大象传媒

Three British warships, a US submarine, and three Dutch warships have all gone missing from the bottom of the sea. They've lain 70 metres below the surface, off the island of Java, since they were sunk by the Japanese navy during World War Two. Almost 1000 sailors went down with the ships, and all such wrecks are considered war graves.

So when an expedition recently arrived to commemorate the 75th anniversary of The battle of the Java Sea, they were surprised to find the wrecks no longer there. Kieren Hosty of the Australian National Maritime Museum told Newsday what he thinks happened.

(Photo: HNLMS De Ruyter with 345 men on board was the flagship of Dutch Rear-Admiral Karel Doorman. Credit: Netherlands Institute of Military History)