FUGRO EQUATOR

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Wreck behind of one of the worst maritime disasters found by Fugro team

In a mission that took nearly five years of planning, the crew of the 'Fugro Equator' has locatied the wreck of the 'Montevideo Maru', one of the worst international maritime disasters in history. Working in close partnership with the Silentworld Foundation and the Rabaul and Montevideo Maru Society, and with support from Australia’s Department of Defence, the Fugro company used their unparalleled deepwater hydrographic and oceanographic expertise to successfully identify the wreckage of the Japanese transport ship at a depth of more than 4000 metres off the coast of the Philippines. The 'Montevideo Maru' was carrying approximately 1,060 prisoners of war and civilians when it was sunk by the American submarine USS 'Sturgeon' on July 1, 1942 off the Philippines. The submarine's crew did not know that there were 1,060 civilian and military prisoners on board. The 1,060 men had been captured by the Japanese at Rabaul in Papua New Guinea a few months before. 850 of those on board were Australian soldiers, another 129 Australian civilians - making the sinking the worst maritime disaster in Australia's history.The tragedy resulted in fatalities from at least 14 countries, including Australia, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, Japan, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Solomon Islands, Sweden and the US. On April 6, 2023, 110 km north-west of Luzon in the Philippines, the Fugro team started the search onboard the 'Fugro Equator', one of the world’s most advanced and well-equipped hydrographic survey vessels. Deploying an AUV with an in-built sonar, a positive sighting was recorded after 12 days. Verification of the wreck came a few days later using expert analysis from the project team, which comprised maritime archaeologists, conservators, operations and research specialists, and ex-naval officers. It was hoped that by finding the vessel, closure can be brought to the many families devastated by the disaster. Reports with photos: https://africaports.co.za/#6720 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-24/new-images-from-the-montevideo-maru-shipwreck-car-truck-seabed/102261198 https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/closure-for-montevideo-maru-victims-families-and-lesson-for-australias-defence/news-story/57e3c94a633a0ac11898d3adea0ccb68

Research vessel found first submarine loss in WW 1

The Australien submarine HMAS "AE1" which was the first Allied submarine loss of WW 1 and and the first wartime loss for the Royal Australian Navy was found by the "Fugro Equator" more than a century after vanishing off Papua New Guinea’s coast. The boat got lost on Sep 14, 1914, near the Duke of York Islands with 35 crew members from Australia, Britain and New Zealand on board. Its disappearance marked Australia’s oldest naval mystery. She was found in more than 300-metre deep waters in the same area after an expedition – the 13th search – was launched last week. The discovery may help investigators uncover what caused the submarine to sink. The AE1 was commissioned in Portsmouth, England in February 1914 and reached Sydney in May. It took part in operations leading to the occupation of German New Guinea. The wrecl was located using a range of technologies, including a magnetometer that measures magnetic disturbances, remotely operated vehicles and a deep-drop camera. The Australian government was working with their PNG counterparts to preserve the site and arrange for a commemoration of the sub and its crew. The search was jointly funded by the Australia government, the Australian National Maritime Museum, and two maritime history organisations. Report with photos: http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2125238/military-mystery-solved-ship-used-hunt-mh370-jet-helps-find

Fugro Equator returned to port after search for lost flight was aborted

The "Fugro Equator" returned to port of Stockingham on Jan 22, 2017, where officials from the countries that funded the fruitless search for the lost flight MH 370 gathered to thank them and to defend their decision to end the hunt despite recommendations from investigators that it continue. Transport officials from Australia, Malaysia and China met in the Western Australia state capital of Perth to greet the crew of the Fugro Equator", who were ordered to return last week after the countries officially suspended the nearly three-year search for the plane in the Indian Ocean. The $160 million deep-sea sonar search off Australia's west coast failed to find any trace of the plane, which vanished March 8, 2014, on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. But Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester denied that the effort had been a failure, saying crews had managed to eliminate the 120,000-square kilometre search zone as a possible crash site. The investigators calculated the possible new crash site by reanalyzing satellite data that tracked the plane's movements and looking at a new drift analysis of debris that has washed ashore on coastlines throughout the Indian Ocean. The experts recommended in a report released last month by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau that the new area be searched. On Jan 23 the bureau's chief commissioner expressed confidence that the plane probably lies in that new zone. But the three countries agreed months ago that the hunt would be suspended after crews finished combing the official search zone unless credible new evidence emerged that pinpointed the specific location of the aircraft. The investigators' recommendation wasn't precise enough to justify an extension of the search. Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said he was meeting later on Jan 23 with a representative of the families to hear their concerns, but said Malaysia had no plans to fund a new search based on the investigators' recent recommendation. The investigation into the plane's disappearance would continue, with Malaysia taking the lead in analyzing future debris that washes ashore in the hopes it can provide clues to the location of the underwater wreckage. Australian officials would assist when needed. Liow also contradicted an earlier statement from his deputy that the Malaysian government was offering a reward to any private company that found the plane's fuselage. Liow said the comment last week by Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi reflected his deputy's personal opinion, and was not an official proposal by the government. Report with photo: http://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/ship-involved-in-failed-search-for-mh370-returns-home-1.3252547