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Lost World War I Submarine Found 103 Years Later

An Australian naval submarine lost in World War I has been found off the coast of Papua New Guinea, ending a more than 100-year search for the vessel.

Defence Minister Marise Payne said on Thursday, December 21, that the country’s “oldest naval mystery” had been solved when the HMAS AE1, the country’s first naval submarine, was located by search vessel “Furgro Equator” more than 300 metres below sea level near the Duke of York Islands.

The vessel went missing on September 14, 1914, during an operation to recapture German-occupied New Guinea.

This footage shows the search team identifying the wreck under water, as well as a commemorative service held on board to remember lost lives.

The exact location of the wreck will be kept secret while the Australian and Papua New Guinean governments formulate a plan to preserve the wreck, the ABC reported. Credit: Australian Defence Force via Storyful