Image copyright Sri Lanka Navy Image caption Divers from Sri Lanka's navy had to reinforce the vessel's frame before raising it

A British passenger ship that sank after it was bombed in a Japanese air strike in World War Two has been raised off the Sri Lanka coast after 75 years.

The SS Sagaing, whose passengers and cargo were largely saved back in 1942, has been refloated with the help of a team of divers from Sri Lanka's navy.

It had been resting about 35ft (10.7m) under the water at Trincomalee harbour.

The salvage operation took several months and was carried out by Sri Lanka's Eastern Naval Command unit.

Image copyright Sri Lanka Navy Image caption The operation to bring the wreck to the surface took several months

It required the strengthening of the 452ft long vessel's main structural framework, which began on 11 September 2017, Sri Lanka's navy said in a statement on Saturday.

The team of divers also erected an artificial side to the ship in order to seal an area before "dewatering" it to recover lost buoyancy.

Prior to the ship's refloat, the damaged sunken vessel was used as a pier for other naval ships in the harbour.</s>Sunken British WWII ship SS Sagaing refloated by Sri Lanka's navy to make room in harbour

A World War II British Navy ship sunk off north-east Sri Lanka has been refloated, 75 years after being damaged during a Japanese bombing raid.

The SS Sagaing was anchored in Trincomalee Harbour when it was hit by a bomb on April 9, 1942, and abandoned due to a fire on board.

On August 24, 1943 the damaged ship was sunk to be used as a pier for other naval ships.

In September 2017 Sri Lanka's navy was tasked with refloating the wreck — which was submerged more than 10 metres underwater — to make room for expanding berthing facilities in the harbour.

The Eastern Naval Command unit carried out the task by strengthening the ship's internal framework and building an artificial side to "dewater" the ship and recover lost buoyancy.

The wreck started to ascend to the surface on March 22, the navy said in a statement.

Sri Lanka had 98 diving sailors working on permanent deployment on the project.</s>A team of divers of Sri Lanka Navy making a landmark turning point in the field of Diving and Salvage refloated the Royal Navy ship, Her Majesty's Naval Service SS Sagaing, 75 years after it was sunk in Trincomalee harbor by the Japanese during World War II.The 138 m long Passenger cum Cargo Ship launched on 24th December 1924 was hit by Japanese carrier air craft bomber attacks whilst at anchorage in Trincomalee harbor on 09th April 1942 and subsequently abandoned due to escalating fire onboard. On 24th August 1943, the damaged ship was sunk to be used as a pier for Naval Ships.

Sri Lanka Navy resorted to refloat the wreck which was fully submerged 35 feet under the sea in order to make sea room for expanding berthing facilities in the Trincomalee harbor. The task of salvaging and removing the ship wreck was assigned to Eastern Naval Command and it was undertaken by the Eastern Command Diving Unit headed by the Command Diving Officer (E), Captain (CDO) Krishantha Athukorala on 11th September 2017.

A comprehensive salvage plan made by CDO (E) was launched by a team of divers supervised by CPO (DIV) ALNSS Liyanage through patching up all damages and strengthening up deteriorated ship's structural parts by erecting an artificial ship side in to the sunken wreck for dewatering ship's internal volume to recover lost buoyancy. After a series of dedicated endeavors made along a period of five months, on 22nd March the wreck started to ascent to the surface proving the professionalism and instinct of SLN Divers.

LCdr Sathishka Pathirana and LCdr Shiran Buddhika assisted the operation along with 98 diving sailors permanently deployed to the project. Timely support, by the Operations, Logistics, Engineering, Electrical, Shipwright and Medical Departments and the continuous advices received from Director General Operations were highly affected in the successful endeavor. Tokyo Cement Company provided a Crane Barge almost throughout the period with a full time operator.The entire proceedings of the wreck refloating effort were orchestrated under the guidance of Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe.</s>A British Royal Navy ship that sank after it was bombed in a Japanese air strike in World War Two has been raised off the Sri Lanka coast after 75 years.

The SS Sagaing, whose passengers and cargo were largely saved back in 1942, has been refloated with the help of a team of divers from Sri Lanka's navy.

It had been resting about 35ft (10.7m) under the water at Trincomalee harbour.

The salvage operation took several months and was carried out by Sri Lanka's Eastern Naval Command unit.

It required the strengthening of the 452ft long vessel's main structural framework, which began on 11 September 2017, Sri Lanka's navy said in a statement on Saturday.

The team of divers also erected an artificial side to the ship in order to seal an area before "dewatering" it to recover lost buoyancy.

Prior to the ship's refloat, the damaged sunken vessel was used as a pier for other naval ships in the harbour.</s>One of South Dakota's own will be laid to rest this week.

During the days of World War II our men and women were serving in many different parts of the world. One being Hawaii at Perl Harbor Naval Station.

For one of those sailors who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the bombing by Japanese forces his remains have been accounted for and will now be returned to his family.

US Navy Water Tender Second Class Petty Officer Porter Leigh Rich has been accounted for. Rich has been listed as missing in action since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

On December 7, 1941 Rich was assigned to the USS Oklahoma which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen.

Rich’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at an American Battle Monuments Commission site along with the others who are missing from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for. After 76 years Porter L. Rich’s remains were identified positively through family DNA-testing and will now finally be home.

A Memorial Service for Rich is scheduled for March 31 at the Lake Preston High School Gymnasium in Lake Preston, South Dakota. Full Military Funeral Honors will be conducted by the U.S. Navy & U.S. Air Force.

For those who serve and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice you have our thanks, gratitude and devotion.
In order to make sea room for expanding berthing facilities in Trincomalee Harbour, the Sri Lankan navy raises the SS Sagaing, a British passenger ship sunk when it was bombed in an April 1942 Japanese air strike during World War II.