HMS Repulse was sunk by Japanese land-based
aircraft on December 10, 1941, off the coast
of Malaya, along with her companion, HMS
Prince of Wales. 840 men lost their lives
in this disaster, which Winston Churchill
described as the greatest shock of his life.
The two vessels were attacks about midway
between Singapore and Saigon. Details of
the attack will be covered in the battle
history pages in the near future.
HMS Repulse was struck by one bomb in the
first wave of the attack, and five torpedoes
in the third wave. Eleven minutes after the
first torpedo struck, Repulse rolled over
and sank. The vessel is considered a war
grave, and divers should not disturb or enter
the wreck. The GPS coordinates are available,
but will not be posted here. Several commercial
firms in Vietnam and Malaya offer charter
tours of the wreck, which, while visible
from the air on a clear day, is often hard
to find due to the deliberate circulation
of false GPS coordinates. Diving on Repulse
is more than a little controversial, due
the vessel's status as a war grave, and because
many of the survivor's and relatives of those
lost in the attack feel that the wreck should
not be visited. However, the fact is that
the vessel is regularly visited, and it is
too late to put the genie back in the bottle.
Several Japanese firms have expressed an
interest in salvaging the wreck, and two
of the props have already been illegally
removed. My personal feelings are that the
wreck should be visited as a memorial, but
treated with the utmost respect; take only photos, and leave only bubbles.
Repulse came to rest upside almost completely
down in 190 feet of water, with the shallowest
part of the wreck at 140 feet. The vessel
rests on her partially buried superstructure,
so it is possible to see the gun deck and
main turrets. The water is warm and clear,
the bottom is sand, ambient light is plentiful,
and visibility is excellent. Torpedo damage
to the hull is easy to find, as are the main
and secondary guns. marine life is abundant.
The vessel is HUGE, and repeated dives are
needed to see the entire hull.
