London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 09, 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

0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×