The quality of the steel in old vessels is much desired for its scrap value which is why Chinese salvage ships have been illegally plundering WW2 wrecks including those designated as war graves.
Perhaps the 'plan' is to recover the vessel intact for reuse although the cynic in me says that could reveal the cause of sinking. Alternatively, if to recover for scrap value it can be dismantled where it lies piece by piece.