Anthony Appleyard
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Today's (Monday 19 July 2021)'s issue of the Daily Telegraph British newspaper has on its page 1 (Drones to patrol wartime sea graves) and page 8 (Underwater drones to protect Navy sea graves from bounty hunters) two items about plans to protect against illegal salvaging of war-grave wrecks. It said that the wrecks of HMS Electra and HMS Exeter and HMS Encounter, sunk in the Battle of the Java Sea ( Battle of the Java Sea - Wikipedia ) "were found to have been almost completely cleared five years ago". The articles do not say what was taken or what damage was done; and does "five years ago" mean when the damage was discovered or when the damage happened?". The word "drones" raises in me this query: Apart from the well-known flying drones ( Unmanned aerial vehicle - Wikipedia ), what surface or underwater technology is involved? Only what is well known? Or is anything new to patrol underwater, being designed, publicly or in secret? What size of diving operation was likely the culprits? I have had occasional odd thoughts of an anonymous-looking old freighter lingering about with nothing unusual seen above the waterline, but a large underwater diver lockin-lockout and suchlike.