SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA—According to an Australian Broadcasting Corporation report, SS Iron Crown, an Australian merchant freighter torpedoed by a Japanese submarine during World War II, has been found under nearly 2,300 feet of water in the Bass Strait, which separates Tasmania from the Australian mainland. The ship sank within a single minute of being struck, and all but five of the 43 crew members were lost. Marine archaeologists mapped the wreck site and the surrounding sea floor with multibeam sonar equipment, and took pictures of it with a special drop camera, from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization research vessel Investigator. Emily Jateff of the Australian National Maritime Museum said Iron Crown sits upright on the sea floor and appears to be relatively intact. The bow of the ship, its railings, anchor chains, and anchors were all visible during the camera survey. A memorial service will be planned for the site. To read about the discovery of the wreck of another ship that was torpedoed during World War II, go to “Finding Indianapolis.”
