WW2-era IJN superbattleship MUSASHI to be salvaged

[CougarKing]

For those of you who have always wanted to see a World War II-era superdreadnought battleship of the YAMATO class up close, this may be your chance. Still isn't this considered a desecration of a war grave, even if this was a ship that belonged to a former enemy back then?

Swiss firm offers services to salvage Japanese warship
Negotiations under way between Japanese group and Swiss Global

Mar T. Supnad

Japanese battleship Musashi leaving Brunei in 1944 for the Battle of Leyte Gulf

SIBUYAN, Romblon — Negotiations are under way for the salvaging of a sunken, big Japanese warship in the Sibuyan Sea, it was reported.

This developed after the Switzerland-based Swiss Global Connect has offered to refloat the sunken Musashi warship, once the biggest and most powerful Japanese battleship that was sunk in the sea off this province during World War II.

In a letter to Toshihiko Suzuki, chief executive officer of AIPAC (Asian Countries and Islands Optical Fiber Communication Establishment and Philippines Properties in Asia) through Filipino businessman Antonio Datuin, Ashroff Gaffoor, director of Swiss Global, stated that his company is capable of salvaging the giant warship that was sunk on Oct. 24, 1944 when it was hit by a barrage of tornadoes and bombs unleashed by the Allied forces.

Musashi under attack at The Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, 24 October 1944.

AIPAC, which reportedly has billions of euros amd dollars deposited in UBS Bank in Zurich, Switzerland, will provide the funds for the project to salvage the Musashi ship.

Suzuki’s group and Kiyoshi Goto, who represents the government of Japan, will work with the concerned Philippine government agencies on the proposed salvaging of Musashi.

The Romblon Homeowners and Cultural Association (ROCHAI), a foundation headed by its chairman, Gen. (retired) Dominador Resos, will be the project proponent.

Resos has been working for the group of Suzuki on the salvaging project. He said he is planning to convert the warship into a tourist attraction.

When refloated, the ship would be towed to the nearby Carabao Island where it would developed into some kind of a war museum.

Carabao Island, Resos said, would be developed into an international tourism spot complete with international airport, seaport, hotels, and other amenities. This would benefit thousands of residents of Romblon and Aklan, he said.

Suzuki and Kiyoshi Goto of Japan visited the other day the area where the Musashi was sunk 64 years ago.

As a tribute to the friendship of the Filipino and Japanese people, the group is also proposing to develop the area for tourism purposes which are expected to benefit of the Filipino people and the Japanese, particularly the relatives of the crews of the sunken vessel.

General Resos, meanwhile, are inviting foreign dignitaries "to join us return to this tragic chapter of World War II when the blue waters of Sibuyan Sea turned blood red during the great Battle of Sibuyan Sea."

Dubbed as the world’s biggest battleship, Japan’s Musashi with a crew contingent of 3,500 (not 1,023 as some historians claim) to its watery grave some 1,000 meters underwater in the Sibuyan Sea.

http://www.mb.com.ph/PROV20081023138756.html

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

I am not sure about the rules regarding war graves but I would think that being a former enemy would not matter since we should treat the fallen of our enemy with the same respect we would accord our own.  There are many wrecks from the war that have offical war grave status (Arizona, Royal Oak, Prince of Wales to name three) but I do not know what steps are taken to designate a ship as a war grave.  Perhaps it is assumed that a wartime wreck is a war grave unless otherwise established by the state that sailed her?  Along that line, if the Japanese government wanted to do this then I suppose that that would be the overiding criteria.

Tirpitz was sunk with heavy loss of life but was broken up for scrap.  Oklahoma was sunk at Pearl Harbour with heavy loss of life but was raised and was being towed for scrap when it sank.  In those cases I suppose that it was practical to enter the ships and recover the remains of the sailors for proper burial.  I read a grim account of the Oklahoma salvage crews about the nature of their duties.

Again, I would think that the authorization to raise the ship would rest with the Japanese government.

 

[Loachman]

"hit by a barrage of tornadoes and bombs"...?

 

[Blackadder1916]

A different perspective of this story would be --

A private company (Japanese?) in association with a private Philippine organization wishes to raise a former Japanese warship from Philippine waters and tow it to a Philippine island where it would be developed into an attraction of a new tourist destination (perhaps primarily aimed at Japanese tourists) in order to make a profit.



Maybe let these men rest in peace.

 

[bLUE fOX]

Or perhaps someone took the show "space battleship Yamato" a little too seriously.  And besides, even after they salvaged her, wouldn't sixty four years on the bottom make her too structurally unsound? just look at what they brought up from the Graf Spee, and she sank under much less violent conditions.

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

A different perspective of this story would be --

A private company (Japanese?) in association with a private Philippine organization wishes to raise a former Japanese warship from Philippine waters and tow it to a Philippine island where it would be developed into an attraction of a new tourist destination (perhaps primarily aimed at Japanese tourists) in order to make a profit.



Maybe let these men rest in peace.

I am also of the opinion that we leave the ship and its crew in peace.  I would defer, though, to the Japanese government's wishes.

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

... inviting foreign dignitaries "to join us return to this tragic chapter of World War II when the blue waters of Sibuyan Sea turned blood red during the great Battle of Sibuyan Sea."

I really hope this is a bad translation.

Just curious as to who has "rights" to a sunken warship. Haven't there been various Spanish claims over ships of the Spanish Armanda in UK territorial waters.

 

[cameron]

Thanks for posting this CougarDaddy, one thing i'm wondering, in this discussion of whether Yamato should be raised or not has any attempt been made by the Japanese Government or the other stakeholders in this proposed operation to get the opinions of the descendants of those who perished on the ship?

