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Legendary Japanese battleship found 3,000ft under the Pacific by Microsoft billionaire | Daily Mail Online
( photos in link provided )
Microsoft's co-founder has used his own submarine to find the wreck of the Japanese Navy's biggest warship - which has lain undiscovered at the bottom of the ocean for the past 70 years.
Paul Allen revealed his amazing discovery to the world on Tuesday, by posting a photo to Twitter of the World War II battleship Musashi's rusty bow, which bore the Japanese empire's Chrysanthemum seal.
The Musashi - which, along with its sister ship Yamato, was the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleship ever constructed - was sunk by the U.S. Navy in 1944, taking with it more than 1,000 crew members.
But despite numerous eyewitness accounts, its exact location had remained a mystery - until now.
The discovery brings to an end Allen's eight year search for the Musashi - and is a discovery he hopes will 'bring closure' to those who lost relatives aboard the ship, according to his website.
Billionaire Allen said the M/Y Octopus, his luxury yacht and exploration ship, found the long-lost ship on the floor of the Sibuyan Sea - 1.6 miles under the surface.
The Octopus' remote operated probe Octo ROV located the Musashi on Monday, according to Allen's website. The Octopus is also outfitted with an exploration submarine.
Allen and his research team had used the historical records of four different countries in order to pinpoint the location of the ship.
On Tuesday, Allen posted a photo of a valve from the wreckage, which he described as the 'first confirmation' that it was of Japanese origin.
'RIP (rest in peace) crew of Musashi, approximately 1,023 (lives) lost,' Allen said in another tweet.
He said on Twitter he would soon post video of the ship's catapult and valve areas.
The Sibuyan Sea - at the heart of the Philippines' central Visayas islands - now covers busy shipping lanes and lies on the path of most tropical storms that cross the country from the Pacific Ocean.
But in 1944, it was the scene for a battle considered the largest naval encounter of the Second World War - a battle which would be the Musashi's last.
The battleship, which weighed 73,000 tons fully loaded, and was armed with nine 45 Caliber Type 94 main guns, was sunk by American warplanes on October 24, 1944, at the height of the Battle of Leyte Gulf - in which US and Australian forces defeated the Japanese.
About half the crew died when it went down.
'Since my youth, I have been fascinated with World War II history, inspired by my father’s service in the U.S. Army,' Allen said.
'The Musashi is truly an engineering marvel and, as an engineer at heart, I have a deep appreciation for the technology and effort that went into its construction.
'I am honored to play a part in finding this key vessel in naval history and honoring the memory of the incredible bravery of the men who served aboard her.'
Allen, the 51st richest person in the world with a net worth of $17.5billion, according to Forbes Magazine, is known for his love of history - and also his generosity with the Octopus to help other exploration missions.
In 2012, Allen loaned the same ship that located the Musashi to the British government to locate HMS Hood bell from the bottom of the Denmark Strait.
The search was eventually called off due to bad weather.
The Octopus has also collaborated on Google Earth’s 'Explore the Ocean' feature, and has helped the Discovery Science Channel capture footage for a documentary to study the effects of nuclear detonation on the marine environment.
Director James Cameron has also used it, for a seven-hour solo journey to the earth's deepest point back in 2012.
But Allen is not confined to undersea exploration, either.
The American is also working on a project called Stratolaunch, which aims to put 'cost-effective' cargo and manned missions into space.
He launched SpaceShipOne, the first privately built craft into suborbital space in 2004.
Spokespersons for the Philippines' navy and coast guard told AFP they were not informed of the discovery.
( photos in link provided )
Microsoft's co-founder has used his own submarine to find the wreck of the Japanese Navy's biggest warship - which has lain undiscovered at the bottom of the ocean for the past 70 years.
Paul Allen revealed his amazing discovery to the world on Tuesday, by posting a photo to Twitter of the World War II battleship Musashi's rusty bow, which bore the Japanese empire's Chrysanthemum seal.
The Musashi - which, along with its sister ship Yamato, was the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleship ever constructed - was sunk by the U.S. Navy in 1944, taking with it more than 1,000 crew members.
But despite numerous eyewitness accounts, its exact location had remained a mystery - until now.
The discovery brings to an end Allen's eight year search for the Musashi - and is a discovery he hopes will 'bring closure' to those who lost relatives aboard the ship, according to his website.
Billionaire Allen said the M/Y Octopus, his luxury yacht and exploration ship, found the long-lost ship on the floor of the Sibuyan Sea - 1.6 miles under the surface.
The Octopus' remote operated probe Octo ROV located the Musashi on Monday, according to Allen's website. The Octopus is also outfitted with an exploration submarine.
Allen and his research team had used the historical records of four different countries in order to pinpoint the location of the ship.
On Tuesday, Allen posted a photo of a valve from the wreckage, which he described as the 'first confirmation' that it was of Japanese origin.
'RIP (rest in peace) crew of Musashi, approximately 1,023 (lives) lost,' Allen said in another tweet.
He said on Twitter he would soon post video of the ship's catapult and valve areas.
The Sibuyan Sea - at the heart of the Philippines' central Visayas islands - now covers busy shipping lanes and lies on the path of most tropical storms that cross the country from the Pacific Ocean.
But in 1944, it was the scene for a battle considered the largest naval encounter of the Second World War - a battle which would be the Musashi's last.
The battleship, which weighed 73,000 tons fully loaded, and was armed with nine 45 Caliber Type 94 main guns, was sunk by American warplanes on October 24, 1944, at the height of the Battle of Leyte Gulf - in which US and Australian forces defeated the Japanese.
About half the crew died when it went down.
'Since my youth, I have been fascinated with World War II history, inspired by my father’s service in the U.S. Army,' Allen said.
'The Musashi is truly an engineering marvel and, as an engineer at heart, I have a deep appreciation for the technology and effort that went into its construction.
'I am honored to play a part in finding this key vessel in naval history and honoring the memory of the incredible bravery of the men who served aboard her.'
Allen, the 51st richest person in the world with a net worth of $17.5billion, according to Forbes Magazine, is known for his love of history - and also his generosity with the Octopus to help other exploration missions.
In 2012, Allen loaned the same ship that located the Musashi to the British government to locate HMS Hood bell from the bottom of the Denmark Strait.
The search was eventually called off due to bad weather.
The Octopus has also collaborated on Google Earth’s 'Explore the Ocean' feature, and has helped the Discovery Science Channel capture footage for a documentary to study the effects of nuclear detonation on the marine environment.
Director James Cameron has also used it, for a seven-hour solo journey to the earth's deepest point back in 2012.
But Allen is not confined to undersea exploration, either.
The American is also working on a project called Stratolaunch, which aims to put 'cost-effective' cargo and manned missions into space.
He launched SpaceShipOne, the first privately built craft into suborbital space in 2004.
Spokespersons for the Philippines' navy and coast guard told AFP they were not informed of the discovery.
