Target ship from the Second World War sinks in front of US philippine exercises

Target ship from the Second World War sinks in front of US philippine exercises

A former US warship from the Second World War, which survived two of the most important battles in the Pacific War, sank surprisingly before US and Filipino troops could sink it during a planned military exercise. Instead of sinking into a spectacle in a spectacle during a live fire exercise in front of the west coast of the Philippines, the elderly USS Brattleboro decided to retire in the South Chinesian sea on Monday morning, even before modern weapons could give her the rest.

planned military exercise and unexpected downfall

The ex-uss Brattleboro should be the main goal of the Marine Beat Exercise (Marstrike) as part of the annual "Balikatan" exercises between the USA and the Philippines, which took place from April 21 to May 9. According to a statement by the Filipino forces, the ship was selected because it exceeded its time and was no longer suitable for ordinary operations.

A spokesman for the US Navy said that the 81-year-old ship should be attacked during the exercise of F/A-18 fight jets from the Marine Corps. According to reports from the official Filipino news agency (PNA), the ship should be attacked with a combination of anti-ship rockets, bombs and automatic gunfire. While the 56 -meter -long ship was dragged to the exercise position, 35 miles west of the province of Zambales on the northern Filipino island of Luzon, it absorbed water.

The circumstances of sinking

"Because of the rough lake, which we are currently experiencing in the practice zone, and its long time the ship ultimately absorbed a considerable amount of water and sank," said the spokesman for the Filipino Navy, captain John Percie Alcos, according to PNA. He emphasized that the ship was not damaged when towing.

The ship sank at 7:20 a.m. local time near the place where it should be destroyed later. However, the other elements of the Marstrike exercise would continue, according to the military announcement. "The joint emergency services of the Philippines and the United States will rehearse virtual and constructive fire missions," says the explanation, without naming details about the still planned elements of the exercise. "The combined force will still achieve their training goals," she added. According to the Filipino military, there was no environmental concerns from falling because the ship had been cleaned before the exercise.

a venerable story

The fall of the ex-uss Brattleboro marks the quiet end of a ship with a long history. During the Second World War it was involved in the battles of Leyte and Okinawa, two decisive defeats of the imperial Japanese armed forces in 1944 and 1945. The ship, which was classified as a submarine hunter, played a key role in rescue and air defense during the Battle of Leyt during the US invasion of the Philippines, such as the US Naval History and Heritage command (Nhhc) reported.

Within a month, it helped to bring over 400 wounded soldiers from the coast to larger hospital ships and shot off a Japanese aircraft. After further fighting around the island of Palau and again in the Philippines, the Brattleboro was commanded to go to Okinawa to support the US invasion there in spring 1945.

The Okinawas invasion began on April 1, and over the next 91 days the submarine hunter treated over 200 strongly wounded men and saved more than 1,000 survivors of sunken ships, as NHC history states. After its outstanding position in the United States in the 1960s, the ship was transferred to the South Vietnamese Navy in 1966. With the case of Saigon in 1975, the then South Vietnamese ship was handed over to the Philippines, where it was put into service in 1977 under the name Miguel Malvar, a hero of the Filipino Revolution. It was declared in 2021.

increased tensions in the South China Sea

The shipping exercise took place in an offshore area, which is close to the controversial Scarborough Riffs, which is strictly guarded by the Chinese coast guard, marine and suspected militia ships. The Philippines also claim the fisheries, which is about 137 miles west of Zambales. This year, more than 14,000 Filipino and US troops are participating in the Balikatan exercises, which are designed as a "full base test" between the two defense associations in view of regional security concerns.

In recent years there has been increasing conflicts between China and the Philippines in the Waters near Scarborough Shoal, while China asserts its controversial sovereignty across the entire South China Sea. The tensions between Beijing and Manila are at a maximum because there are concerns about military conflicts. China has decidedly rejected such exercises with US troops in or near the South China Sea.