2023-04-22 12:51:34
More than 80 years ago, during World War II, a Japanese ship with around 1,000 people on board was sunk. Most of the victims came from Australia. The ship has now been located.
More than 80 years ago, the “Montevideo Maru” was sunk by an American submarine with more than 1000 people on board – now the Japanese transport ship has been located at a depth of more than 4000 meters off the Philippine coast. The search began on April 6 in the South China Sea, and the wreck was discovered twelve days later – using the latest technology, including an autonomous underwater vehicle with sonar, said the Australian organization Silentworld Foundation involved in the search on Saturday. The mission was led by Australian and Dutch specialists in archaeology, history and deep sea surveying, supported by the Australian Ministry of Defence.
The ship was hit by torpedoes from the submarine “USS Sturgeon” on July 1, 1942 – and has since disappeared. On board were around 1,060 prisoners of war and civilians aged 15 to 60 who had been captured by the Japanese a few months earlier when the city of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea fell. Around 980 Australians died in the disaster, making it the worst in Australian maritime history. Among the victims were people from 14 other nations. The crew of the submarine did not know that there were prisoners of war and civilians on board.
The mission was planned for almost five years, including by the non-profit organization Silentworld Foundation in Sydney. Her director, John Mullen, said: “The discovery of the Montevideo Maru closes a terrifying chapter in Australian military and naval history.” Families have been waiting for news of their missing loved ones for years.
“Today, we hope that by finding the ship, we can help the many families affected by this terrible disaster,” Mullen said. The wreck of the “Montevideo Maru”, which lies deeper than that of the “Titanic”, will not be touched, his organization said. “No artifacts or human remains will be removed. Out of respect for the families of the victims on board, the location is being recorded for research purposes.”
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