Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage 2011

Contexts of War and Conflict in Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage Research and Management

Paper Title

Expedient Field Modifications of a WWII Amphibious Landing Craft in Saipan

Paper Abstract

The June 1944 U.S. invasion of Saipan was the largest amphibious invasion in the Pacific up to that time. Specialized craft constructed specifically for this invasion were utilized in order to deliver American forces, across the fringing reefs and lagoons, to shore with relative safety. Although these amphibious craft, known as Landing Vehicles Tracked (LVTs), were designed for this particular incursion, the troops operating these vehicles found it necessary to modify their vessels to better suit anticipated combat needs. Modifications of this sort have been termed field expedient armor modifications (Boal, 2006). Field expedient armor modifications to LVTs have influenced future production designs since the launch of the first model and can be traced through archaeological and historical records. These modifications are demonstrated in the LVT (A)-4 archaeologically recorded in Saipan and are testament to the ingenuity and survival instincts of the crews that operated these machines.

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Paper Title

Abandonment Issues: An Assessment of Military Discard Trends Derived from Australasia’s Torpedo Boat Defences, 1884-1924

Paper Abstract

Between 1884 and 1924, a total of fourteen torpedo boats served in the naval defence of Australia and New Zealand. Australasia’s colonial governments purchased these vessels as a consequence of fears of seaborne invasion by Imperial Russia and other foreign powers. Although New Zealand’s torpedo boats were decommissioned by 1900, the Australian examples remained in active service up to and beyond consolidation of the colonial naval forces into a national navy in 1911. All were eventually put up for sale, but failed to find buyers and were ultimately abandoned. Archaeological investigation of four of these abandonment sites has revealed discard attributes distinctly different from documented disposal trends associated with contemporary commercial watercraft, and even other Australasian naval vessels of the period. This paper will highlight these unique discard trends, and explore tentative explanations for their presence through the filter of site formation process.

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Paper Title

Understanding the Bach Dang Battlefield from recent research results

Paper Abstract

The Mongols created the world’s most powerful empire in the thirteenth century, conquering China and establishing the Yuan dynasty. Their military power was in doubt, however, after failed naval invasions in Japan and Vietnam. According to historical records, the Vietnamese tactics used against the Mongolian Armada were designed to prevent them from reaching the mouth of Bach Dang River by using hidden stakes that were driven into the riverbed in secrecy. Using the large difference in tides, the Vietnamese successfully lured the enemy fleet into the trap, destroying or capturing perhaps as many as 400 vessels. Since the 1950s, approximately 700 years after this watershed event, Vietnamese archaeologists have discovered a number of large wooden stakes in the midst of reclaimed paddy fields along the Bach Dang River. Excavations and research were conducted which led to the identification of several stake-yard sites believed to be dated to the battle that took place in 1281 C.E., however, no remains of ships have been identified to date.

In 2009, a group of scholars from the Institute of Archaeology at Hanoi, the Institute of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University, and the Maritime Archaeology Program at Flinders University joined the archaeological investigations of these stake-yard sites with a focus on studying the battle strategy used by the Vietnamese and identifying ship remains from the battle. This joint paper will present an intermediate result of this international cooperative project in maritime archaeology in Vietnam at the naval battle site related to the thirteenth century Mongolian invasion of the country. The team has identified several new areas of concentrated stakes and the distribution pattern may lead to better understanding of the battle and the possible location of shipwreck sites.

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Paper Title

The Archaeological Investigation of “Kamikaze” – The Mongol Invasion of Japan

Paper Abstract

The historical event that produced the term “Kamikaze,” the Mongol Invasion of Japan led by Kubilai Khan in 1281 C.E., was shrouded in mystery until a chance discovery off Takashima Island in Japan revealed the remains of the fleet. It is said that more than three-thousand Chinese and Korean ships met catastrophic failure as a result of the powerful storm. Scholars have asked why such a large number of ships perished; their answers range from the effects of a typhoon to ill-prepared ships to the skills of brave Samurai. Despite their efforts in conducting detailed research, no conclusion has been reached due to the lack of substantial evidence. The archaeological remains discovered at Takashima underwater site may change how we view this significant battle that changed the history. Based on his own research, the author discusses various reasons why the invasion may have failed and whether the analysis of archaeological remains can add new evidence for understanding the fate of Kahn’s fleet. In particular, the author focuses on the construction and outfitting of the vessels used for the invasion.

