LOCATION OF AUSTRALIAN WWI SUBMARINE STILL A MYSTERY

[Tim]

024/2007 Wednesday, 30 May 2007

LOCATION OF AUSTRALIAN WWI SUBMARINE STILL A MYSTERY

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has determined that the object located by its survey ship HMAS Benalla in February this year is not that of the lost RAN WW1 Submarine HMAS AE1, announced the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, Bruce Billson, today.

Hopes of finding AE1 were raised when the Navy survey ship HMAS Benalla identified what was thought to be a man made submerged object using her towed side scan sonar in February of this year. The object was found close to a position provided by AE1 researcher and retired Navy Commander John Foster.

The Coastal Mine Hunter HMAS Yarra conducted a four day search using her mine hunting sonar, divers and the ship's camera fitted Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to search a 50 sq km area around the position of the object identified by Benalla.

The object detected by Benalla's sonar was confirmed by the ROV camera to be a submarine shaped rock formation. The complex bottom topography created some significant challenges in the conduct of the search and provided a number of possible objects of interest for Yarra's ship's company to investigate. All objects discovered will be further analysed when the camera footage of the underwater search is returned to Australia.

The crew of Yarra conducted a memorial service to commemorate the loss of AE1; this marked the end of the search activity.

'The search for AE1 represents an important effort to shed some light on an enduring mystery of Australian Navy history,' Mr Billson said.

'The Government will continue to support the search for AE1 if credible information about its likely location comes to hand. It is important to provide some comfort to the descendants of the brave crew of the AE1, who gave their lives in the service of their nation.'

Mr Billson also acknowledged the assistance of the Government of Papua New Guinea in permitting this search.

The AE1, along with her sister ship AE2, was commissioned into the RAN at Portsmouth, UK on 28 February 1914 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Thomas Besant, RN. The two submarines sailed for Australia in March 1914 and arrived at Sydney on 24 May 1914.

On 11 August 1914, just five days after Australia declared war on Germany, AE1 was dispatched from Sydney to support the Australian military operating against the German Army on the island of New Britain.

On 14 September 1914, she disappeared without trace while on patrol on the east coast of the Duke of York Island Group. A brief search was conducted without success. Ironically the Navy's first HMAS Yarra was one of the ships involved in the search in 1914.

Investigations since the disappearance have raised the possibility that AE1 sank after either grounding or colliding with a submerged object.

Reconstructions of German Fleet movements indicate that it is highly improbable that AE1 was lost due to enemy action.

Sadly, AE1 was lost with her whole crew of 35 officers and sailors, representing the first major Australian loss of WWI.

Media Information:

Cameron Hill (Mr Billson) 03 9781 2333 0408 239 521

Defence Media Liaison (Defence) 02 6265 3343 0408 498 664