The Montevideo Maru, which sank in 1942 after being attacked by a US submarine, has been found in the depths of the South China Sea, ending the search for the wreckage of the worst maritime disaster in Australia’s history.
More than 1,060 people lost their lives, including 979 Australians, when the submersible torpedoed the Japanese-flagged ship carrying Japanese soldiers, prisoners of war and civilians from 14 countries without knowing the load.
The Silentworld philanthropic foundation said in a statement on Saturday that a team, supported by the deep-sea specialist company Fugro and the Australian Ministry of Defense, searched the seabed for more than two weeks until they found the sunken ship.
“The discovery of the Montevideo Maru closes a terrible chapter in Australia’s military and maritime history (…) Today, by finding the vessel, we hope to bring closure to the many families devastated by this terrible disaster,” John said in the text. Mullen, director of Silentworld.
The remains of the ship were found at a depth of more than 4,000 meters -higher than the remains of the Titanic- off the coast of the Philippines, after the search began on April 6, 110 kilometers northwest of the island. Philippine from Luzon.
Supported with autonomous underwater vehicles, the first sighting occurred on April 12, but it still took several days to verify the wreck through expert analysis.
“We hope that today’s news brings some comfort to loved ones who have kept a long vigil,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remarked on social media, highlighting the “extraordinary effort behind” the discovery and “the Australia’s solemn promise to always remember and honor those who served our country”.
For his part, Australian Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles, remarked in another statement that “these Australians were never forgotten. Lost in the depths of the seas, their final resting place is now known.”
Silentworld emphasizes that the remains of the ship will not be recovered and no human remains or personal belongings will be removed “out of respect for all the families of those on board who lost their lives.”
This accident alone lost twice as many Australian soldiers and civilian lives as in the entire Vietnam War, and surpasses the 1941 sinking of HMAS Sydney, with 645 fatalities, and the 1943 hospital ship Centaur, with 268 fatalities.
