Explorers find WWII wreck on which nearly 1,000 Australians died

World
By William

The Japanese SS Montevideo Maru was sunk by an American submarine in 1942, unaware that there were over 1,000 prisoners of war on board.

Deep-sea explorers said they have located the wreck of a World War II Japanese transport ship, the SS Montevideo Maru.

The ship was sunk on July 1, 1942, en route from what is now Papua New Guinea to Hainan, China, by an American submarine whose crew failed to realize that the ship was carrying prisoners of war. The wreck’s location had remained a mystery for over 80 years.

The ship was found at a depth of more than 4 km, the maritime archeology group Silentworld Foundation, which organized the mission, said Saturday.

The sinking of the Montevideo Maru was Australia’s worst maritime disaster, killing an estimated 979 Australian civilians, including at least 850 soldiers. Citizens from 13 other countries were also on board, according to the foundation, bringing the total number of prisoners killed to about 1,060.

“The resting place of the lost souls of the Montevideo Maru has finally been found,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a tweet.

“Among the 1,060 prisoners on board were 850 Australian servicemen – their lives cut short,” he said.

“The extraordinary effort behind this discovery speaks for the enduring truth of Australia’s solemn national pledge to always remember and honor those who have served our country,” he added.

“We hope today’s news brings some comfort to loved ones who have been watching for a long time.”

The much-anticipated find comes ahead of April 25 commemorations for Anzac Day, an important day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand for their troops killed in all military conflicts.

“This brings to an end one of the most tragic chapters in Australia’s maritime history,” Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said in a video message.

“The lack of a location of the Montevideo Maru was an unfinished business for the families of those who lost their lives so far,” said Marles.

Explorers began searching for the wreck in the South China Sea, northwest of the Philippines’ main island, Luzon, on April 6 and made a positive sighting just 12 days later, using high-tech equipment, including an autonomous underwater vehicle with sonar.

“The discovery of the Montevideo Maru closes a terrible chapter in Australian military and naval history,” said John Mullen, director of the Silentworld Foundation, which conducted the hunt with Dutch deep-sea research agency Fugro with help from the Australian military.

“We’re looking at the graves of over 1,000 people,” he told Australia’s ABC News Breakfast.

“We lost almost twice as much [Australians] like in the entire Vietnam War, so it’s extremely important for families and descendants,” he said.

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