Submarine that disappeared with 64 crew members on board finally discovered decades after it vanished without a trace
A submarine that disappeared with 64 crew members on board has finally been discovered decades after it went missing.
The British sub - the HMS Trooper - vanished without a trace back in 1943 after it dived into the sea off the coast of the Greek island Kalamos.
All 64 of the men aboard the vessel were never seen again and the tragedy remained a mystery for decades.
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However, after years of searching for answers, a team of researchers have finally located the submarine.
The Greek underwater recovery firm, Planet Blue, was able to pinpoint the exact location of the missing sub and they’ve even determined what happened during its final moments.
The founder of Planet Blue, Kostas Thoctarides, uploaded a post to Facebook where he explained exactly what the company had found.
After a false sighting of the vessel not long after it went missing, people had spent decades searching in the wrong spot.
This all changed on October 3 2024, when Planet Blue used sonar technology to find the sub just north of the Greek island of Donousa.
Thoctarides wrote: “Eighty-one years after the loss, the first images of HMS Trooper from -253 meters (830 ft) in the Aegean Sea were awe inspiring.”
Detailing the submarine’s last moments, Thoctarides explained that the vessel was destroyed by a German minefield.
The sub hunter went on to say: “The submarine had entered one of five minefields laid by the German minelayer Drache and had been sunk early on the 7th October 1943, taking the 64 officers and men onboard to the bottom.
“The 84 meter long Trooper is broken into three distinct sections, bow section, midships section and the stern section, which confirms a very violent sinking, due to a catastrophic mine explosion.
“The German EMF type mine contained 350 kg of hexane explosive. The result of the explosion was the immediate and rapid sinking, with the submarine breaking into three separate pieces: First the bow went down, then the stern and lastly the midship section, which had remained on the surface for a few minutes.
“The bow and stern lie on the seabed in close proximity, while the submarine's conning tower has broken away and is located a little further away. The scene is quite eerie…”
Richard Wraith, who is the son of the doomed submarine’s commander, said: “I have been aware for many years of the strenuous effort by the Greek research team to locate the wreck of the submarine and am now very pleased and excited that their endeavors have been rewarded.
“I hope that any family members of those lost with my father may be able to use the definitive location of Trooper as a focal point to help lay to rest any memories of their loved ones.”