Sydney-
A team of explorers announce that they found a sunken Japanese ship carrying Allied prisoners when it was torpedoed off the Philippines in 1942, resulting in Australia’s largest naval loss in wartime, with 1,080 lives total.
The wreck of the Montevideo Maru was found after 12 days of searching at a depth of more than 4,000 meters (13,120 feet) – deeper than the Titanic – off Luzon Island in the South China Sea, using an autonomous underwater vehicle with in-sonar. .
There will be no effort to remove any artifacts or human remains out of respect for the families of those who have died, a statement issued by Silentworld, a Sydney-based non-profit organization dedicated to archeology and maritime history. He took part in the mission together with Dutch deep-sea survey specialists Fugro and the Australian Ministry of Defence.
“The extraordinary effort behind this discovery speaks to the enduring truth of Australia’s solemn national pledge to remember and honor those who have served our country,” said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “It is heart and soul lest we forget. »
The Montevideo Maru carried prisoners and civilians captured after the fall of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea. The navire didn’t pas marqué as transporter of prisonniers of guerre and the 1st of juillet 1942, the sous-marin american sturgeon, apres avoir poursuivi the navire toute the night, a tire quatre torpilles, trouvé leur cible and coule the navire in the months of de 10 minutes.
Among the dead were 1,080 people from 14 countries, including 979 Australians.
“Families waited years for news of their missing loved ones before learning of the tragic outcome of the drowning,” said John Mullen, director of Silentworld. “Some have never accepted that their loved ones are among the victims. Today, by finding the ark, we hope to put an end to the many families devastated by this terrible disaster.”
