Lost Submarine HMS Olympus discovered outside Malta
AURORA’s Director of Marine Archeology, Dr. Timmy Gambin led the survey team in this spectacular discovery.
The Olympus struck a mine on May 8, 1942 while leaving the British naval base in the Grand Harbor of Malta, and its location has remained a mystery for almost 70 years until its discovery by AURORA.
In addition to its normal crew of 55, the Olympus was carrying 43 crewmen from two other British submarines that had been sunk during air raids by Italian and German forces. Leaving the Grand Harbor under cover of darkness, the Olympus was maneuvering to clear Malta and set a course for Gibraltar as its when it struck a mine and rapidly sank. Only 9 survivors of the 98 crew and passengers onboard made the 7-mile swim back to Malta, as the British forces were probably not immediately aware of the tragedy.
The Olympus was an Odin class submarine launched in 1927. She served the Royal Australian Navy in China before being repositioned to the Mediterranean to support allied efforts against Italian and German shipping during WW II.
The submarine is 283 feet (86.5m) in length and has a beam of just over 19 feet (6m). It has the distinctive deck gun and 8 bow torpedo tubes of the class. Craig Mullen, an AURORA Founder indicates it is sitting upright, almost as though it was still operational and ready to resume its voyage instead of immobile where it came to rest after the violence that brought it to its 70 year resting place on the seafloor off the coast of Malta.
The mine damage is clearly visible in images collected by the ROV deployed by the AURORA team. The entire wreck site was thoroughly documented to confirm the wreck’s identity.
The wreck though covered in sea growth and home to numerous sea life is in surprisingly good condition, and its distinctive features are clearly visible. The 4” deck gun is slightly elevated and ready for action and the bow and stern torpedo tubes are clearly identifiable in the wreck.
The evidence of wartime violence surrounds Malta, and AURORA has located numerous modern and ancient marine wreck sites that give historic evidence of the Island’s pivotal role in Mediterranean history.
The AURORA Trust Foundation for Ocean Exploration and Education was founded in 2004 by two famous ocean explorers, Craig Mullen and Ian Koblick to expand man’s knowledge of the ocean and its critical role in the development of civilization. Referred to as the Lewis and Clark of the ocean they have been particularly active in the central Mediterranean where they have located over 20 ancient wrecks that were previously unknown
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