RUMOURS abound that Japanese salvage companies want to get their hands on Birkenhead-built battleship 'HMS Prince of Wales', writes Robin Bird.

The 35,000-tons vessel and 'HMS Repulse' lie in international waters off the coast of Malaysia. These two huge warships were sunk with the loss of 840 men in December 1941. The wrecks are among the most important of the Royal Navy's war graves.

Following rumours that Japanese firms want to take salvage from the sunken ships, the Ministry of Defence confirms they are war graves. It has stressed that the vessels must be treated with respect in memory of those lost.

An M.o D. spokesman said: "To the best of our knowledge, such rumours are unsubstantiated. Both wrecks are property of the M.o.D. and are considered war graves. Our policy is that they should be treated with respect in memory of those lost. If evidence of unauthorised activity was apparent, representation would be made to the appropriate authorities."

The sinking of these two large powerful warships by Japanese planes shocked the nation. 'Prince of Wales' sank in action after a torpedo hit her amidships.

The disaster changed the whole way of naval thinking. It proved conclusively that capital battleships were vulnerable. Churchill called it the biggest single disaster of the war, following Pearl Harbour by just three days. It changed the balance of naval power in the Pacific in favour of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Loss of the 'Prince of Wales' was particularly close to Merseyside as thousands of Cammell Laird workers worked on her. During the war, within six weeks of delivery, she took part in the action which eventually destroyed the German battleship 'Bismarck'. Later the 'Prince of Wales' achieved further distinction: it was on board her, in mid-Atlantic, that Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt signed the Atlantic Charter. Emotions here would be evoked by any attempts at salvage.

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