Caption: Wreck of British WWII special-ops HMS Triumph submarine found after decades-long search
Provider: K. Thoctarides/Planet Blue History
A British submarine that disappeared under mysterious circumstances during World War II has been found after 81 years.
The discovery puts an end to a nearly 25-year-long search for the warship that had undertaken several ‘difficult and dangerous’ missions.
The submarine, HMS Triumph, went missing in 1942, with all 64 crew members on board.
Remains of the submarine was found in the Aegean sea by Greek diver Kostas Thoctarides, using a simple sonar to detect the submarine, which was lying at a depth of 666 feet.
In a Facebook post outlining the discovery, Thoctarides described it as ‘the hardest mission I have ever undertaken in my life’.
Caption: Wreck of British WWII special-ops HMS Triumph submarine found after decades-long search
Provider: K. Thoctarides/Planet Blue History
HMS Triumph was a T-class submarine and was one of the most advanced submarines in the British fleet at the time of its loss. It was armed with eight torpedoes and a four-inch gun.
The submarine was on patrol in the Aegean Sea when it disappeared. It was last seen on January 9, 1942, when it radioed in to report that it had sunk an Italian merchant ship.
The cause of the sinking appears to have been a high-power explosion in the anterior section of the submarine.
Caption: Wreck of British WWII special-ops HMS Triumph submarine found after decades-long search
Provider: K. Thoctarides/Planet Blue History
Caption: Wreck of British WWII special-ops HMS Triumph submarine found after decades-long search
Provider: K. Thoctarides/Planet Blue History
Caption: Wreck of British WWII special-ops HMS Triumph submarine found after decades-long search
Provider: K. Thoctarides/Planet Blue History
Thoctarides added that it was the fifth submarine wreck found in Greek waters.
Experts, including Mr Thoctarides, believe all 64 people died in the submarine, making the wreckage site a maritime war grave.
HMS Triumph was a successful submarine during her short career. She sank a number of enemy ships and was credited with helping liberate Greece from Nazi occupation.
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HMS Triumph went missing in 1942 with all 64 crew members on board.