Wreck of British WWII special-ops submarine found after decades-long search

Warship carrying 64 crew members likely sank after it was hit by a torpedo

A Greek diver has found a special ops British submarine from the Second World War that was last seen in 1942 – ending a nearly 25-year-long search for the warship that had undertaken several “difficult and dangerous” missions.

The HMS Triumph was finally found by veteran diver Kostas Thoctarides in what he said was “the hardest mission I have ever undertaken in my life”.

He announced the discovery of the long-lost submarine last week at an undisclosed location beneath the Aegean Sea.

The submarine’s wreckage was found at the bottom of the sea about tens of kilometres off Greece’s coast, based on inputs on the site by researchers from Britain, Greece, Germany and Italy.

“The history of the submarine Triumph is multidimensional and unique in maritime history, and is inseparable to national resistance and the secret services that acted in the dark days of occupation,” Mr Thoctarides said in a Facebook post.

“After intense operational action and 21 war patrols, Triumph will be lost in the blue waters of the Aegean on January 9, 1942,” he said after discovering the submarine.

In videos posted by Mr Thoctarides of the wreckage site, the sunken submarine’s compass, deck gun and steering wheel can be seen.

The submarine started operations in May 1939 and carried out 20 combat patrols over the course of the war, during which it sank several enemy ships and the Italian submarine Salpa.

It is known to have undertaken several “difficult and dangerous” missions, including the landing of agents of British intelligence missions as well as rescuing trapped military soldiers fleeing to Alexandria, Egypt.

The submarine’s last known patrol, according to experts, was in Nazi-occupied Greece, carrying lieutenant John Huddart and his crew of over 60 men after delivering MI9 officers and Greek resistance fighters ashore at Antiparos island.

“On 26 December 1941 the submarine would depart from Alexandria for its final mission after which it would then return to England for general repair and long-term maintenance,” the veteran diver said.

On its 21st patrol, the submarine’s mission was to carry out two special operations and conduct an aggressive patrol in a specific area of the Aegean Sea as well.

One of its top-secret missions was to transfer financial assistance in aid of those in occupied Athens as well as two sets of radio transmitters for communication with Cairo.

Its second secret mission was to coordinate the escape of 30 British refugees in Antiparos.

But the submarine never returned, and the escapees were known to have been recaptured.

At the time it was lost, the submarine was known to have carried 64 people: seven officers, 55 crew members and two commandos who were operating vessels carrying supplies and people to and from the Triumph.

The submarine likely sank following a high-powered explosion in its anterior section.

Experts, including Mr Thoctarides, believe all 64 people died in the submarine, making the wreckage site a maritime war grave.

Wreckage of ships and submarines lost from the Second World War era, along with their crew, continue to be discovered in many parts of the world.

In April, maritime researchers discovered a sunken Japanese ship that was torpedoed off the Philippines coast in 1942.

The merchant ship was carrying 864 soldiers from Australia, resulting in one of the country’s biggest losses during the war.