Location Of Australian WWI Sub Still A Mystery

[Tim]

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.

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.

[DaveMurphy]

Tim,

Thanks for the update, I hadn't seeen this. Unfortunately, like HMAS Sydney II, she would be like trying to find a needle in the proverbial.

Searches are expensive to mount in these times, and the Navy/Defence/Government is sometimes reluctant to spend the money on something that would be more luck than anything... the great blue is a big place, and unless you have a solid datum/fix where she went down to work from it would be a lengthy and almost futile search.

I do hope they find her though.., then on to the Sydney!

Dave

[tonyblackpool]

Transcript

TONY JONES: The Navy hopes it may have solved one of Australia's oldest maritime mysteries, the fate of the nation's very first submarine lost off New Guinea in World War I.

A search by HMAS Yarra has ruled out an object previously thought to be the missing sub. It's turned up a more promising find.

PNG correspondent, Steve Marshall, joined and Navy search near the Duke of York Islands in East New Britain Province.

STEVE MARSHALL: Over the past few days, HMAS Yarra has scoured 50 square kilometres of seabed and jagged reef.

This remotely operated vehicle can dive to a depth of 300 metres. It beams back images to Yarra's operations room where retired Navy commander John Foster patiently waits.

He's been searching for the AE1 sub for the past 30 years.

JOHN FOSTER, RETIRED NAVY COMMANDER: I tell you what we've got the best equipment, the best assets that the Navy can offer on this one.

STEVE MARSHALL: The AE1 was sent to New Guinea to fight the occupying German forces.

On September 14, 1914 it went out on patrol and never returned. To this day no one knows what became of the sub and its 35 crew.

An object previously detected by the Navy turned out to be a deceiving rock formation. However out of the tropical depths emerged something much more promising. This coral clad object might be part of the AE1.

SEAN ANDREWS, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER, HMAS YARRA COMMANDER: Apart from the shape, there are two distinct lips on the top of the target that look remarkably like the AE1's engineering and specification drawings. So I think this one's worthy of further investigation by experts ashore.

STEVE MARSHALL: The object was just out of reach for Yarra's Navy divers. However they could clearly see the shape from a safe depth.

SEAN ANDREWS: But then I saw what I thought were the conning towers.

JOHN FOSTER: May they rest forever more. Goodbye AE1.

STEVE MARSHALL: A sunset memorial service was held for those men long forgotten.

If experts do confirm that the objects below me is, in fact, the AEI, the Royal Australian Navy will treat the site as a war grave. Its exact location will be kept secret to protect it from trophy hunters.

Steve Marshall, Lateline. A B C 31-5-2007 , BROADCAST, , tony