Sailors from HMS Prince of Wales have honoured the memory of those lost when the battleship of the same name and the cruiser HMS Repulse were sunk in the South China Sea on 10 December 1941, according to a Royal Navy news update.
The remembrance service marked the first time the Fleet Flagship, currently leading Operation Highmast, has conducted a committal over the wreck sites. Wreaths were placed at sea by UK Commander Carrier Strike Group Commodore James Blackmore, HMS Prince of Wales’ Commanding Officer Captain Will Blackett, and Sub Lieutenant Takumi Kitamura from the Japanese destroyer JS Akebono.
The Royal Navy recounted the history of the 1941 losses, noting that the two capital ships formed part of Force Z, dispatched by Prime Minister Winston Churchill to deter Japanese aggression in the Far East. After Japanese forces landed in Malaya, the ships sailed from Singapore to intercept. On 10 December, just three days after Pearl Harbor, they were attacked by Japanese bombers. Despite evading more than 40 torpedoes, both ships were struck repeatedly and sank following an intense air assault.
HMS Repulse was lost first, with 512 men killed. HMS Prince of Wales followed, with the deaths of 330 crew, including Admiral Tom Phillips and Captain John Leach. Leach was the father of future First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Henry Leach.
The Royal Navy highlighted that the wrecks have been safeguarded since divers recovered their bells 20 years ago to protect them from looting and scrap metal recovery. Both artefacts are now held at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth.
The service took place during Operation Highmast, the Royal Navy’s key deployment of 2025. Led by HMS Prince of Wales, the eight-month mission involves contributions from a dozen nations and around 4,500 British personnel, including sailors, Royal Marines, soldiers, and RAF personnel. The deployment has already passed through the Mediterranean, Middle East and Indian Ocean, with port visits in Singapore and Australia, and has now shifted focus to the wider Indo-Pacific.
The full report can be read on the Royal Navy’s website here.
HMS Repulse was actually a Battle Cruiser.
This is a Good call and probably always planned at some point. RIP.
I do believe even though they are designated war graves, people are still diving on them and taking bits of the ships. I’m not sure what can be done realistically to stop this?
One of the problems has been that steel produced before 1945 is not contaminated by radioactive fallout particles, and hence is valuable for use in sensitive measuring equipment of various kinds, and shipwrecks are a source for this – and heavily armoured warships especially so.
Interestingly there was a well referenced article on here a few months ago stating that wasn’t the case.
That is in spite of relatives developing various radiological devices that did need clean, pre-bomb, steel!
HMS Prince of Wales never had much luck has I believe she was damaged in the engagement with the Bismarck when the pride of RN HMS Hood was sunk .If only Prince of Wales and Repulse had air cover they may of seen more war service .Hopefully her namesake has more luck 🙏 🇬🇧
Despite being a new battleship, not fully worked-up, with dockyard workers still onboard, during the Battle of the Denmark Strait HMS Prince of Wales hit KMS Bismarck with a number of 14inch shells, causing fuel contamination by sea water ingress – and forcing the German Admiral to abandon his commerce-raiding mission and head for the French port of Brest. The British battleship played a big part in Bismarck’s eventual demise.
Good post thank you 🍺
I believe it is well established as a factor and indeed important enough for state actors to be involved in plundering designated war graves. Unfortunately PoW sank in shallow water (around 200 ft) and parts of the hull are only about 150ft below the surface, so she is accessible to those who are not repectful of the wreck status.
Unfortunately you are right. Only a few weeks ago the Malaysian’s had to chase a way a Chinese salvage ship that was illegally operating over the wrecks and recovering material and artifacts. Apparently – despite the supposed but very limited in practice protection – only a small proportion of the two battleships are now left, indeed I saw a report last year saying that the hulls have now completely “disappeared” after decades of illegal salvage operations to remove the valuable “pre-atomic age” steel and armour. Hopefully that is wrong but I suspected worst.
Yes Mr Churchill for your total ignorance of the Japanese and they where not stopped attacking Malaya by one battleship and an old battlecruiser.
A fitting and proper tribute for the present POW to its predecessor. I suspect the crew were deeply moved and proud to pay their respects. BZ POW.