Suddahib Wreck - also known as Harddeep
The wreck of the steamship Suddhadib (aka. the Hardeep wreck) is arguably one of the most exciting dive sites around Pattaya.
Bombed and sunk in an aerial attack on June 1st, 1945, the Suddhadib now lies on her starboard side at a depth of 25-30m, north of the island Ko Chuang. The 2 large cargo holes as well as the boiler room located in the center of the ship are all easily penetrable and the cabins at the bow and stern offer grounds for exploration to more experienced wreck divers.
Once considered a “mystery shipwreck,” The S.S. Suddhadib – better known to divers today as The Hardeep – has become not only the Pattaya area’s most-storied dive sites, but one of the best-documented as well.
Privately-built, but appropriated by the Thai government in 1940 to supply oil for the Japanese during World War II effort, the Hardeep was sunk June 1, 1945 off Koh Chuang in Samae San Bay by a British Royal Air Force Squadron of Australian, Canadian and British pilots. Five bombs targeted the ship and the only one to hit – on the bow – caused a fire and led to its sinking. No one was killed and some of the bombs that missed can still be found at the site today.
Decades later, the forgotten page in Thai military history began a new chapter as a popular dive site for scuba divers. The ship lies on its starboard side with a maximum depth of 26 m. and the top of the wreck at 16 m. Two 1,000 lb. unexploded bombs lie nearby.
The sometimes vicious currents, time, divers and fishermen have all taken their toll on the wreck, especially since the turn of the century. What even in 2003 was a confined penetration dive with tricky cross beams to navigate has deteriorated into an easier swim-through with the coral-encrusted hull now resembling a cavern more than an ocean-going vessel.
The wreck’s demise began with careless dive boat operators who anchored on the hull itself, pulling off a bit of the ship each time they pulled anchor. The first mooring lines installed spared the Hardeep anchor damage, but created a new problem: The force of dive boats pulling on the lines tore away parts of the hull. The real damage came in 2007, however, when Thai fishermen illegally dynamite fishing blew a hole in the hull that allowed the savage currents to attack the wreck’s interior.
Yet even with all that, the Hardeep remains one of Pattaya’s best dives and a site replete with coral and marine life. You can find jacks, trevellys, butterfly fish, angel fish, queen fish, large wrasse, juvenile barracuda, rays, giant grouper, giant starry puffer fish and even a local turtle.
The openness of the wreck’s interior means there’s plenty of natural light, but a torch is still recommended to see the small creatures hiding in the darker crevices of the Hardeep.
As for the wreck itself, the large steam engine has been removed through a purpose-cut hole in the side, making access to the engine room easy. Remains of the funnel and chain-winch capstans lie on the seabed nearby. The large brass propeller long ago was taken by salvagers and the cargo is long gone, although divers even in recent years have found the odd bowl or knife. You can still find, however, large lumps of coal remaining in the engine room with three enormous boilers and an intact crank shaft.
Due to the unstable nature of the superstructure these days, however, entering the engine room is only recommended for very experienced divers. Elsewhere, there are large, open cargo holds that are more accessible to newer divers.
The Hardeep’s use today is a long way from what the Danish owner of Siam Steamship Co. imagined when he commission the building of the Suddhadib in 1918 by the Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co. The 68 m. vessel was named for the favorite and most-beautiful daughter of King Rama V, who attended its blessing ceremony and presented a silver model of the ship in 1919. It then ferried cargo and passengers around Southeast Asia until taken by the government and reregistered to the government-owned Thai Navigation Co.
While Thailand was officially neutral in World War II, it unofficially acquiesced to Japanese demands in exchange for retaining its sovereignty. The Suddhadib was dispatched to Singapore to collect fuel supplies for Tokyo, but couldn’t make it back to Bangkok due to the Allies’ mining of the Chao Praya River.
In May 1945, the ship was sent instead to the Sattahip Naval Base, which was hit by an RAF bombing raid. The Suddhadib was undamaged and ordered away from the protected base along with seven other vessels to Koh Chuang where they were easily targeted again by RAF bombers. Another damaged ship also sank (elsewhere) and the other six were damaged as well.
Eager to save face with the West after the war, Thailand quickly buried its ignominious role in the war and the story of the Suddadib with it. It took a handful of local dive enthusiasts to unearth the history and preserve what is left of the Hardeep wreck.
The Hardeep is dived on by several diveshops and some diveshops even have permanent boats in Sattahip to conduct trips to there.The wreck also isa prime training ground for the PADI Wreck Diver course for recreational divers and the Technical Wreck course from TDI and ANDI for technical divers.
S.S. Suddhadib (Hardeep) Facts and Specifications
source:
Pattaya-scuba.net
Pattaya Adventure Divers
former Pattaya Diveshop - author BJ
Thailand Wreck Diver
Bombed and sunk in an aerial attack on June 1st, 1945, the Suddhadib now lies on her starboard side at a depth of 25-30m, north of the island Ko Chuang. The 2 large cargo holes as well as the boiler room located in the center of the ship are all easily penetrable and the cabins at the bow and stern offer grounds for exploration to more experienced wreck divers.
