A group of specialists conducted search operations with the specific goal of finding a ship that sank near the Philippines in 1942. The tragedy claimed 1,060 lives, making it Australia's worst loss at sea in World War II.
The search began on April 6, and only 12 days later the first successes appeared. In the South China Sea, 110 km from the island of Luzon. Thanks to the use of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) with a built-in sonar, a team of scientists managed to find a sunken ship at a depth of more than 4 thousand meters.
For several more days, the analysis of the sunken ship was carried out. This is a large-scale work involving many experts: Maritime archaeologists, conservators, naval officers and operational specialists.
The project was led by the Silentworld Foundation, a non-profit organization specializing in maritime history and archaeology. Fugro specialists, experts in research at great depths from the Netherlands and the Australian Ministry of Defense also joined the project. It took almost 5 years to prepare, create a working team and organize the expedition. In general, John Mullen, co-founder and director of the Silentworld Foundation, has dedicated 20 years to the Montevideo Maru Society.
“I would like to thank all the dedicated Silentworld team involved in this expedition, the outstanding Fugro team and the technical team on board the Fugro Equator, and the Australian Department of Defense for their unwavering support. I am proud to be a citizen of a country that never forgets and does not stop looking for those who died in the line of duty, as many as 6 years have passed."
Photo: Australian War Memorial
The Japanese transport ship Montevideo Mapy (Montevideo Maru) carried 1060 people on board. Among them are 850 Australian military personnel and 210 civilians from 14 different countries. All of them were prisoners taken after the capture of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea.
On July 1, 1942, the USS Sturgeon (then the flagship of her class of nuclear attack submarines) fired four torpedoes and sank a Japanese vessel. Since that time, for 80 years, the location of the ship remained a secret.
Photo: Australian War Memorial
"Families waited years for news of their missing loved ones before learning of the tragic consequences of the flooding," says John Mullen. "Some never realized that their loved ones were among the victims. Today, by finding the vessel, we hope to reveal the many families affected by this terrible disaster."
"The extraordinary effort involved in this discovery speaks to the enduring truth of Australia's solemn national pledge to always remember and honor those who have served our country," commented Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The project provides an opportunity for descendants to register to receive further information.
