A team of researchers announced that they had found the sunken Japanese ship carrying Allied POWs when it was torpedoed off the coast of the Philippines in 1942, causing Australia’s worst naval loss of the war and a total loss of 1,080 lives.

The wreck of the Montevideo Maru was found by an autonomous underwater vehicle after a 12-day search at a depth of more than 4,000 meters (13,120 feet) off the island of Luzon in the South China Sea. in sonar.

The Silentworld Foundation, a Sydney-based nonprofit dedicated to marine archeology and history, said Saturday that no effort will be made to remove artifacts or human remains out of respect for the families of the deceased. He joined the mission together with Dutch deep-sea research experts Fugro and the Australian Ministry of Defence.

“The extraordinary effort made in this discovery demonstrates the enduring truth of Australia’s solemn national commitment to always remember and honor those who have served our country,” said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “This is the heart and soul of ‘Let’s Not Forget’.

The Montevideo Maru transported prisoners and civilians captured after the fall of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea. The ship was not marked as carrying POWs, and on July 1, 1942, the US submarine Sturgeon, following the ship all night, fired four torpedoes that found their target and sank the ship in less than 10 minutes.

Among the dead were 1,080 people from 14 countries, 979 of whom were Australians.

“Families have waited years for the news of the loss of their loved ones before they learned of the tragic consequences of the flood,” said John Mullen, director of Silentworld. “Some never realized that their loved ones were among the victims. By finding the ship today, we hope to uncover the many families affected by this terrible disaster.”