Once considered a “mystery shipwreck,” The S.S. Suddhadib – better known to divers today as The Hardeep – has become not only the Pattaya area’s most-storied dive sites, but one of the best-documented as well.
Privately-built, but appropriated by the Thai government in 1940 to supply oil for the Japanese during World War II effort, the Hardeep was sunk June 1, 1945 off Koh Chuang in Samae San Bay by a British Royal Air Force Squadron of Australian, Canadian and British pilots. Five bombs targeted the ship and the only one to hit – on the bow – caused a fire and led to its sinking. No one was killed and some of the bombs that missed can still be found at the site today.
Decades later, the forgotten page in Thai military history began a new chapter as a popular dive site for scuba divers. The ship lies on its starboard side with a maximum depth of 26 m. and the top of the wreck at 16 m. Two 1,000 lb. unexploded bombs lie nearby.
The sometimes vicious currents, time, divers and fishermen have all taken their toll on the wreck, especially since the turn of the century. What even in 2003 was a confined penetration dive with tricky cross beams to navigate has deteriorated into an easier swim-through with the coral-encrusted hull now resembling a cavern more than an ocean-going vessel.
The wreck’s demise began with careless dive boat operators who anchored on the hull itself, pulling off a bit of the ship each time they pulled anchor. The first mooring lines installed spared the Hardeep anchor damage, but created a new problem: The force of dive boats pulling on the lines tore away parts of the hull. The real damage came in 2007, however, when Thai fishermen illegally dynamite fishing blew a hole in the hull that allowed the savage currents to attack the wreck’s interior.
Yet even with all that, the Hardeep remains one of Pattaya’s best dives and a site replete with coral and marine life. You can find jacks, trevellys, butterfly fish, angel fish, queen fish, large wrasse, juvenile barracuda, rays, giant grouper, giant starry puffer fish and even a local turtle.
The openness of the wreck’s interior means there’s plenty of natural light, but a torch is still recommended to see the small creatures hiding in the darker crevices of the Hardeep.
As for the wreck itself, the large steam engine has been removed through a purpose-cut hole in the side, making access to the engine room easy. Remains of the funnel and chain-winch capstans lie on the seabed nearby. The large brass propeller long ago was taken by salvagers and the cargo is long gone, although divers even in recent years have found the odd bowl or knife. You can still find, however, large lumps of coal remaining in the engine room with three enormous boilers and an intact crank shaft.
Due to the unstable nature of the superstructure these days, however, entering the engine room is only recommended for very experienced divers. Elsewhere, there are large, open cargo holds that are more accessible to newer divers.
The Hardeep’s use today is a long way from what the Danish owner of Siam Steamship Co. imagined when he commission the building of the Suddhadib in 1918 by the Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co. The 68 m. vessel was named for the favorite and most-beautiful daughter of King Rama V, who attended its blessing ceremony and presented a silver model of the ship in 1919. It then ferried cargo and passengers around Southeast Asia until taken by the government and reregistered to the government-owned Thai Navigation Co.
While Thailand was officially neutral in World War II, it unofficially acquiesced to Japanese demands in exchange for retaining its sovereignty. The Suddhadib was dispatched to Singapore to collect fuel supplies for Tokyo, but couldn’t make it back to Bangkok due to the Allies’ mining of the Chao Praya River.
In May 1945, the ship was sent instead to the Sattahip Naval Base, which was hit by an RAF bombing raid. The Suddhadib was undamaged and ordered away from the protected base along with seven other vessels to Koh Chuang where they were easily targeted again by RAF bombers. Another damaged ship also sank (elsewhere) and the other six were damaged as well.
Eager to save face with the West after the war, Thailand quickly buried its ignominious role in the war and the story of the Suddadib with it. It took a handful of local dive enthusiasts to unearth the history and preserve what is left of the Hardeep wreck.
The Hardeep is dived on by several diveshops and some diveshops even have permanent boats in Sattahip to conduct trips to there.The wreck also isa prime training ground for the PADI Wreck Diver course for recreational divers and the Technical Wreck course from TDI and ANDI for technical divers.
S.S. Suddhadib (Hardeep) Facts and Specifications
- Laid down: Date unknown at Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co., K. Farsdao, chief engineer
- Launched: 1919
- Commissioned: S.S. Suddhadib, 1919. Operated by Siam Steamship Co, part of East Asiatic Co.
- During World War II: Appropriated by Thai government in 1940, assigned to government-owned Thai Navigation Co.
- Final Disposition: Sunk in RAF bombing attack on Samae San Bay, June 1, 1945
- Displacement: 802.97 t. (light)
- Length: 68.11 m.
- Beam: 10.84 m.
- Propulsion: Three 105.5 horsepower cylinder steam engines
source:
Pattaya-scuba.net
Pattaya Adventure Divers
former Pattaya Diveshop - author BJ
Thailand Wreck Diver