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THE wreck of a British submarine that vanished without a trace during World War Two has been found in Greece – solving a mystery of 80 years.
The HMS Trooper was patrolling on a secret mission in the Aegean Sea when it disappeared in October 1943 – with 64 crew members onboard.
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The missing sub was discovered 830ft underwater in the Icarian Sea by underwater research team Planet Blue led by Kostas Thoktaridis.
Speaking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, Thoktaridis said the 275ft vessel is cut into three sections, the bow, the middle section and the stern.
This indicates a very violent sinking following a mine explosion.
The HMS Trooper set off in October 1943 for a patrol mission between Donoussa islet and Ikaria after British intelligence received information the Germans would attempt a new landing possibly in Leros.
When it did not return to the port of Beirut as ordered on October 17, it was reported missing and later presumed lost from German mines around Leros.
It was finally located 81 years later, on one of the five German minefields laid by Drache on September 26, 1943.
George Malcolmson , former Director of Archives of the Royal Navy Submarine Museum said: “It is with great emotion that I learn that the distinguished Greek researcher Kostas Thoktaridis and his team have solved an 81-year-old mystery and discovered the location of the wreck of the British submarine HMS Trooper.
“Knowing the location of the final resting place of our submarine men will help provide an epilogue for surviving relatives and descendants and serves as a timely reminder of this special class of men who made the ultimate sacrifice. Resurgam. (I shall rise again).
While Richard Wraith , Captain in the Royal Navy and son of the captain of HMS Trooper added: “I have known for many years the painstaking effort of the search team to locate the wreck of the submarine and now I am very pleased and excited that their efforts were rewarded.
“I hope that the family members of those lost along with my father will be able to use the Trooper’s definitive status as a reference point to help lay their loved ones’ memories to rest.”
There was no intervention to the sub throughout the search as it serves as the grave of the 64 men of the crew.
Among them was also Australian volunteer officer Lt. John Stuart Ryder, 22.
History of the HMS Trooper
The HMS Trooper (N91) was a T-class submarine of the Royal Navy launched in March 1942.
Her first operation was Operation Principal, which used human torpedoes to sink Italian ships in Palermo harbour.
The HMS Trooper spent most of its career in the Mediterranean.
It sailed on 26 September 1943 to cover the Dodecanese islands.
It went missing after it was ordered to patrol between Donousa and Ikaria and failed to return to Beirut on October 17.
She is presumed lost to mines around Leros after Germans claimed it was sunk by Q-ship GA.45 on 15 October 1943.
But it turns out the sub that was actually attacked was HMS Torbay – which escaped undamaged.
Efforts to locate the missing sub started in 2000 with more than 14 failed missions in the Dodecanese.
The searches were focused in the minefields of Leros, Kalymnos and Kos.
It was finally located between Ikaria and Kos – where Thoktaridis says is one of the most difficult seas with strong winds and strong underwater currents.
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What happened to HMS Trooper?
The HMS Trooper sailed from Beirut on its eighth offensive patrol on September 26, 1943 Lt. John S. Wraith.
At the time Germany was determined to take control of the Dodecanese from Italy to prevent the presence of Allies on the Aegean islands.
It was ordered to patrolling in the Aegean as well as transporting three agents to Evia, the Greek reporter reports.
It reached the prearranged area and landed on shore on September 30, 1943.
Greek Intelligence Service Major Georgios Diamantopoulos, Lt. Emmanuil Veis and a radio operator with the code name “Thomas” were the last people to exit the submarine.
After obtaining information the Germans were planning a new landing operation in Leros, the HMS Trooper was ordered to patrol the area between Donousa and Ikaria.
The sub was reported missing after it failed to return to Beirut on October 17.
It was finally located on one of the five German minefields laid by Drache, 81 years later.
