The wreck of the Japanese transport ship SS Montevideo Maru has been found at a depth of more than 4,000 meters. – This marks the end of one of the most tragic chapters in Australia’s maritime history, says Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles. – After more than 80 years in the calm depths of the South China Sea, northwest of the Philippine island of Luzon, I can now confirm that the SS Montevideo Maru has been found, says Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles in a video clip. The ship was sunk in 1942 by an American submarine. What the submarine crew did not know was that on board were more than 1,000 prisoners of war and civilians from 14 countries, most of them from allied Australia. Several days of analysis The ship was found by an expedition after twelve days of searching in the South China Sea, according to ABC News. The find was made with the help of an unmanned underwater vehicle with built-in sonar. After several days of analysis, experts were able to determine that it was the ship in question, according to Silentworld. The prisoners boarded the SS Montevideo Maru in Papua New Guinea, shortly after Japan occupied the former Australian territory. She was bound for Hainan, also occupied by Japan at the time, leaving port on 22 June 1942 without escort. Eight days later, she was spotted by the submarine USS Sturgeon, which fired four torpedoes. About eleven minutes after the hit, the ship was sunk. 17 of the Japanese crew survived and made it ashore and through the Philippine jungle to safety, according to the Australian War Memorial. More than a thousand people followed the ship down into the depths. Emotional For many of the victims’ relatives, it was unclear for a long time what had actually happened to them. – When we first saw the images appear on the ship that no one has seen for 80 years, since that terrible night, it was quite emotional. We had two people on board whose family members lost their lives, so on the one hand there was jubilation, on the other hand there were some tears, says John Mullens of the Silentworld foundation, which led the search, to ABC. The wreck is subject to grave peace, and nothing is to be salvaged or moved from it. But the site has been recorded for future research. The news comes just days before Australia celebrates its veterans and soldiers on the Anzac Day public holiday.
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