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| Explorers find WWII Japanese ship sunk with over 1,000 Allied POWs |
| 2023-04-23 |
| [NY Post] A Japanese merchant ship sunk during World War II while carrying more than 1,000 Allied prisoners of war has been found, officials announced Saturday. The Montevideo Maru was torpedoed on July 1, 1942, off the coast of the Philippines by a United States submarine whose crew did not realize the vessel carried prisoners of war. It was Australia’s largest maritime wartime loss with a total of 1,080 lives. The 12-day search of the Luzon island in the South China Sea by a team of explorers using an autonomous underwater vehicle with in-built sonar took them 13,120 feet below the sea — deeper than the Titanic — to find the wreck. "The extraordinary effort behind this discovery speaks for the enduring truth of Australia’s solemn national promise to always remember and honor those who served our country," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. No efforts will be made to remove human remains and artifacts out of respect for the families of those who died, according to a statement Saturday from Sydney-based Silentworld Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to maritime archaeology and history. The group participated in the mission with Dutch deep-sea survey specialists Fugro and Australia’s Defense Department. The Montevideo Maru was transporting prisoners and civilians who were captured after the fall of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea. Those killed included 1,080 people from 14 nations, including 979 Australians. |
| Posted by:Frank G |