Did you know that the ship involved in Australia’s greatest maritime tragedy has just been found?
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The Montevideo Maru
(Photo: Australian War Memorial)
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We’ve posted a short article about Japanese ships with “maru” in their names a few weeks ago (Read our earlier article - DID YOU KNOW WHY SO MANY JAPANESE TRANSPORT SHIPS HAD “MARU” IN THEIR NAME DURING WORLD WAR II?), and now we can follow up with a news item on one such vessel: the wreck of the Japanese passenger and cargo ship Montevideo Maru has been found on April 18, 2023.
The Montevideo Maru, named after the capital of Uruguay, was originally built for civilian trans-Pacific service between Japan and South America, but was pressed into military service during World War II. The ship was torpedoed by the U.S. submarine USS Sturgeon before dawn on July 1, 1942. Unknown to the Sturgeon’s crew, the ship was carrying over 1,000 Allied prisoners of war, 1,054 of whom died after the ship sank. Most of the victims were Australian servicemen, making the incident the greatest loss of Australian life at sea. According to witnesses, the survivors were singing Auld Lang Syne while hanging on to floating debris as a final farewell to their comrades who were trapped inside the sinking ship.
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The bow section of the wreck
(Photo: Silentworld Foundation)
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The wreck was discovered at a depth of over 13,000 feet (4,000 m), off the coast of Luzon. The ship’s remains count as a war grave and will not be disturbed.
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Save $500 per person!
Victory in Europe Day promotion
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Winston Churchill waves to crowds in Whitehall in London as they celebrate V-E Day, May 8, 1945.
(Photo: Imperial War Museum)
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On May 8, we will celebrate the 78th anniversary of V-E Day, standing for Victory in Europe Day, the date of the formal surrender of the German armed forces in World War II on May 8, 1945. On this occasion, you will get a discount of $500 on all our tours if you book and pay in full until May 8, 2023. In addition to the discount, this promotion includes also our available 80th anniversary D-Day tours in 2024. According to statistics, seats for the main D-Day anniversaries get sold out approximately a year before the event. So book your tour as soon as possible because the most popular ones will get fully booked very soon. Note that this offer applies only in case of new bookings, and it cannot be combined with other special promotions. If you have any questions related to this promotion or our tours, feel free to contact our travel consultants.
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