On June 7, 1945, the Salute was doing pre-invasion sweeps for landings at Bruneir Bay in Borneo. The next day, the ship struck a Japanese mine and buckled amidships and both the bow and stern began to sink. Two landing craft attempted to salvage attempted to keep the Salute afloat but were unable to control the flooding and the ship sank. Nine sailors died, but the rest of the crew survived.
It is at 5'8'North 115'5' E in 30 meters of water and it is a popular and challenging dive site. Many munitions are still aboard and nearby the wreck. The Malaysian Navy recently removed unexploded depth charges.
The nine sailors who lost their lives are listed on a plaque attached to the wreck by a local diving group:
Edward Banach
William Brown
Kaley Crotwell
David Lowry
Roy Ojalla
Ralph Shafer
Carl Swanson
Willard Turley
Douglas Van Dreese
And, There Is Another World War II Wreck Near the Salute. --Cooter
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