Submarine Lost In Antarctic Waters Turns Up After Decades At Sea

A Greek diver has found the HMS Triumph, a special ops British submarine from the Second World War that was last seen in 1942. The discovery ends a nearly 25-year-long search for the warship that had undertaken several difficult and dangerous missions. Veteran diver Kostas Thoctarides found the submarine and called it the hardest mission he had ever undertaken. Last week, he announced the discovery of the long-lost submarine at an undisclosed location beneath the Aegean Sea. Researchers from Britain, Greece, Germany, and Italy found the submarine's wreckage tens of kilometers off Greece's coast. Mr. Thoctarides posted on Facebook that the history of the submarine Triumph is unique in maritime history and is inseparable from national resistance and the secret services that acted during the occupation. He also mentioned that Triumph was lost in the blue waters of the Aegean on January 9, 1942, after 21 war patrols and intense operational action. The submarine began operations in May 1939. During the war, it completed 20 combat patrols, sinking several enemy ships and the Italian submarine Salpa. It undertook several difficult and dangerous missions, including landing British intelligence agents and rescuing trapped military soldiers fleeing to Alexandria, Egypt. Experts believe that the submarine's final patrol was in Nazi-occupied Greece. Lieutenant John Huddart and his crew of over 60 men were on board, having delivered MI9 officers and Greek resistance fighters to Antiparos island. The submarine's 21st patrol involved two special operations and an aggressive patrol in a specific area of the Aegean Sea. The first was to transfer financial assistance to those in occupied Athens and deliver two sets of radio transmitters for communication with Cairo. The second was to coordinate the escape of 30 British refugees in Antiparos. The submarine had two top-secret missions. However, the submarine never returned, and the escapees were recaptured. The submarine was carrying 64 people at the time it was lost. This included seven officers, 55 crew members, and two commandos operating vessels to transport supplies and people to and from the Triumph. It is believed that the submarine sank due to a high-powered explosion in its anterior section. According to experts, including Mr. Thoctarides, all 64 people on board died, making the wreckage site a maritime war grave. Ships and submarines from the Second World War era, along with their crews, continue to be discovered in many parts of the world. The wreckage of these vessels is often also found.