World War II Ship That Sank With 864 Soldiers On Board Found After 84 Years

A Japanese merchant ship that sank during World War II with 864 Australian soldiers on board has been found by deep-sea survey experts in the South China Sea, as per a report in Independent. 

Defence Minister of Australia Richard Marles announced on Saturday that the SS Montevideo Maru, a covert prisoner-of-war transport ship that had been lost since being sinking off the coast of the Philippines in July 1942, had been found northwest of Luzon island.

Dubbed as Australia's "worst maritime disaster", the ship was torpedoed while it was travelling from Papua New Guinea to China's Hainan by a US submarine. However, it was not known that there were prisoners of war on board.

According to the government, a marine archaeology not-for-profit and deep-sea survey specialists led the hunt for the wreck, which was discovered at a depth of more than 13,123 feet. The search was also aided by Australia's Defence Department.

The Defence Minister added, "The absence of a location of the Montevideo Maru has represented unfinished business for the families of those who lost their lives until now."

The catastrophe is said to have claimed the lives of more than 1,000 men, including prisoners of war and civilians from various nations.

As per the outlet, the long-awaited discovery coincides with Anzac Day observances on April 25, a significant day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand for their soldiers lost in all military conflicts. "This brings to an end one of the most tragic chapters in Australia's maritime history," Mr Marles said.