WWII Submarine HMS Olympus Found By Divers Near Malta
Nearly 70 years after sinking off the coast of Malta, the HMS Olympus, a British submarine that served during World War II, has been found and identified, according to The Guardian. The sub had almost 100 sailors aboard when it struck a mine in the Mediterranean on May 8, 1942, the Daily Mail reports, and only nine crew members survived.
The report goes on to say that the Florida-based archaeology group Aurora Trust discovered the sunken sub last year, but it was only allowed to reveal its findings this week. Newser notes that the team used a remotely operated vehicle to find the sub on the sea floor.
"Except for the damage from the mine she was in pristine condition, sitting upright as if she'd been placed on the seabed," Timmy Gambin, the Aurora Trust's archaeological director, told The Guardian.
The British government and Royal Navy just learned of the discovery this week, according to British Forces News. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, a non-profit that pays tribute to those who died in the two world wars, will formally designate the site as a war grave.
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First Posted: 01/12/12 05:50 PM ET Updated: 01/12/12 10:02 PM ET