Lost Indonesian Submarine

[Searcaigh]

Indonesian thorough flow, passing from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean

It was well documented by some guy called Wallace and I think some of the currents there are named after him (?Wallacea), but I'm not sure about underwater movements of water.

 

[Akimbo]

Indonesian thorough flow, passing from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean, has been known to cause havoc to ships sailing through the many straits in Indonesia.

Anything is possible but there are quite a few places on earth with similar or worse conditions, this was home waters, and they were experienced professional mariners. There are far more probable causes during peacetime including collision, internal explosion, and uncontrolled flooding.

I can't recall an act of nature sinking a submarine, even a small one like this one — including WWI vintage boats. Operator error or poor maintenance reflects badly on the command, acts of nature is free pass for an officer's career.

 

[Kay Dee]

Indonesian thorough flow, passing from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean, has been known to cause havoc to ships sailing through the many straits in Indonesia. Lots of boats sunk. In fact Mermaid Liveboard was involved in rescuing people out of sunken Phinisi boat near strait of Lombok.

Indonesian Throughflow - Wikipedia

Yes but............given the location where the sub sunk, the chances of the two nearest straits - Lombok Strait and Bali Strait - having anything to do with the sinking is....................nil.

And I assume you mean the IO and the Bali Sea (or Java Sea further west), as there is no Pacific Ocean on the other side of any of the Indo straits that connect to the IO.

 

[Centrals]

What is the chance of lifting the sub back to dry land?
Can it be done practically or theoretically?

 

[Kay Dee]

Re current 'flow-through'. They say a picture (well, image in this case) is worth a thousand words so below; Pacific Ocean top right. South China Sea top left. Indian Ocean bottom.

This is of course not meant to imply that there are not strong currents through all those straits along the Indonesian archipelago, 'cause there are.

 

[Kay Dee]

What is the chance of lifting the sub back to dry land?
Can it be done practically or theoretically?

Theoretically, yes. Practically, well yes also, if you have the money to throw at it. Although they did not fully succeed, one only has to remember the Glomar Explorer story, and that from much greater depths IIRC (yep, much much deeper @ 16500ft / 5000m). And the salvage industry has come a long way since then (i.e. 1974).

 

[rhwestfall]

What is the chance of lifting the sub back to dry land?
Can it be done practically or theoretically?

For what purpose?

 

[Centrals]

For what purpose?

1. The cause of the sinking?
2. Curious to know if that is possible.
3. The sub has broken into 3 parts so relatively less bulky to lift

 

[Dan]

 

[Akimbo]

What is the chance of lifting the sub back to dry land?
Can it be done practically or theoretically?

It cost the Russians over $65 million in 2001 (about $100 million today) to recover the Kursk, which was a much larger boat but was only in 108m/354'. See: Kursk submarine disaster

The US nearly recovered the Russian Soviet K-129 from over 4,900m/16,000' in 1974 at a cost of more than $800 million or about $4.3 Billion today. Some of that cost was due to the clandestine nature of the job, but likely no more than 25%. See: Project Azorian

The oil industry is drilling and producing in water in the Nanggala's depth range so much of that technology could be adapted, but extensive modifications would be required. Heerema Marine Contractors' SSCV Sleipnir has a 20,000 ton lift capacity but can't reach those depths. A capturing mechanism would have to be designed and build but the structures of the boat looks pretty unstable.

The US never recovered the nuclear fast attack submarines USS Thresher or Scorpion in comparable depths, but they do seem to be monitoring them for radiation and who knows what else.

Technically, nearly all of the KRI Nanggala could be recovered. Practically, which really means financially, no.