World War II shipwreck discovered with more than 1,000 victims on board

2023-04-22 11:52:22

It took eight decades for the mystery to be solved. The wreckage of a torpedoed Japanese ship during World War II, the Montevideo Maru, was found off the Philippines. The ship sank while carrying more than 1,000 people on board, mostly Australian prisoners. The event is considered one of the greatest maritime tragedies in Australian history.

The wreck was located on Tuesday April 18 at a depth of more than 4,000 meters in the South China Sea and 110 km off the Philippine island of Luzon, the company announced on Saturday April 22. Silentworld Foundation, an underwater archeology society. The discovery came after twelve days of research using an underwater drone equipped with sonar. More than five years were needed to develop this mission.

Sunk by an American submarine

The freighter had been sunk on July 1, 1942 by the American submarine USS Sturgeonwhose crew was unaware that it was ferrying Allied prisoners of war to the Chinese island of Hainan, occupied by the Japanese army. “We believe it was hit by two torpedoesexplained Captain Roger Turner, technical director of the expedition. The first caused it to sink, the second blew up part of the accommodation”.

The ship split into two parts, with the bow and stern lying about 500 meters apart on the seabed, he said. There Silentworld Foundation clarified that the wreckage of the Montevideo Maru wouldn’t be bothered. No object or human remains will be removed, out of respect for the families of the victims.

Comfort for loved ones

“The resting place of the lost souls of the Montevideo Maru has finally been foundresponded Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a statement posted on social media. We hope today’s news brings some comfort to loved ones who have waited so long.”.

“The discovery of the Montevideo Maru closes a terrible chapter in Australia’s military and maritime historysaid John Mullen, director of Silentworld. Families waited for years for news of their missing loved ones before learning of the tragic outcome of the sinking. Some have never fully accepted that their loved ones are among the victims”.

Nationals of several other countries are among the victims of the sinking: Japan, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, the Sweden and the United States.