UK urges probe after WWII wrecks removed from Java Sea

Britain has urged Indonesia to investigate after the wrecks of several British navy ships sunk during a major World War II battle were reportedly taken for scrap metal.

"The British government is distressed to hear that a number of British naval Royal Navy vessels, lost in 1942 during the Battle of the Java Sea, have apparently been illegally salvaged," said a spokesman for Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) Wednesday.

It follows a report in the Guardian newspaper that three British ships and a US submarine had been destroyed by illegal scrap metal scavengers.

Britain contacted Indonesian authorities to express "serious concern" at the reports and "take appropriate action" to protect the sites from further disturbance, the MoD spokesman said.

"A military wreck should remain undisturbed and those who lost their lives onboard should be allowed to rest in peace," he added.

Naval warships and war graves are protected under international law and the desecration of such shipwrecks is illegal.

The scrap metal, particularly propellers which were often made from phosphor bronze, can be worth more than AUD$3300 a tonne.

The Guardian cited a preliminary report from an expedition to document sunken ships which showed that the wrecks of HMS Exeter and HMS Encounter had been almost totally removed, along with parts of HMS Electra.

The US submarine Perch had also been entirely removed, according to the report.

The four vessels sank when Japan's navy overpowered British, American, Dutch and Australian sailors in what was one of the Allied forces' most disastrous defeats.

The Netherlands said Tuesday it was also investigating the disappearance of three Dutch navy ship wrecks sunk during the battle.

The Dutch defence ministry said the wrecks of HNLMS De Ruyter and HNLMS Java had "seemingly gone completely missing", while a large piece was also missing from HNLMS Kortenaer.

An international expedition which sailed to the wreck site in preparation for next year's 75th anniversary of the battle recently made the shocking discovery that the wrecks had gone, the ministry said.