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HMS Repulse

South China Sea, off Kuantan, Malaysia

Typical depth
55 m
Type
Wreck
Level
Technical
OPEN WATERADVANCEDDEEPTECHNICALSURFACE102030405060SAFETY STOP · 3–6 mTYPICAL55 mBOTTOM · 55 m

Notes

Renown-class battlecruiser sunk in the same 10 Dec 1941 attack as Prince of Wales. Lies on her port side; deck at ~40 m, hull at ~55 m. Protected war grave.

Marine life

Other
war grave to over 500 lives — designated under UK Protection of Military Remains Act
Pelagics
barracuda, tuna
Reef fish
snapper, grouper, batfish, sweetlips
Invertebrates
soft coral on the bilge keels, anemones

Wreck

Vessel
HMS Repulse
Class
Renown-class battlecruiser
Origin
United Kingdom (Royal Navy)
Sunk
1941 — torpedoed by Imperial Japanese Navy land-based aircraft (Force Z action), 10 Dec 1941
Length
242 m
Penetration
Not advised

Site features

  • Wreck
  • Deep Wreck
  • Trimix
  • War Grave
  • Permit Required
  • Liveaboard Only
  • Historic
  • Battlecruiser
  • Inverted Hull

When to dive

Best
Mar–Sep
Avoid
Nov–Feb

Same Force Z weather window as Prince of Wales — shut down by the northeast monsoon. Repulse lies upside-down some 8 nautical miles north of Prince of Wales; both wrecks are typically dived on the same liveaboard charter.

Conditions & access

Visibility
10–25 m
Water temp
27–30 °C
Current
Moderate
Access
Permit required
Min cert
Trimix recommended for any meaningful bottom time on the hull at 40–55 m. War grave under the UK Protection of Military Remains Act — no entry, no recovery; conditions of access are stricter than the wreck's depth.

Location

3.7833° N, 104.8000° E

Dive clubs that visit this site

2 operators list this site on their website

Sources

Curated from 1 source

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