R.M.S. Tilawa
The last journey
R.M.S. Tilawa
The valuable cargo
R.M.S. Tilawa
The attack
The Tilawa was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-29 north west of the Maldive Islands and sank in very deep water with a considerable loss of life. Survivors were rescued by HMS Birmingham.
H.M.S. Birmingham
R.M.S. Tilawa
The search
DOS went to look for the wreck of Tilawa in 2014. The search site was some 800 miles from land and it was expected that the seafloor in the area would be difficult. In fact, it was chaotic, with large rocky outcrops interspersed with abyssal plain. The water depth was in excess of 4,000 meters.
THE SEARCH
Spotted by MAKiX
R.M.S Tilawa
Confirming the find
CONFIRMING THE FIND
R.M.S Tilawa
The Recovery Operation
DOS undertook the salvage operation in 2017 from the vessel Seabed Worker
R.M.S. Tilawa
Finding the Cargo
FINDING THE CARGO
There were two spaces locations in the ship which were of immediate interest and which would be relatively easy to access as possible storage sites. These were, the mail room and the specie room. Both were empty… Given the great daily expense associated with keeping a large ship such as the Seabed Worker at sea, with the additional costs of marine and technical crews, fuel etc., the next steps to try to locate the cargo had to carefuly weighed. After a detailed review of the many other spaces within this very largee ship into which the bullion could possibly have been stored, DOS management decided to open up a possible area located deep within the wreck; the Opium Rooms.
THE SALVAGE
R.M.S. Tilawa
The Salvage
The silver could now be recovered by the ROVs, bar by bar. All 2,364.
R.M.S. Tilawa
Cargo reception, cleaning, tally
DOS crew sitting on 18 tons of silver
