After 103 years of searching and dozens of missions, the first naval submarine of Australia has already found.
The search for the significant submarine took 13 missions just only to find the said submarine.
The HMAS AE-1 was the first Allied submarine lost in World War One, vanishing off Rabaul, Papua New Guinea with 35 Australian and British crewmates onboard on 14 September 1914.
Photo via BBC
The 13th search mission for the vessel found it in waters off the Duke of York islands in Papua New Guinea.
According to Australian government, the discovery solves Australia’s oldest naval mystery.
In order to find the wreck, searchers utilized an underwater drone.
“This is one of the most significant discoveries in Australia’s naval maritime history,” Defence Minister Marise Payne said on Thursday.
“It was the first loss for the Royal Australian Navy and the first Allied submarine loss in World War One; a significant tragedy felt by our nation and our allies,” Payne added.
IB Times UK
The search team used an underwater drone floating 40m (131ft) above the sea bed to scour the area. The wreck was found in more than 300m of water.
She said the search team had conducted a brief commemorative service for those who had lost their lives onboard.
“I truly believe this will bring peace of mind to the family and descendants of the crew who lost their lives onboard and perhaps, in time, we may discover what caused the submarine to sink,” the defense chief said.
As of posting, the exact location has not been revealed in order to protect the submarine, but it appears to have survived in one piece.
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