Dutch war ships indeed missing from Java sea bottom: report

Three Dutch war ships that were sunk by the Japanese navy during the Battle of the Java Sea in 1942, are indeed missing from the seabed off the coast of Indonesia, the Ministry of Defense announced. The initial results of an investigation also shows traces of a salvage operation, AD reports.

Defense Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert first informed Dutch parliament that the wrecks of cruisers De Ruyter and Java and a large part of destroyer Kortenaer may be missing. The war ships sunk on 27 February 1942 and also served as the graves of everyone on board - over 900 Dutch soldiers and some 250 Indonesian soldiers.

It is not clear who took the wrecks, but there are speculations that salvage companies broke them down to sell as scrap metal.