Low base metal, a material produced before the construction of the nuclear bomb in the 1940s, was prized for medical and scientific purposes. Explicit constraints mean that low base metal cannot be made. The material must be obtained from existing items and scavengers have a controversial and illegal time to obtain it. Recently. a Chinese vessel was arrested for allegedly salvaging metal from World War II era British shipwreck designated as war grave.
BBC News reported The Malaysian Coast Guard has detained the Chinese aircraft carrier Chuan Hong 68. According to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, authorities found shells from HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse on board. British Royal Navy ships were sunk in battle with the Imperial Japanese Navy off the coast of Malaysia in the South China Sea in December 1941, just three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The skirmish and shipwreck killed 842 sailors.
The Chuan Hong 68 has been operating in Malaysian waters for the past year under a license to salvage a Chinese vessel. However, Prince of Wales and Repulse have been the target of scrap dealers over the past decade. Local fishermen have alerted authorities to activity around war graves. British Ministry of Defense Spokesperson told BBC“Once we have evidence of desecration of the Royal Navy wreck, we will take appropriate action, including working with governments and partners in the region to prevent inappropriate activity at those locations.”
The value of low-base metals has declined as background nuclear radiation has steadily declined to near-natural levels in the decades since the end of large-scale nuclear weapons testing. However, the added value is worth the risk many people take.
