Renown.

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[jbd210947]

Hello Maureenrooney,

As I have requested in the past, please take a look at our "Force "Z" documentary that was produced for National Geographic. Listen to the the interviews with the survivors of HMS Repulse & Prince of Wales. Their story should never be forgotten. They were sent into battle without air cover or proper planning even after the lessons of Pearl Harbor. Our effort was to honor both the survivors & those who were lost. I think we succeeded.

Best Regards JBD

[jbd210947]

This is an important ongoing discussion. The limited amount of space to commnet makes it impossible to carry it out in this forum.

Please look for the "Force Z" documentary that I produced for the "Sea Hunters" series, National Geographic International. Look at the interviews with Repulse & Prince of Wales survivors. We honoured them and their fallen comrades as best we could. Telling their story was important. As with every wreck we visit, we treated the site with total respect.

JBD

[jimkinner]

How is it desecration? If the site is respected, and nothing is removed, how is visiting it any different than a respectful visit to any battlefield? Or any Veterans cemetery?

These sites should be visited, As a reminder of the horrors of war, and the proud young men who served their country. I would hate to see them as forgotten rusting relics on the ocean floor, like so many others.

[maureenrooneymarch11]

My father was a repulse survivor who honored his fallen comrades for 65 years.

Yyou desecrate their restng place when you tresspass on their graves and your callous disregard for human decency shames us all.

[char11e5]

REPULSE and PRINCE OF WALES are war graves (N.B. graves, not cemeteries) and any penetration is outright desecration. I can't see the ARIZONA being opened up as an underwater tourist attraction and these wrecks and those incarcerated inside them should be treated with similar reverence.

[smiffer71]

Having now seen the Sea Hunters Force Z episode I have to concede that there were no major penetrations of the wreck and the whole project was carried out in a very respectful manner. I have now removed my previous negative comment

[jaksel]

...

How often would an average non-diving person be so emotionally touched by a long-forgotten disaster happening 60 years ago, that it would bring tears to his eyes?

[jaksel]

3) for many divers, the visit to a shipwreck is an incredible emotional experience. It brings you so close to history that you can literally touch it. It makes you think about the dramatic events and the incredible human tragedy; the wifes who lost their husband, parents losing their children, people slowly freezing to death in the water. How could that be anything else than paying tribute to their memory?

[jaksel]

Diving on sunken ships where people perished is always controversial, and people have different opinions. But as a diver I must say:

1) most shipwrecks have human remains, whether it be 1 or 1000, so avoiding those shipwrecks would mean almost every shipwreck is off limits

2) divers who enjoy shipwrecks usually respect the fact that they are diving on a grave

and...