Mr. Kevin V. Denlay (International Fellow - 1998, Australian) Areas of Interest: Wreck & Cave Diver & u/w Photographer. Wreck discovery, exploration & documentation. Brief Bio: Kevin has been involved in deep shipwreck exploration since his 1995 participation in the very first scuba dives on the USS Atlanta, sunk in 130m off Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Since then Kevin has been actively engaged in diving and exploring countless shipwrecks around the world in such diverse locations and environments as Australia, Bikini Atoll, Baltic Sea, Java Sea, Malacca Strait, Papua New Guinea, Red Sea, Solomon Islands, South China Sea and the USA. During that time he has been involved in numerous ‘virgin’ wreck discoveries and participated in the very first dives on such historically significant WW11 warships as Hr Ms De Ruyter, Hr Ms Java, Hr Ms Kortenaer, HMS Electra (all lost during the Battle of the Java Sea, Feb. 27th, 1942), USS Perch (lost Java Sea 1942), HIJMS Itsukushima (lost Java Sea 1944), HIJMS Kuma (lost Malacca Strait 1944) and numerous cargo ships and/or ‘marus’ from that same turbulent period in several of the above locations. Kevin also made it a point to extensively explore and document the wreck of the legendary Japanese heavy cruiser HIJMS Haguro - sunk in the Malacca Strait in the last major ship to ship engagement of WW11 - making numerous return visits during 2003, 2004 and 2005. More recently, in May 2007, he participated in what is considered to have been the most extensive torpedo damage survey to date on the hulls of the British battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser HMS Repulse, sunk off the east coast of Malaysia in 1941. Closer to his home in Australia, during 2000, he was involved in the discovery of and first dives on the wreck of the SS Keilawarra, sunk in controversial circumstances in the late 1800's north of Coffs Harbour, NSW. In October 2005 he also participated in the discovery of a mid 19th century copper sheathed wooden sailing vessel off the south east Queensland coast thought to be the brig Missie. Kevin first embraced so-called ‘technical diving’ in 1991 after taking part in what was only the second nitrox diver course taught recreationally in Australia, going on to become a closed circuit rebreather and mixed gas instructor trainer with both the International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers and Technical Diving International. No longer instructing, Kevin now concentrates solely on shipwreck exploration, documenting them with both still photography and videography. Besides writing articles for international magazines on the wrecks he has dived/explored, Kevin shares his images, video footage, survey data and other relevant information with maritime archaeologists, naval historians, WW11 naval veterans and, whenever possible, with the remaining survivors from the ships he has dived. Since February 1999 he has exclusively used a modernised Biomarime Mk 15.5 closed circuit rebreather when diving and currently lives near the Gold Coast in Australia. 2 news pieces from Mr. Kevin V. Denlay: Java Sea Revisited - The HMS Exeter Expedition 2008 (2008-05-03) LEGENDARY BRITISH WW11 WARSHIP DISCOVERED! The discovery of the wreck of the legendary British heavy cruiser HMS Exeter, along with one of her two destroyer escorts, HMS Encounter, can now ‘officially’ be revealed for the first time after a successful multi day / multi dive expedition to the....View Details >> (2008-02-24) EXPEDITION 'JOB 74': Kevin Denlay (FI 98) recently carried Explorers Club Flag #118 on a hull survey expedition entitled Expedition 'Job 74' to the wrecks of the battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser HMS Repulse. Both British ships were sunk, with substantial loss of life, by Japanes....View Details >> 38 photos from Mr. Kevin V. Denlay: The expeditions name ‘Java Sea Revisited – The HMS Exeter Expedition 2008’ and the flags that were 'flown'; an Explorers Club Flag (and logo), and a Royal Navy Ensign (and Exeter’s ‘ships crest’). The background comes from a stamp, part of a ‘set’ issued in Tanzania, depicting the fateful moment HMS Exeter took an 8” shell hit to her boiler room, courtesy of HIJMS Haguro, on the afternoon of February 27th, 1942, during the forlorn Battle of the Java Sea. (Naval ode, author unknown.) © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay Expedition member Kevin Denlay, here with some of his equipment, carried Explorers Club Flag #46 on the expedition. On the left is his Mk15.5 closed circuit rebreather (CCR), in centre is his Nexus/Nikon D200 underwater digital camera system used to capture the photos seen below, and to the right a High Definition video camera system mounted on his Silent Submerge underwater scooter © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay Kevin’s Mk15.5 CCR with its cover off showing the two cylindrical spheres that hold the breathing gas and the large circular ‘scrubber’ device at the top that removes Co2 from the recycled gas in the close circuit breathing loop, out of which stretch the actual breathing hoses. