Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Australia finds wreck of Japanese WW2 disaster ship Montevideo Maru

Australia finds wreck of Japanese WW2 disaster ship Montevideo Maru

Deep-sea explorers have found the wreck of a Japanese transport ship which sank off the Philippines, killing nearly 1,000 Australian troops and civilians in World War Two.
It was Australia’s worst maritime disaster: a US submarine torpedoed the ship unaware that it was packed with prisoners captured in Papua New Guinea.

The Montevideo Maru sank in July 1942. An estimated 979 Australians died, along with 33 Norwegian sailors and 20 Japanese guards and crew.

An Australian maritime archaeology group, Silentworld Foundation, organized the mission, helped by a Dutch deep-sea survey company called Fugro.

The wreck was located by an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) at a depth of more than 4,000m (13,123ft) - deeper than the Titanic wreck.

Capt. Roger Turner, a technical specialist in the search team, told the BBC that “it’s a war grave now, it’s a tomb that must be treated with appropriate respect”.

The closest the AUV got to the wreck was 45m, he said.

“It was a moment of emotion to see the images of the ship, the closed hatch covers where prisoners were kept on the voyage.”

The wreck will not be disturbed — human remains or artefacts will not be removed, Silentworld said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that “at long last, the resting place of the lost souls of the Montevideo Maru has been found”.

“We hope today’s news brings a measure of comfort to loved ones who have kept a long vigil.”

The ship was sunk by torpedoes from the USS Sturgeon and went down rapidly.

Speaking by phone from the search vessel, Capt. Turner said that after being hit, the Montevideo Maru had assumed a steep angle within six minutes and disappeared below the waves in 11 minutes.

Just three lifeboats were launched and 102 Japanese crew and guards rowed to the Philippines.

Silentworld director John Mullen said families had “waited years for news of their missing loved ones”.

“Today, by finding the vessel, we hope to bring closure to the many families devastated by this terrible disaster.”

Silentworld said that in total the estimated 1,089 victims came from 14 nations and it has not been possible to trace all of their next of kin.

But it said descendants of the victims can register with the Australian Defense Force to get updates on the investigation and future commemorations.

The search began on April 6 in the South China Sea, 110km (68 miles) north-west of Luzon in the Philippines, and the wreck was located after 12 days.

It then took several days to verify the wreck using expert analysis from maritime archaeologists, conservators and other specialists, including ex-naval officers.

Scans of the wreck, including the hold, foremast and bow, matched features marked in drawings of the ship.

Capt. Turner told the BBC that the team were “euphoric”.

“Many years were invested in this, and more than that, the descendants of the victims number in the thousands.

“Two who were on board spent much of their lives researching the events, tracking down as many victims as they were able.”

Capt. Turner said residents of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea - a strategic hub captured by the Japanese in 1942 — still felt their connection to the Montevideo Maru disaster “very strongly today”.

“They conveyed how important this was to the descendants,” he said. The team’s elation at finally locating the ship was tempered by sadness at the scale of the disaster.

“We’re looking at the gravesite of over 1,000 people,” John Mullen told Australia’s ABC News.

“We lost nearly twice as many [Australians] as in the whole of the Vietnam War, so it’s extraordinarily significant for families and descendants,” he said.

“We had two people on board who had family members who were lost, so while on the one side there were cheers, on the other there were a few tears. It was very emotional.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Iranian Director Jafar Panahi Wins Palme d'Or at Cannes
Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine Children of Gaza Doctor
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Erupts Again, Spewing Ash Cloud over Flores Island
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
×