World War II Japanese transport ship found after 80 years in US

WASHINGTON: A Japanese transport ship that sank during World War II with over 1,000 people on board has finally been found, reported Voice of America.

The wreck of Montevideo Maru, the Japanese ship, was carrying 850 prisoners of war and about 200 civilians, who were captured by the Japanese in Papua New Guinea in 1942. Not knowing, who was there on the ship, the ship was torpedoed by the USS Sturgeon, an American submarine. Its sinking was initially heralded as a success by Allied forces before the identity of most of those onboard was finally revealed.

The wreck was found earlier this week in the South China Sea off the Philippines. The mission was a combined effort of the Australian Defense Department, marine archaeologists from Australia's Silentworld Foundation, and experts from the Dutch deep-sea survey company Fugro. Reacting to the new discovery, Richard Marles Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, tweeted, "For more than 80 years, hundreds of Australian families have waited for news of the Montevideo Maru. This week, thanks to an extraordinary search effort, the ship's final resting place has been discovered." "The 850 Australian service members on board were never forgotten. We will remember them," he added. (ANI)

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