AUSTRALIA: In a significant discovery, deep-sea survey specialists have found the Japanese merchant ship SS Montevideo Maru, which sank during World War II with 864 Australian soldiers on board. The vessel had been lost since it sank off the coast of the Philippines in July 1942 in what has been called Australia’s worst maritime disaster.
A US submarine torpedoed the ship as it was sailing from Papua New Guinea to China’s Hainan, but it was unknown if any prisoners of war were on board. Over a thousand men are thought to have perished in the accident, including soldiers and civilians from several countries.
A non-profit marine archaeology organisation and deep-sea survey experts led the search for the wreck, which was discovered at a depth of more than 13,123 feet, aided by Australia’s Defence Department.
According to Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles, who announced the discovery on Saturday, “The absence of a location for the Montevideo Maru has represented unfinished business for the families of those who lost their lives up until now.”
“This ends one of the most tragic chapters in Australia’s maritime history,” he added.
The finding is timed to coincide with Anzac Day commemorations on April 25, a key day in Australia and New Zealand for remembering the men who died in all wars. This news brings closure to the families of those who lost their lives and marks a historic moment in Australia’s maritime history.
In addition to the 864 Australian soldiers on board, the SS Montevideo Maru was also carrying 158 civilians from various nations, including British, Dutch, and Canadian nationals. The civilians were mainly missionaries and their families who had been interned by the Japanese in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, after the Japanese occupation of the territory.
The ship’s sinking is considered a tragic loss of life for not only the Australian soldiers but also the civilians and their families. The wreck’s discovery provides closure not only for the families of the Australian soldiers but also for the families of the civilians on board the ship.
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