Huge World War II shipwreck raised from the depths in massive salvage operation

A HUGE World War II shipwreck has been raised from the depths in a massive salvage operation in Sri Lanka.

A MASSIVE World War II shipwreck has been raised from the bottom of a harbour in Sri Lanka, 75 years after the vessel was sunk following an attack by Japanese forces.

The SS Sagaing, a British passenger and cargo ship, was hit by Japanese bombers on April 9, 1942, while at anchor in Trincomalee Harbour. With fires raging, the ship was abandoned. On August 24, 1943, the damaged vessel was deliberately sunk in 10m of water to create a pier for naval ships.

Authorities in Sri Lanka, however, have decided to move the wreck to create more space in the harbour, Fox News reports.

After a five-month operation, the huge 138m hull was recently raised by Sri Lanka’s navy. As part of the mammoth salvage effort, navy divers worked to restore damage on the rusted hull and strengthen the ship’s structure. Divers even installed an artificial side to the vessel as part of an effort to recover lost buoyancy by “dewatering” the ship, according to a Sri Lankan navy statement.

The ship in its prime. Picture: Sri Lanka navy

The Sri Lankan navy deployed 98 divers on the ambitious salvage operation. Picture: Sri Lanka navy

Launched in 1924, the merchant ship was used to transport passengers and goods between the UK and Burma. Picture: Sri Lanka navy

The ship started its ascent to the surface on March 22. After being towed to the sea off Trincomalee, the wreck was sunk again on Friday as part of an effort to preserve it.

Launched in 1924, the merchant ship was used to transport passengers and goods between the UK and Burma. On the day of the Japanese attack, the Sagaing was transporting aircraft and ammunition for the allied war effort, most of which was saved.

The shipwreck was twice raised from the depths in massive salvage operation. Picture: Sri Lanka navy

The Sagaing is just the latest shipwreck to grab the headlines. Last month, the wreck of the USS Juneau, which was sunk by a Japanese torpedo with the loss 687 sailors in 1942, was discovered by billionaire Paul Allen’s crew.

Beachgoers in Florida recently discovered the “holy grail of shipwrecks” after the remains of an 18th century ship washed up on Ponte Vedra Beach. Shipwreck hunters also say they’ve found the remains of a schooner that sank in Lake Michigan in 1873.

This article originally appeared on Fox News and was republished here with permission.