Since 2000, at least fourteen expedition crews have tried unsuccessfully to find the final resting place of HMS Trooperbut the ill-fated World War II submarine has finally been located. According to researchers, the British ship lies 250 meters deep at the bottom of the Ikarian Sea, near the Greek island of Donoussa – and the wreckage suggests an underwater mine is to blame.
In early October 1943, HMS Trooper set sail for the Greek island of Kalamos, where the 64 crew members had to deploy three resistance fighters. The submarine was then ordered to patrol the Aegean Sea, an area littered with German naval mines. Although scheduled to dock in Beirut on October 17, the Trooper never arrived and the crew have been missing ever since.
Salvage crews tried for years to locate the submarine’s remains based on the last supposed sighting on October 14, 1943. But Kostas Thoctarides, founder and owner of an underwater salvage company Planet Bluetheorized a different scenario: the last known sighting was not the Trooperbut another submarine of the same class. If true, the ship would likely be further west than previously thought.
Thoctarides and his crew searched their newly proposed area using an onboard sonar system and eventually discovered a significant mass at the bottom of the sea near the Aegean island of Donussa. They then deployed the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) “Super Achille” to get a better view, and finally confirmed the Trooper‘s location on October 3. However, solving the 81-year-old mystery has not been smooth sailing as the Icarian Sea is notorious for its dangerous weather conditions.
“The Ikarian Sea is one of the most difficult seas with strong winds, waves and strong underwater currents,” Thoctarides explains in an interview with LiveScience on October 15.
Visual analysis of the Trooper heavily damaged wreckage appears to confirm that the submarine succumbed to one of the German mines. This was reported by the Greek Press Agency ANA-MPAthe explosion appears to have broken the submarine into three separate parts, the longest being a stern section about 100 feet long. Since a hatch of the conning tower is still open, experts also believe the ship likely sank while sailing along the surface.
[Related: ‘Ghost Ship of the Pacific’ rediscovered with underwater drones.]
Captain Richard Wraith of the British Royal Navy expressed his congratulations to the Planet Blue team, along with the hope that “any relatives of those lost… can use the final location of Trooper as a focal point to lay to rest any memories of their loved ones.” One of those loved ones is Wraith’s father, Lt. John Wraith, who served as the Trooper‘s commander during his last mission.
