Maximum Diving Depth: 57 meters - Recommended Diving Depth 49 – 57 meters
Facts:
This famous British Renown Class Battlecruiser was completed in August 1916. Repulse was extremely fast, easily topping 32 knots, due in part to their extreme length – beam ratio. But this speed also came at the expense of light armour.
Together with HMS Prince of Wales and 5 Destroyers, she was stationed in Singapore and their group was commonly known as Force Z. The allies hoped that the presence of Forze Z would help deter a Japanese attack.
In her fatal voyage of the 8th December 1941 to smash the Japanese landings at Singora and Kota Bharu, the 37,000 ton ship with a length of over 250 meters, carried the following armament:
Guns:
3 x 2 x 15” BL
3 x 3 x 4” LA
4 x 1 x 4” AA
3 x 8 x 2pdr pom-pom AA
8 x 1 x 20mm Oerlikon AA
4 x 4 x 0.5” MG AA
Torpedos:
4 x 2 x 21” Fixed
History:
After a Japanese submarine sighted Force Z, the first elements of the 80-strong Japanese striking force was spotted at 11.00 hours on the 10th of December from the north–west. The Flagship opened fire and so shortly afterwards the Battlecruiser did with her 4” guns. Without the presence of an aircraft carrier, it was impossible to withstand multiple attacks by torpedo and high-level bombers. The ship rolled over at 12.33 hours and sank two minutes later to her resting place. 796 survivors were picked up by the destroyers Electra and Vampire.
Diving:
Now, 46 nm north of Tioman, she is on her port side in about 57m of water, with the decks at about 120 degrees of angle. If you start your descent at amidships, you will find the bridge area badly damaged and the fighting tops spread out across the seabed. Five inch side guns are clean and lay with their barrels still pointing out to sea. The swim from here to bow is long but very rewarding. The turret are easily visible with their guns still at an aggressive fighting angle and once you get there, you can see the tripod base of the Flagpole still intact in its place at the bow of the ship. It is possible to swim under the whole front section of the ship, as it is held up off the seabed by the massive guns we just past by. Large hatches lay open on the decks and are testimony of sailors trying to escape as she started to sink. For heading back to the shot it is a good idea to rise up over the ship at about 48m depth. Anchors and lines of portholes come now into view, all looking very intact until the damaged created by Japanese torpedo planes becomes evident. Three large marble rays, gliding along the hull, have to be passed before reaching the shot. Even during the decompression stops you still have plenty of time to observe the rich marine life. The stern of the ship is in good condition but her main stern guns are buried in the silty bottom. Two of her props have gone, but evidence of torpedo damage is obvious as the rudder is jammed into one of the remaining propellers.
 
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