The search for the wreckage from the worst maritime disaster in Australia’s history ended this week when a team of researchers and defence personnel found the Japanese transport ship SS Montevideo Maru at the bottom of the sea.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he hopes the discovery of a ship that sank off the coast of the Philippines more than 80 years ago will bring a measure of comfort to loved ones of the 979 Australian troops and civilians on board.
The ship sank on July 1, 1942, after being torpedoed by an American submarine, which was unaware it was carrying prisoners of war and civilians captured in the former Australian territory of New Guinea. The shipwreck was found after 12 days of searching in the South China Sea, led by not-for-profit Silentworld Foundation, deep-sea survey specialists from Fugro, and supported by Defence.Albanese said he hoped the news brings a “measure of comfort to loved ones who have kept a long vigil”.
“Some never fully came to accept that their loved ones were among the victims,” he said. “Today, by finding the vessel, we hope to bring closure to the many families devastated by this terrible disaster.”The team set out on an expedition to find the wreck in the South China Sea, northwest of Luzon, on April 6 and discovered it after 12 days, thanks to an autonomous underwater vehicle.
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