Ships are arguably the most complex “artifacts” that humans have created and thus reflect the environment, society, and people that were involved in building the vessel. Furthermore, ships were the essential component for the invasion of Japan. Anchors, degraded timbers, possible repairs, artifacts such as personal effects and weaponry, as well as timber species analysis and the study of fleet organization all tell a story about what took place in the past. Close examination of information from Takashima sheds new light on the cause of the largest naval disaster in the pre-modern era.

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Paper Title

Abandoned Vessels: Investigation of WW II Wrecks in Palau

Paper Abstract

Over forty Japanese vessels were sunk in the water of Palau during WW II. Some wrecks that sank in the shallow water not deeper than 20 meters have been removed by salvage companies after the war. Other wrecks situated in a depth of over 30 meters still remain and are legally protected by the authority of the Palau Government, but some of them have been threatened by illegal treasure hunters. First in 2005, I carried out underwater investigation of sunken WW II vessels in Palau as an archaeological advisor with the Japanese Government team in search of the human remains of Japanese soldiers. In 2010 and 2011, I conducted investigation of the WW II vessels again, together with on-shore research on sites and features associated with Japanese occupation period, funded by the Takanashi Foundation for Arts and Archaeology (Japan).

The research revealed that the most of the vessels sunk in Palau were not genuine military vessels of Japanese Imperial Navy or Army but converted vessels originally built for non-combat purposes. These vessels were slow in speed and not well-equipped for combat activity. Most of them were destroyed by American aerial bombing on March 30^th in 1944, in the meanwhile the main force of the Japanese Combined Fleet including flagship Musashi retreated from Palau in the evening of March 29^th. It is clear that the vessels left in Palau were abandoned as a “third wheel” of the Combined Fleet. These abandoned converted vessels include cargo carriers, tankers, whaling boat sand even fishing boast. This implies difficult and desperate campaign of Japanese troops at that time.

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Paper Title

Inclusion and Negotiation: Interpreting Underwater Battlefield Sites for the Public

Paper Abstract

The development of a WWII underwater heritage trail focussing on the Battle of Saipan has recently been undertaken in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on Saipan. This WWII heritage trail was formulated out of the interest of the local Historic Preservation Office’s (HPO) desire to protect and interpret its underwater cultural heritage. Through a U.S. National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program grant in collaboration with a non-profit organisation and university program this trail was developed during 2009-2010 and “launched” in 2011.

The development of a heritage trail that interprets such a confronting, painful and tragic event for multiple culture groups is a difficult task. A balanced approach of interpreting battlefield heritage can only be achieved through the identification and inclusion of the various stakeholders and an awareness of what is being included, ignored or inadequately represented in the interpretation. Listening to the multiple stakeholder’s views about the significance of such sites and incorporating those into interpretive and management practices is key to an inclusive and shared interpretation of heritage. Further, an awareness and acknowledgment of the social and political context in which one is working is fundamental to understanding how practitioners negotiate the process of interpretation. As Logan and Reeves (2009:13) have communicated so well, “Heritage conservation is a form of cultural politics; it is about the links between ideology, public policy, national and commun ity identity formation, and celebration, just as much as it is about technical issues relating to restoration and adaptive re-use techniques.”

This paper provides an in-depth discussion on the process of developing a battlefield heritage trail. It will explore the theory and practice, the pitfalls and highlights, and the problems and solutions of interpreting and managing a battlefield site.

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