Over 1 million pilgrims benefit from golf cart service at Grand Mosque during Ramadan    Visitors welcomed with Eid initiative at Thee Ain Heritage Village in Al-Baha    Tebuk emir reviews rain response in Tayma    Saudi Arabia considers rent cap as part of major real estate reforms    Messi's bodyguard banned from touchline at Inter Miami games    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Le Pen vows to appeal political ban, calls verdict a 'denial of democracy'    Death toll from Myanmar earthquake rises to 2,719 as rescue efforts continue    Russia, Ukraine trade blame over new energy strikes    Putin orders Russia's largest military call-up in over a decade    Albania hosts MWL chief for Eid sermon at largest mosque in the Balkans    Haramain High-Speed Railway transports over 1.2 million passengers during Ramadan    Saudi Transport Authority says passengers can ride for free if taxi meters are off    Ministry of Education forms 425 community partnerships with SR653 million impact    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    T1 CEO confirms Gumayusi's return for LCK Spring after lineup shakeup    100 Thieves claim Marvel Rivals Invitational NA crown as 2025 scene heats up    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Saudi Arabia hold Japan to goalless draw in Saitama to stay in World Cup hunt    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Australia finds wreck of Japanese WW2 disaster ship Montevideo Maru
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 22 - 04 - 2023

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." — BBC


Clic here to read the story from its source.