Lost Indonesian sub wreckage found in 2,750ft of water, all hands lost
KRI Nanggala-402 in better days
We were talking about the KRI Nanggala-402 in the Weekend Open Thread, but the Indonesian Navy has announced that their earlier reported suspicions that the ship was lost have been confirmed. Wreckage, including large parts of the ship, have been located by remotely operated vehicle. Of the 53 souls aboard, none survived. Hauntingly, some of the survival suits normally stored in boxes were found in the open, suggesting the crew attempted to put them on.
Indonesia’s military on Sunday officially said all 53 crew members from a submarine that sank and broke apart last week are dead, and that search teams had located the vessel’s wreckage on the ocean floor.
The grim announcement comes a day after Indonesia said the submarine was considered sunk, not merely missing, but did not explicitly say whether the crew was dead. Officials had also said the KRI Nanggala 402?s oxygen supply would have run out early Saturday, three days after the vessel went missing off the resort island of Bali.
“We received underwater pictures that are confirmed as the parts of the submarine, including its rear vertical rudder, anchors, outer pressure body, embossed dive rudder and other ship parts,” military chief Hadi Tjahjanto told reporters in Bali on Sunday.
“With this authentic evidence, we can declare that KRI Nanggala 402 has sunk and all the crew members are dead,” Tjahjanto said.
An underwater robot equipped with cameras found the lost submarine lying in at least three pieces on the ocean floor at a depth of 838 meters (2,750 feet), said Adm. Yudo Margono, the navy’s chief of staff.
That’s much deeper than the KRI Nanggala 402?s collapse depth of 200 meters (655 feet), at which point water pressure would be greater than the hull could withstand, according to earlier navy statements.
Margono said emergency survival suits that are normally kept in boxes were found floating underwater, apparently indicated the crew may have tried to put them on during the emergency.
The cause of the submarine’s sinking remains uncertain. The navy had previously said an electrical failure could have left the submarine unable to execute emergency procedures to resurface.
The wreckage is located 1,500 meters (yards) to the south of the site where the submarine last dove Wednesday, off Bali’s northern coast, Margono said. Photos of the debris were presented at the press conference.
Fair winds and following seas, Sailors.
Category: Navy
RIP.
From the US Navy Hymn
Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bid’st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to thee,
for those in peril on the sea.
RIP. And may your families find peace.
Goose bumps. RIP.
I guess that being a submariner as my Step Dad was a veteran of WWII, serving on the submarine U.S.S. Piranha in the Pacific Theater of Operations.
“To one who’s post is beneath the waves, mostly, as many of us can never know that life, to end one’s existence there, forever, beneath the waves, always on patrol, may you find nothing but your brotherhood and peace, and rest.”
Rest in Peace.
Sad.
Rest well, men.
Rest in peace.
Rest in peace Sailors.
Heartreaking… RIP
SpEr – Heartbreaking. RIP
Just sad. Rest in peace, one and all.
Godspeed Sailors. RIP
RIP Sub Mariners
RIP
On a not informed scientific inquiry, how does one reach a depth that the submarine suddenly rips apart? The report and photos show the bow section separate from from the mid and front which was split sideways. None of them stood a chance from the looks of it. I thought submarines crush at depth, not explode!?
MI Ranger – submarines that – for whatever reason – go to Collapse Depth, don’t really ‘explode’, they appear to but in actuality and according to the law of physics – they implode. Here’s links to a few articles – couple of potential explanation and one of possible interest –
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_depth_ratings ,
https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/deep.htm
&
https://theconversation.com/submarines-are-designed-to-hide-so-what-happens-when-one-goes-missing-159634*
*pub’d before KRI Nanggala was located
God rest the souls of the KRI Nanggala
No disrespect meant for the lost sailors or their families, but why does Indonesia even have a submarine? Submarines are extremely complex vessels. Even a minor error (that might cause a few hours of inconvenience on a surface vessel, like loss of electric power) can be deadly in a submarine.
I don’t know how many countries have working, functioning submarines in their navy but it can’t be many. A sub is very much a “top of the food chain” vessel that requires a pretty sophisticated infrastructure to run not to mention a LOT of money. I’ll bet you can run 2 or 3 destroyers (or more) for the cost of running ONE submarine.
Submarines also strike me as being more offensive weapons than defensive, so, again, what are the subs trying to protect against or deter? The PLA-Navy is the only threat I can think of in the area.
Again, not intending to take away the valor and sacrifice of these sailors, but I have to admit that when I think of countries that have submarines, Indonesia is not one that comes to my mind, at least.
Can’t tell you why but can extend some background –
https://www.nti.org/analysis/articles/indonesia-submarine-capabilities/