Is THIS the legendary HMS Triumph? Shipwreck found in Aegean Sea

HMS Triumph, the manned British submarine lost more than 80 years ago, may have finally been located.

A team of Greek researchers led by experienced diver Kostas Thoktaridis discovered the lost submarine in the Aegean Sea at a depth of 203 meters.

The 275-foot ship was operating off the coast of Greece when it disappeared without a trace somewhere in the Aegean Sea in January 1942 under mysterious circumstances.

The bodies of 64 men who were on board at the time – all of the British personnel who had won a combined 36 medals for bravery – are believed to still be in the submarine.

Astonishing new video footage shows the wreck at the bottom of the Aegean Sea, some tens of kilometers off the coast of Cape Sounion.

Thoktaridis, who first heard about the story of HMS Triumph in 1998, called this self-funded mission ‘the most difficult I have ever undertaken in my life’.

He and colleagues found the ship using a remote-controlled vehicle (ROV) with sonar, which uses sound waves to “see” through the water and detect underwater objects.

Equipped with cameras, the ROV then filmed footage of the wreck, capturing details such as the rusted stern, top hatch and manholes.

Although it has been over 80 years since it sank, the wreck of the Triumph is well preserved, albeit covered in barnacles and other marine life.

“The history of the submarine Triumph is multidimensional and unique in naval history, inseparable from the national resistance and secret services that acted in the dark days of the occupation,” said Thoktaridis.

“The wreck site is treated with respect as it is a wet grave of 64 people.”

HMS Triumph rests on the bottom of the open sea with a tilt of 8 degrees to the right, tens of miles offshore.

The exact location is not disclosed due to Greek archeology laws that aim to protect shipwrecks from disturbance.

The remains of HMS Triumph have lowered visors and closed manholes, suggesting the submarine was in a deep dive in its final moments, Thoktaridis said.

In the tower of the submarine, divers also saw the wooden steering wheel, compass and 10 cm long cannon, which is slightly raised.

HMS Triumph, a T-class submarine of the Royal Navy, was built by British engineering firm Vickers in Barrow-in-Furness and launched in 1938.

Triumph had a successful career during the early years of World War II, sinking several enemy ships in the Mediterranean from early 1941.

In December of that year, the submarine was ordered to land a group of British agents on the Greek island of Antiparos.

Although the mission was successful, HMS Triumph was supposed to pick up the agents on 9 January 1942 – but she failed to arrive.

The exact circumstances surrounding her sinking and the fate of those men on board could be lost to history.

However, Thoktaridis believes that the cause of the sinking appears to have been a ‘powerful explosion’ in the forward section, possibly due to a mine or a torpedo.

Close to the wreck, the team also found British Mk VIII torpedoes of the same type as those from HMS Triumph.

“This fact leads us to believe that the Triumph fired more than one torpedo during its last attack,” Thoktaridis said.

Gav Don, a former Royal Navy officer who spent years trying to locate the submarine himself, told MailOnline that he feels a mix of both “happy and sad” now that he has been located.

Mr Don’s uncle, Gunnery Officer Robert Douglas-Don, was one of 64 men on board the ship when it sadly foundered.

Together with other family members, Mr. Don will be part of a journey to the coordinates of the location, where a service will be held and a toast will be offered to their loved ones.

“This quest has been a part of my life for a long time,” Mr Don told MailOnline.

“I first started wondering where Triumph was when I was about ten years old, so there has always been a gap.

“While we must mourn the loss of Triumph and mourn her men, we must also celebrate her career and her successes.”

Another survivor of the 64 men who died on HMS Triumph is Karen Wenborn, based in South Wales, who called the discovery “truly astounding.”

Mrs. Wenborn’s grandfather, Harry Cross, a skilled sailor aboard the submarine, sent a letter to his parents shortly before he died at the age of 32.

“One of his children, my aunt Brenda, is alive to see it happen,” she told MailOnline.

‘Harry was a true sailor and volunteered to sail on Triumph. He was torpedoed once and survived and was given the option of transferring to a ship, but chose to go back into a submarine.

“He sent a letter to his parents just before he lost Triumph to say how good he was and that he would see them soon. My father was only seven when Harry died.’

The Department of Defense will now contact affected partners to obtain additional information about the submarine.

Official authentication of the wreck’s identity is the next step, according to the Royal Navy, although Mr Don said it is ‘unambiguously’ Triumph’s.

“While HMS Triumph was known to be operating in the area at the time, further investigations are underway to clarify the identity of the wreck,” a Royal Navy spokesman told MailOnline.

“Regardless of this, it is the final resting place of those on board who died, and we request that the ship be left undisturbed.”