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Japan WWII sailors stay in wreck | Japan WWII sailors stay in wreck |
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The bodies of two Japanese sailors are to be left in the wreck of their submarine, which was involved in an attack on Sydney harbour in 1942. | The bodies of two Japanese sailors are to be left in the wreck of their submarine, which was involved in an attack on Sydney harbour in 1942. |
The Australian government has said it will present a jar of sand from the seabed to the families of the two men. | The Australian government has said it will present a jar of sand from the seabed to the families of the two men. |
The government has also declared the location of the wreck, 50km (31 miles) off the coast, an historic site. | |
The submarine was part of an operation at the height of World War II, aimed at disrupting US and Australian shipping. | The submarine was part of an operation at the height of World War II, aimed at disrupting US and Australian shipping. |
Protected site | Protected site |
Three submarines were involved in the operation, evading protective nets stretched across the entrance to Sydney harbour and sinking an Australian naval vessel, killing 19 sailors and two Britons. | Three submarines were involved in the operation, evading protective nets stretched across the entrance to Sydney harbour and sinking an Australian naval vessel, killing 19 sailors and two Britons. |
Two of the submarines were damaged during the attack, and then scuttled by their crews. But a third escaped, only to be discovered on the ocean floor by amateur divers more than 60 years later. | Two of the submarines were damaged during the attack, and then scuttled by their crews. But a third escaped, only to be discovered on the ocean floor by amateur divers more than 60 years later. |
Now elite navy divers have managed to reach the barnacle-encrusted wreck, and are convinced that the remains of its two-man crew - Lt Katsuhisa Ban and PO Mamoru Ashibe - are still on board. | Now elite navy divers have managed to reach the barnacle-encrusted wreck, and are convinced that the remains of its two-man crew - Lt Katsuhisa Ban and PO Mamoru Ashibe - are still on board. |
They found the ladder the pair would have used to escape stowed on the outside of the vessel. | They found the ladder the pair would have used to escape stowed on the outside of the vessel. |
Sand gathered from close to the wreckage during the dive will now be sent to the submariners' families in Japan. | Sand gathered from close to the wreckage during the dive will now be sent to the submariners' families in Japan. |
But raising the vessel and retrieving the remains has been ruled out, because of the cost and difficulty of salvage operations in the open sea. | But raising the vessel and retrieving the remains has been ruled out, because of the cost and difficulty of salvage operations in the open sea. |
Instead the government has declared the wreck an historic site, protected from curious divers by sonar alarms and underwater cameras. | Instead the government has declared the wreck an historic site, protected from curious divers by sonar alarms and underwater cameras. |