US-sunk WWII ship on which nearly 1,000 Australians died found

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
22 Apr 2023 09:23
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The ship -- sunk on July 1, 1942, by a US submarine -- was found at a depth of more than four kilometers (2.5 miles).

The wreck of a World War II Japanese transport ship, the Montevideo Maru (Social media)

Deep-sea explorers announced on Saturday that they had located the wreck of a World War II Japanese transport ship, the Montevideo Maru, which was torpedoed off the Philippines killing nearly 1,000 Australians aboard.

The ship -- sunk on July 1, 1942, by a US submarine -- was found at a depth of more than four kilometers (2.5 miles), indicated the maritime archaeology group Silentworld Foundation, which organized the mission.

The sinking of the Montevideo Maru was Australia's worst-ever maritime disaster, killing an estimated 979 Australians, including at least 850 troops.

Civilians from 13 other countries were also aboard, the foundation said, bringing the total number of prisoners of war killed to about 1,060.

They had been captured a few months earlier by Japanese forces in the fall of the coastal township of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea.

"At long last, the resting place of the lost souls of the Montevideo Maru has been found," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed.

"Among the 1,060 prisoners on board were 850 Australian service members –- their lives cut short," Albanese said on social media.

At long last, the resting place of the lost souls of the Montevideo Maru has been found.

Among the 1,060 prisoners on board were 850 Australian service members – their lives cut short.

We hope today’s news brings a measure of comfort to loved ones who have kept a long vigil. pic.twitter.com/husOu6peUL
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) April 21, 2023

After five years of planning, explorers began searching for the wreck on April 6 in the South China Sea northwest of the Philippines' main island of Luzon.

They made a positive sighting just 12 days later using high-tech equipment, including an autonomous underwater vehicle equipped with sonar.

The foundation noted that the wreckage will remain undisturbed on the seabed, where it lies at a greater depth than the Titanic, out of respect for the families of those who perished. No artifacts or human remains are to be removed.

'Terrible chapter'

"The discovery of the Montevideo Maru closes a terrible chapter in Australian military and maritime history," said John Mullen, director of Silentworld, which conducted the hunt with Dutch deep sea survey firm Fugro along with help from the Australian military.

Australia's chief of army, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, considered that finding the wreck had ended 81 years of uncertainty.

"A loss like this reaches down through the decades and reminds us all of the human cost of conflict," Stuart said.

The discovery of the shipwreck of the SS Montevideo Maru is remarkable.
Today we remember the loss of these Australians and all those aboard who came from many nations.
I hope this brings some closure to the families of the more than 900 Australians who perished onboard. pic.twitter.com/xEcPzFRTgy
— LTGEN Simon Stuart (@ChiefAusArmy) April 22, 2023

Others who were killed aboard the Montevideo Maru included 33 crew from the Norwegian freighter the Herstein and about 20 Japanese guards and crew, the foundation noted.