Scavengers Trash WWII Java Sea Shipwrecks
The Guardian reported the alarming news in November that three World War II–era British warships and a U.S. submarine that sank in the Java Sea have been desecrated (and in some cases totally removed) by illegal scavengers of scrap metal—criminals evidently devoid of even the remotest sense of history or the graveyard status of a shipwreck. The reaction in the historical community and among veterans’ groups has been one of shock and anger.
Expressing “serious concern” and requesting that the Indonesian government take “appropriate action to protect the sites from any further disturbance,” the UK Ministry of Defence condemned the “unauthorised disturbance of any wreck containing human remains. . . . Many lives were lost during this battle and we would expect that these sites are respected and left undisturbed without the express consent of the United Kingdom. It is British Government policy that our military wrecks are offered appropriate protection and management.”
An expedition with 3D-mapping capability to study the wrecks discovered the wanton destruction: The remains of the York-class heavy cruiser HMS Exeter and the E-class destroyer HMS Encounter (both sunk on 1 March 1942 during the Second Battle of the Java Sea) have been almost completely stripped way. The E-class destroyer HMS Electra (sunk on 27 February 1942 during the Battle of the Java Sea) had likewise been trashed by the rapacious criminals, though a “sizeable section” of the shipwreck is still on site, according to the expedition’s report. And the wreck of the submarine USS Perch (SS-176), lead boat of her class (sunk during operations on 3 March 1942), is entirely gone, thanks to the illegal commercial salvaging.
As one scintilla of consolation, the whole crew of the Perch was captured by the Japanese destroyer Ushio before the sub went down. So that destroyed site, at least, was not a war grave.
But the maritime crime doesn’t stop there: The Netherlands Defence Ministry also reported in November that three Dutch shipwrecks in the Java Sea—the De Ruyter, Java, and Kortenaer—also have disappeared, victims of underwater looting. The Defence Ministry issued a statement warning that “The desecration of a war grave is a serious offense.”
Archaeologist Andy Brockman, quoted in the Guardian, no doubt summed up the feelings of many when he said, “This latest example of commercially driven damage to what are maritime military graves should be a spur to international action, led by the governments of Britain, Australia, the Netherlands and the U.S.A., over two thousand of whose sailors lie in the Java Sea.”
What's Up At the NHHC
Zumwalt’s Legacy As Told through 121 Z-Grams
With the commissioning of the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), youmay have heard a lot about the ship’s technological capabilities. But just how well do you know the history of the man behind the namesake?
The Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) recently completed transcribing each of Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt’s “Z-grams” for people to learn more about just how profoundly the 19th Chief of Naval Operations impacted and changed the Navy during his 1970–74 tenure.
On Zumwalt’s tombstone is the word “Reformer.” This is apt, because he probably did more to change and advance the Navy than anyone since World War II. Via his directives called Z-grams, he shattered barriers to advancement for women and minorities. He embraced equal rights for all, and fought hard for the Navy to embrace them too.
Before issuing Z-gram 66, titled “Equal Opportunity in the Navy,” Zumwalt sat down with black officers and enlisted men and their wives and discussed issues of discrimination and racism.
“Prior to these meetings, I was convinced that, compared with the civilian community, we had relatively few racial problems in the Navy,” he said in the Z-gram. “However, after exploring the matter in some depth with these two groups, I have discovered that I was wrong—we do have problems, and it is my intention and that of Secretary [of the Navy John] Chafee to take prompt steps toward their solution.”
Zumwalt admitted in the same message that any solutions he implemented would only be first steps, but beginning to solve the problem of discrimination within the Navy was nonetheless among his top priorities.
A couple of years later, the Navy (and the military in general) was feeling the stress of a mass exodus of personnel. It was transitioning to an all-volunteer force from one significantly made up of draftees, and in Z-gram 116, titled “Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women,” Zumwalt took the first steps to fully integrate women into the Navy—i.e., on board ships, in staff positions, command ashore, and open access to most ratings.
“I believe we can do far more than we have in the past in according women equal opportunity to contribute their extensive talents and to achieve full professional status,” Zumwalt stated in the message.
When he retired, the Navy had black admirals and women were flying aircraft. If this was all he did, his legacy would be guaranteed. But he put the lives and well-being of all sailors on his agenda.
In Z-gram 9, for example, he created the meritorious advancement program for petty officers: “I am concerned that there may be a small number of petty officers who are obviously superior performers but who have not been advanced in rate even after five or more examination attempts. These petty officers have demonstrated by continued superior performance that they are qualified for advancement to higher rate and that they merit special advancement consideration.”
He also created the ombudsman program, the sponsorship program, the Sailor of the Year award, and many other changes documented in his famous fleet-wide messages. To read more Z-grams, and to find out more about the “Reformer,” please visit the NHHC website at www.navy.mil/local/navhist/.
—Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Eric Lockwood, NHHC
Navy Rescues Its Relics from Evicted Museum
The New Jersey Naval Museum in Hackensack has received an eviction notice—and the U.S. Navy is being forced to retrieve some 100 artifacts that have deteriorated while on loan there.
Jay Thomas, assistant director for collection management at the Naval History and Heritage Command, told NJ.com in October, “We share the concern of veterans whose story is contained in these historic artifacts. This step is difficult, because sharing our Navy’s history is an important part of our mission. However, so is protecting the collection.”
The museum site’s property owner, who has plans to convert the area into a housing-and-retail waterfront complex, terminated the museum’s lease last May. A trip by NHHC officials to the museum last summer came with the disturbing realization that the Navy-owned relics were deteriorating because of improper care; in the worst cases, artifacts had been left on outdoor display and were heavily degraded as a result.
While the New Jersey Naval Museum does have plans to relocate, it failed to provide the Navy with a detailed plan for transporting and conserving the loaned artifacts, which are being brought back home to the Washington Navy Yard for some much-needed assessment and restoration.
The centerpiece of the museum is the Balao-class submarine USS Ling (SS-297), which has been with the museum since 1972. The move is on to find a new site for the Ling (and her attendant museum facilities), but the museum, at press time, had not announced an official location.
“We look forward to a time when the New Jersey Naval Museum has found a new home for its collection of artifacts,” said the NHHC’s Thomas, “and we can again begin discussion with its managers on how to once again share Navy artifacts with their visitors.”