Sub missing since 1915 may be found
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The Age
March 01, 2007
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www.schnorkel.blogspot.com
The Age
March 01, 2007
Australia's first submarine, missing with all hands since the start of World War I, may have been found in Papua New Guinea waters.
Veterans Affairs Minister Bruce Billson said he was cautiously optimistic an object detected by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) survey ship HMAS Benalla on the sea floor off the island of New Britain was the wreckage of AE1.
But he cautioned that it was early days.
"Further investigation using a remotely operated vehicle with imaging capabilities will be necessary to positively identify the object found by Benalla,'' he said in a statement.
"The RAN is looking at options to deploy a mine hunting vessel to the area when operational commitments permit to determine whether the object is in fact a wreck.''
The disappearance of AE1 with all 35 crewmen was Australia's first major loss of World War I.
Like the loss of HMAS Sydney in World War II, the sinking of AE1 in 1914 remains a complete mystery.
AE1's sister ship AE2 is far better known. This vessel managed to penetrate the Dardanelles during the Gallipoli campaign and was lost in the Sea of Marmara on April 30, 1915. AE2's wreckage was located in 1998.
Australia purchased both vessels from Britain before World War I and they were commissioned into Australian service at Portsmouth on February 28, 1914. Both were commanded by British officers with a mixture of British and Australian crew members.
Both set sail for Australia in March and arrived in Sydney on May 24, 1914.
On August 11, 1914 - five days after Australia declared war on Germany - AE1 was dispatched to support operations against German forces on New Britain, then a German possession.
Patrolling off the east coast of the Duke Of York Islands on September 14, AE1 vanished without trace. A brief search revealed no sign of the vessel.
The search mounted this week by Benalla and HMAS Shepparton was aided by the work of retired navy commander John Foster who researched the loss of AE1 over the past 30 years.
His research suggested the vessel sank in a particular area, most likely from an accident rather than enemy action.
Mr Billson said the search was conducted over the last two days using a towed side scan sonar.
He said Benalla discovered what appeared to be a man-made object approximately 25-30 metres long and four metres high.
To protect the site pending a further survey, no further details of the location will be revealed.
Veterans Affairs Minister Bruce Billson said he was cautiously optimistic an object detected by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) survey ship HMAS Benalla on the sea floor off the island of New Britain was the wreckage of AE1.
But he cautioned that it was early days.
"Further investigation using a remotely operated vehicle with imaging capabilities will be necessary to positively identify the object found by Benalla,'' he said in a statement.
"The RAN is looking at options to deploy a mine hunting vessel to the area when operational commitments permit to determine whether the object is in fact a wreck.''
The disappearance of AE1 with all 35 crewmen was Australia's first major loss of World War I.
Like the loss of HMAS Sydney in World War II, the sinking of AE1 in 1914 remains a complete mystery.
AE1's sister ship AE2 is far better known. This vessel managed to penetrate the Dardanelles during the Gallipoli campaign and was lost in the Sea of Marmara on April 30, 1915. AE2's wreckage was located in 1998.
Australia purchased both vessels from Britain before World War I and they were commissioned into Australian service at Portsmouth on February 28, 1914. Both were commanded by British officers with a mixture of British and Australian crew members.
Both set sail for Australia in March and arrived in Sydney on May 24, 1914.
On August 11, 1914 - five days after Australia declared war on Germany - AE1 was dispatched to support operations against German forces on New Britain, then a German possession.
Patrolling off the east coast of the Duke Of York Islands on September 14, AE1 vanished without trace. A brief search revealed no sign of the vessel.
The search mounted this week by Benalla and HMAS Shepparton was aided by the work of retired navy commander John Foster who researched the loss of AE1 over the past 30 years.
His research suggested the vessel sank in a particular area, most likely from an accident rather than enemy action.
Mr Billson said the search was conducted over the last two days using a towed side scan sonar.
He said Benalla discovered what appeared to be a man-made object approximately 25-30 metres long and four metres high.
To protect the site pending a further survey, no further details of the location will be revealed.
____
www.schnorkel.blogspot.com
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