Divers Find WWII Submarine off Coast of Borneo 70 Years After it was Lost at Sea

A tip-off from a local fisherman has led to the discovery of the wreck of a Dutch World War II submarine, off the coast of Borneo.

The 1000-tonne Hr Ms KXVI had been missing for the past 70 years and was part of the Allied fleet that tried to stop the Japanese invasion of the then Dutch East Indies. It was finally located by some sport divers during a scuba diving excursion.

The Dutch vessel torpedoed the Japanese submarine hunter, Sagiri, on Christmas Eve in 1941, but it was hit by a Japanese submarine the next day and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

The Netherlands Defence Ministry said: "The Hr Ms KXVI, which has been missing with a crew of 36 since 1941, has been found."
"It was discovered by Australian and Singaporean sport divers in the waters 'above' the island of Borneo after a tip-off from a local fisherman."

The exact location of the wreck has not been revealed out of respect for the dead crew members and their descendents.

This is the sixth Dutch submarine that has been found after being lost during the war and just one wreck remains missing somewhere in the North Sea, the Hr Ms O 13 which was lost on 25th June, 1940.

Borneo is a popular destination for scuba diving holidays and recreational and professional divers from all over the world visit the island’s surrounding ocean waters to explore its fascinating marine environment.

Popular spots for wreck diving include the three, large Usukan Bay World War II Japanese wrecks: the Upside-Down Wreck, the Usukan Wreck and the Rice Bowl Wreck.

During scuba diving excursions to these fantastic wrecks, divers will be able to experience the beautiful environment that boasts breathtaking soft coral gardens and hard corals that are teeming with fish species and marine creatures including Barracuda, Nurse Sharks, turtles, large Groupers and huge shoals of Yellow Snappers and Fusiliers.

Borneo is a large tropical island that falls in the middle of the boundary between Indonesia and Malaysia. The island boasts majestic mountains and lush tropical forest and the crystal clear turquoise ocean waters offer an enchanting experience for scuba divers as they delve down to the colourful reefs and historic wrecks.