For years, recovery teams tried to locate the wreckage of the HMS Trooper submarine, last reported seen on October 14, 1943. However, according to popsci.com, Kostas Thoctarides, founder of the underwater recovery company Planet Blue, proposed a new theory: the submarine’s supposed final sighting wasn’t the Trooper, but another vessel of the same class. If correct, this meant the submarine could be located further west than initially thought.
Thoctarides and his team focused their search in the newly identified region, using shipboard sonar to scan the area. They eventually detected a large mass on the seabed near the Aegean island of Donoussa. On October 3, after deploying the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) “Super Achille” for closer inspection, they confirmed the wreckage was indeed the long-lost Trooper. The mission, however, faced significant challenges due to the notoriously treacherous conditions of the Icarian Sea.
“The Icarian Sea is one of the most difficult seas, with strong winds, waves, and powerful underwater currents,” Thoctarides explained in an interview with LiveScience on October 15.
A visual inspection of the severely damaged wreckage revealed that the submarine likely struck a German mine, which caused it to break into three sections. The largest, a stern piece, measured about 106 feet. An open hatch on the conning tower suggests the submarine may have been sailing on the surface when it sank.
Capt. Richard Wraith of the British Royal Navy praised the find, offering hope to the families of the lost crew, including his father, Lt. John Wraith, the sub’s commander.
Source: popsci.com
