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SRI LANKA NEWS (JULY  2024) Compiled by Victor Melder In a remarkable dive that highlighted historical reverence, the Diving Unit of the Sri Lanka Navy on 30th June 2024 explored the sunken remains of HMS Hermes, a fascinating and historic World War II shipwreck off Batticaloa. The event, which took place in the eastern seas, was joined by the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera and former Commander of the Navy, Admiral Piyal De Silva (Retd). During the World War II, HMS Hermes was targeted and ultimately sunk by Japanese aircraft. During the Second World War, following the Japanese bombing of Colombo on 05th April 1942, the Royal Navy’s HMS Hermes and HMAS Vampire, stationed in the South Sea area of Trincomalee, were sunk by aerial attacks on 09th April 1942. Under the directives of Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, a seasoned diving expert, the Navy Diving Unit conducted ...