Australia’s oldest naval mystery is solved after a WW1 submarine that went missing 103 years ago was finally located.
HMAS AE1 vanished without a trace on September 14, 1914, with 35 British and Anzac sailors on board off the coast of Papua New Guinea while on patrol.
The navy launched a three-day search after losing contact with the vessel but found no sign of the ship, which was just seven months old.
HMAS AE1 (pictured) vanished without a trace on September 14, 1914, with 35 British and Anzac sailors on board off the coast of Papua New Guinea while on patrol
The submarine was finally found this week and photographed by an underwater camera, solving Australia’s oldest naval mystery
A $1 million search launched on Sunday finally sighted AE1 using underwater cameras, revealing it suffered a catastrophic failure and sank.
Rear Admiral Peter Briggs said the submarine likely suffered a hull breach after an explosion propelled it into the seabed 300m below the surface.
Likely caused by one of AE1’s eight torpedoes fitted with explosive warheads, or a high pressure air cylinder, it would have sunk the vessel very quickly.
Rear Admiral Briggs said the explosion would have caused ‘rapid flooding of the submarine, probably near the surface’ to have accelerated the vessel enough to cause the damage.
‘When the end came for the men of AE1 it would have been very fast, they may well have not known what hit them,’ he told The Australian.
Stunning colour photos of the wreck revealed it to be relatively well preserved and still in one piece despite its dramatic sinking
Survey imaging showing the wreck of AE1 300m below the surface of the Pacific Ocean
Rear Admiral Peter Briggs said the submarine likely suffered a hull breach after an explosion propelled it into the seabed
Stunning colour photos of the wreck revealed it to be relatively well preserved and still in one piece despite its dramatic sinking.
Rear Admiral Briggs said the wreck would be forensically examined to find out exactly what happened.
‘We have found our lost submariners, but understanding exactly what befell them is a work in progress and will require further detailed examination of the wreck with a different array of instruments and technology,’ he said.
However, the submarine will not be retrieved as it was considered a war grave and it was being closely guarded and its location kept secret to prevent rogue salvage.
AE1 was found off the coast of Duke of York Island in the vicinity of its last known position, with the exact site being kept secret to prevent rogue salvage
The explosion would have caused ‘rapid flooding of the submarine, probably near the surface’ to have accelerated the vessel enough to cause the damage
The crew of the survey ship Fugro Equator held a a small commemorative service to remember the crew and efforts were underway to contact their families.
Defence Minister Marise Payne said she hoped the discovery would bring peace of mind to descendants of the AE1 crew.
‘I truly believe this will bring peace of mind to the family and descendants of the crew who lost their lives on board,’ she said.
‘We will work closely with the PNG Government in the coming weeks and months to consider a lasting commemoration in recognition of the crew, and, importantly, to preserve the site.’
Several attempts have been made over the years to find AE1 without success until this joint public-private expedition discovered it.
The effort was jointly funded by the federal government and a private consortium put together by Telstra chairman John Mullen.
The underwater autonomous vehicle used in the successful search for HMAS AE1
The crew of the survey ship Fugro Equator (pictured) held a a small commemorative service to remember the crew and efforts were underway to contact their families