Move FM Australian News

SYDNEY, Australia: A Japanese World War II prisoner ship which sunk with 1,100 Australian prisoners has been discovered off of the Philippines.

The ship was torpedoed in 1942, resulting in Australia’s largest wartime loss of lives.

The ship, the Montevideo Maru, was the subject of a 12-day search in waters over 13,000 feet – deeper than the Titanic – near Luzon island in the South China Sea.

The Montevideo Maru was located using an underwater vehicle equipped with sonar, said officials.

The ship was discovered by the Sydney-based Silentworld Foundation, dedicated to maritime archaeology and history.

Organizations officials said no artifacts or human remains will be removed from the ship.

Also participating in the search was the Dutch deep-sea survey specialists Fugro and Australia’s Defense Department.

“The extraordinary effort behind this discovery speaks for the enduring truth of Australia’s solemn national promise to always remember and honor those who served our country,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, as quoted by the Associated Press. “This is the heart and the spirit of Lest We Forget.”

The Montevideo Maru was sailing with both prisoners and civilian passengers following the Japanese taking control of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea.

On July 1, 1942 the American submarine Sturgeon sunk the vessel. The Japanese ship had not been marked as carrying POWs.

The official death toll stood at 1,080 people from 14 nations, including 979 Australians.

“Families waited years for news of their missing loved ones, before learning of the tragic outcome of the sinking,” said Silentworld director John Mullen, as reported by the Associated Press. “Some never fully came to accept that their loved ones were among the victims. Today, by finding the vessel, we hope to bring closure to the many families devastated by this terrible disaster.”