 

[CougarKing]

Thanks for posting this CougarDaddy, one thing i'm wondering, in this discussion of whether Yamato should be raised or not has any attempt been made by the Japanese Government or the other stakeholders in this proposed operation to get the opinions of the descendants of those who perished on the ship?

Cameron,

You do realize that this thread is about the MUSASHI, not her sister ship the YAMATO, right?

Or perhaps someone took the show "space battleship Yamato" a little too seriously.  And besides, even after they salvaged her, wouldn't sixty four years on the bottom make her too structurally unsound? just look at what they brought up from the Graf Spee, and she sank under much less violent conditions.

;D

 

[ironduke57]

Would be probably quite a sight if they are able to do that. Especially if they could borrow one of the Iowa-class battleship and lay them side by side.

(P.S.: Does somebody has some money to spare to raise the Bismarck? And then we see all three together making a trip around the world.  8) )

Regards,
ironduke57

 

[geo]

Hmmm.... would wager that Rust has done a good job of finishing off the damages initiated by the bombs and torpedoes.  An interesting endeavour BUT probably the only thing holding it together are the barnacles & the coral reefs.

Point of order !  does the UN have a say WRT coral reefs ???  I thought they were protected

 

[geo]

The Musashi capsized to port, and sank at 7:25 PM on 24 October, taking more than 1,000 of her 2,399 crew with her; 1376 of the crew were rescued by the destroyers Kiyoshimo and Shimakaze. The wreck of Musashi is believed to be at 13° 07' 01" North, 122° 31' 59" East, off the Bondoc Peninsula, in 1,350 meters (4,429 ft) of water.

4400 feet of water... sounds pretty deep - refloating her sounds like a Clive Cussler book epic - like "raise the titanic"

 

[mdh]

4400 feet of water... sounds pretty deep - refloating her sounds like a Clive Cussler book epic - like "raise the titanic"

Wow 4,400 feet! I can't imagine how much money that would cost. IIRC the CIA spent millions trying to raise a Soviet sub back during the cold war.

This would be true feat of engineering if they could pull it off.

 

[a_majoor]

It would probably be cheaper to build a replica at one of the Finnish "super" yards (that build jumbo sized cruise ships) or giant Korean containership yards (assuming the Koreans were agreeable, which probably won't happen) than to try to raise the wreakage. Another lower cost alternative would be stationing an ROV and transmitting real time images to a surface location.

I would hope common sense prevails and the Japanese Government refuses the offer.

 

[mdh]

It would probably be cheaper to build a replica at one of the Finnish "super" yards (that build jumbo sized cruise ships) or giant Korean containership yards (assuming the Koreans were agreeable, which probably won't happen) than to try to raise the wreakage. Another lower cost alternative would be stationing an ROV and transmitting real time images to a surface location.

I would hope common sense prevails and the Japanese Government refuses the offer.

I agree. I think the ROV idea would make an excellent documentary along the lines of Ballard's work. Why disturb a war grave?

Besides that - although I'm hardly an expert - I'm not sure how you would successfully raise a ship that size without running the danger of having it break apart. It would be an unprecedented venture.  I can't think of any other vessel that size (and age) that has been raised.

 

[Kat Stevens]

Would be probably quite a sight if they are able to do that. Especially if they could borrow one of the Iowa-class battleship and lay them side by side.

(P.S.: Does somebody has some money to spare to raise the Bismarck? And then we see all three together making a trip around the world.  8) )

Regards,
ironduke57

Throw in Royal Oak and you'd have a real traveling museum.

 

[cameron]

Cameron,

You do realize that this thread is about the MUSASHI, not her sister ship the YAMATO, right?
;D

Yes I do thanks, that was a typo ;D

 

[old medic]

Well, I guess it was only a matter of time

Group set to salvage parts of battleship Yamato
BY MASAMI NAKAGAWA, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200901240046.html
2009/1/24

KURE, Hiroshima Prefecture--Despite jaw-dropping costs and immense technical difficulties, business leaders here plan to salvage parts from the sunken World War II imperial battleship Yamato.

Officials said the project would help revitalize this area of western Japan.

The 65,000-ton vessel, regarded as one of the greatest warships of its time, was built in Kure in 1941.

The Yamato was on its way to Okinawa when it sank off Kagoshima Prefecture on April 7, 1945, following an attack by U.S. aircraft. Only 276 of the 3,332 people on board survived.

A five-member preparatory panel announced the plan Thursday. In the words of one official, "We hope to have the real thing on exhibit" so as to revitalize this once-thriving naval port that developed as a shipbuilding center. The official called the Yamato a "symbol of Kure." The panel is headed by Seiichiro Okuhara, chairman of the Kure Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Kazushige Todaka, chief of the Kure Maritime Museum, more commonly known as the Yamato Museum because it has a replica of the battleship on display, is among the members. The city of Kure is joining the project as an observer.

The panel said an executive committee will be formed in April to start the drive to raise funds, which it estimates will run into billions of yen.

The Yamato lies about 350 meters below the surface, some 200 kilometers west of Cape Bonomisaki in southern Kagoshima Prefecture.

Panel members said they hope to at least raise the 2,780-ton main guns and the front portion of the hull, which they say bear distinctive Yamato characteristics.

Okuhara said salvaging parts from the historic ship is partly aimed at praying for the repose of the dead and to show young and future generations the misery of war and the importance of peace.

"The technology used to build the Yamato still plays a big role in the manufacturing industry here," Okuhara said.

In surveys in 1985 and 1999, a bugle, eating utensils and other artifacts were salvaged, but no ship parts.(IHT/Asahi: January 24,2009)