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay An Amphibico Phenom underwater camera housing (with Halcyon HID video lights and Amphibico monitor attached) encasing a Sony High Definition video camera, all mounted on a Silent Submerge N-19 underwater scooter was the weapon of choice for the filming and survey runs © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay Loaded for bear and ready to go! Laden down with both a digital stills camera system and a scooter mounted video system, Kevin waits on the elevator lift on the stern of MV Empress ready to descend. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay Kevin also ‘flys’ a ‘flag’ of the Explorers Club (New York) on his dive mask over his (blind) right eye. Seen here decompressing mid-water using his Mk15.5 closed circuit rebreather (CCR) on his way back ‘topside’ after a long dive filming the wreck, his camera gear and ‘bailout’ cylinder having already been 'handed off' to a surface support diver. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay Tools of the trade. At left a diver stands ready to deploy a side scan sonar ‘tow fish’ while to the right the skipper intently studies a chart of the Java Sea whilst discussing locations with a Javanese fisherman. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay The very first view we had of HMS Exeter after five years of searching for her, with her lost on the seabed for 65 years, as seen on this side scan sonar image. (Image courtesy Vidar Skoglie.) © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay One of the last clear photographs taken of HMS Exeter in ‘fighting trim’, taken two weeks before her demise, as she fights off Japanese aircraft with her anti-aircraft guns, in the vicinity of Bangka Island. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay A chart of the Java Sea showing pertinent exit points and/or where specific naval engagements took place on those fateful days in late February / early March 1942. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay An ‘official’ Japanese chart of the courses steered by all the ships involved in the ‘Exeter’ battle, both Allied and Japanese, up to when HMS Exeter and HMS Encounter were sunk (top right). Strangely, missing from the Japanese course track is HIJMS Inazuma, the destroyer that is credited with administering the ‘coup de grace’ to HMS Exeter. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay A brief history and technical specifications for HMS Exeter. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay HMS Exeter’s insignia or ‘ships crest’. Her motto, ‘Semper Fidelis’ (Always Faithful) © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 1) The 2007 HMS Exeter discovery ‘team’ left to right, Phil Yeutter (Capt. USN retired), Alice Skoglie, Vidar Skoglie and Kevin Denlay with the Royal Navy Ensign Denlay ‘flew’ over the wreck for the first time in 65 years. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 2) The The April 2008 team, with Royal Navy Ensign and Explorers Club flag, left to right, Vidar Skoglie, Alice Skoglie: Back row; Stan Moderate, Dieter Kops, Phil Yeutter, Kevin Denlay. Front row; William McIntosh, Steve Dearnley, John Horsburgh, Jim Gow. Average age of divers (not including Alice) 60 years! Average years diving experience 36 years! Obviously, when experience counts, you can count on experience. (The bottle on the table, supplied by ex RN seaman Stan Moderate, is Pussers Rum, the genuine article as served on Royal Navy ships, and of which we did partake in a 'toast' to honour the fallen.). © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 3) The wreck of HMS Exeter lays on its starboard side, so the side you are ‘looking at’ in this black and white historical image is the side that is now facing upwards. Match the numbered colour photos to the RED number on the black and white historical image of HMS Exeter and you have exactly where the photo was taken. For ease of identification this image best viewed at 200% magnification! This is the last known photo of her prior to the photos of her sinking taken by a Japanese scout plane. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 4) A lone Batfish performs a ‘swim-by’ of the Royal Navy Ensign that the 2008 group left attached to the triple port torpedo tubes on HMS Exeter. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 5) A diver peers into the ‘enclosure’ where the port triple torpedo tubes are mounted on HMS Exeter. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 6) The ‘business end’ of the port triple torpedo tubes on HMS Exeter. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 7) Empty torpedo tubes! Confirmation that the port triple torpedo tubes are empty, as stated by the survivors, having fired them off at the two Japanese heavy cruisers to the north, HIJMS Myoko and HIJMS Ashigara, just prior to sinking. