Yes, dive watches were used in the bell recovery.

[chris]

So it is on topic. Just thought I'd share.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... =bookmarks

[snootydog]

Any other way to get to that story other than through Facebook Chris?

[Chocodove]

I can't read it either.

[cdnwatchguy]

Link isn't working

[gwells]

it may be on a closed facebook group.

[chris]

Sorry guys. Let me see if I can do this again. I'm new to facebook (and so far hate it).

chris

[tattoo chef]

75 years ago next month my father's destroyer went to the bottom of the sea off Malta with the loss of 13 lives. Last week, a group of extraordinary men raised her bell, the first time a bell has ever been raised from a Polish warship sunk during war. If it wasn't for the fact that Peter Wytykowski and I met during the M.A.S.T. spring workshop in 2014, this whole project would've never happened. Peter, from the beginning, has been the driving force behind the expedition to first find the ship and then raise her bell.

Special thanks to all those who made this happen: Gianmichele Iaria, Dave Gration, Steve Wilkinson, Kari Hyttinen, prof. Chris Rowland, Paul Vincent Toomer, Robert Forace, John Wood, Arthur Castillo, Kevin J Vella, MarkJulie Sharky Alexander, Mark Jones'y Jones, Sabatino Bianco, Krzysztof Korszewski, Roman Zajder, Peter Wytykowski, and the Amazing Dr. Timmy Gambin.

I'd also like to thank my father who told me his stories and instilled in me a love of the sea. I know he'd be proud that the story of the Kujawiak has been memorialized.

Most importantly, I'd like to thank my wife Laurie, who has always encouraged me to follow my dreams and supported me in everything I've done.

























Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[snootydog]

Interesting story, thanks.

[jeckyll]

Cool.

Wish it had a bit more info about the dives themselves, depth, conditions, multiple required for recovery? Use of support divers?

[River Rat]

Cool story I had to look up the history of this ship.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORP_Kujawiak_(L72)

[chris]

The depth to the sea floor at the wreck site is approximately 100m. All divers who went to the wreck were using rebreathers. (AP, Megalodon, JJ, etc.) Dive time on the wreck was between 20 and 30 minutes. Decompression time was from about 120 - 160 minutes. Divers carried 3 bailout cylinders each. In order to remove the bell from the solid iron mount at first a pneumatic rotary saw powered by cylinders was used. This proved unsuccessful as the run time at that depth was only 1 or 2 minutes. Divers later switched to store bought hack-saws and took turns in teams so as not to tire too quickly. After the third dive the bell was freed, attached to lift bags with rope, and sent up the shot line attached by a carabiner. When the bell reached the surface it was unclipped from the shot line and lifted onto the boat using an electric winch powered lift. Support divers included me and two others.

The bell is at the University of Malta where it is being conserved and will eventually be displayed in the Malta Maritime Museum.

Hope this helps.

Chris

[toxicavenger]

So Chris you helped put this together?

[chris]

...NE Ohio. At our 2014 spring workshop I met Peter (the guy holding the bell in the 1st picture) and told him about the loss of my dad's ship during Operation Harpoon in 1942. He set about finding it and in September 2014 the ship was located. In 2015 and 2016 the team went back and did multiple dives. This year we retrieved the bell and also completed a full video imaging of the wreck to allow 3D rendering.

Next summer we're off to look for the grand prize of WWII Polish navy undiscovered wrecks.

Chris

[toxicavenger]

...NE Ohio. At our 2014 spring workshop I met Peter (the guy holding the bell in the 1st picture) and told him about the loss of my dad's ship during Operation Harpoon in 1942. He set about finding it and in September 2014 the ship was located. In 2015 and 2016 the team went back and did multiple dives. This year we retrieved the bell and also completed a full video imaging of the wreck to allow 3D rendering.

Next summer we're off to look for the grand prize of WWII Polish navy undiscovered wrecks.

Chris

Super cool!