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 8) Two divers, lower right, appearing as they swim up over the deck edge opposite the Royal Navy Ensign, their torch beams like ‘light sabers’ in the gloom. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 9) An open hatchway beneath the aft director station on HMS Exeter. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 10) The coral encrusted remains of the port side eight barreled ‘pom pom’ anti-aircraft gun, situated just forward of the main mast (aft) on HMS Exeter. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 11) The forward port side (P1) twin 4” dual purpose anti-aircraft gun on HMS Exeter, seen from below, points aft at an acute angle and with a very flat trajectory. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 12) The same weapon, the forward port side (P1) twin 4” dual purpose anti-aircraft gun on HMS Exeter, as seen from ‘above’. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 13) The coral encrusted remains of the four barreled anti-aircraft gun situated just abaft the leading edge of the bridge superstructure on the port side on HMS Exeter. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 14) The ‘squarish’ navigation bridge windows, aft port side, almost directly below the gun director atop the open bridge on HMS Exeter. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 15) The ‘squarish’ navigation bridge windows along the port side, almost directly above the hatchway into the lower bridge deck, only slightly forward of the previous image (14) on HMS Exeter. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 16) The partial remains of the ‘wind deflector’ apparatus that ‘encircled’ the forward edges of the open bridge on HMS Exeter. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 17) The port side rangefinder that sits atop the open upper bridge midway forward on HMS Exeter, as seen from ‘below’. Front of bridge is far right. Another identical rangefinder is visible just above the seabed on lower starboard side, but can be not seen in this image. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 18) The port side forward corner of the open upper bridge on HMS Exeter, showing a coral encrusted pane of glass nearest the camera, and two ‘spaces’ where other panes have fallen, or been blown, out. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 19) The same port side corner of the open upper bridge on HMS Exeter, taken from a slightly lower angle, (pane of glass from previous image lower left corner) showing the evident battle damage to the forward port side of the bridge superstructure itself (upper right). © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 20) Another photo of the damaged area port side of bridge superstructure on HMS Exeter, taken from slightly ‘higher’, shows the open upper bridge windows to the left, the battle damaged port side of the bridge centre, and if one looks closely a circular porthole upper right (identifying this helps orientate the next image). © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 21) The same circular porthole from previous image (20) is now almost dead centre in this photo, with a white bathtub evident inside the battle damaged lower bridge at upper centre of this picture on HMS Exeter. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 22) A final image of the Royal Navy Ensign that the 2008 group left ‘flying’ in the ocean currents that sweep over the wreck, in honour of HMS Exeter’s gallant crew and their shipmates who perished and still lay entombed. “They have no grave but the cruel sea. No flowers at their head. A rusting hulk is their tombstone. At rest on the ocean bed.” © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 24) One of two last known photographs of HMS Exeter’s final moments, taken ‘bow on’ from a Japanese scout plane, just moments before the legendary cruiser continued her roll to starboard and sank. Both forward eight inch turrets (A and B - and Y aft for that matter) point at an acute angle off to starboard and ‘sternwards’ and if one looks very closely the rear hatchway to B turret can be seen to be open, a black smudge in the picture. This was actually confirmed to be so by the divers on the wreck. The ‘silvery’ coloured water covering the top half of the photo is an oil slick. A Japanese torpedo appears to have almost severed the bow where the red arrow points (just forward of A turret). © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 25) The legend continues! The current HMS Exeter (D89), a Type 42 Destroyer and a proud veteran of the Falklands War, has more than upheld the traditional Exeter motto, “Semper Fidelis” (Always Faithful). © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay 26) The WW11 destroyer HMS Encounter, captained by the courageous ‘Rattler’ Morgan, fought to the last alongside HMS Exeter, eventually succumbing just several miles away; and still to this day keeps an ever watchful eye over her old consort. © Mr. Kevin V. Denlay Places Visited: Home | News | Gallery | What is ANZEC? | Our Members | Join | Contact | Login | © 2007 'ANZEC' - Last updated May 2007