One of the two largest and most technologically advanced battleships in naval history has been located in the Sibuyan Sea on March 1, 2015.
The search for the vessel Musashi began more than eight years ago and ends just in time for the 70th anniversary of the conclusion of World War II. Philanthropist and entrepreneur, Paul G. Allen, and his team of researchers used historical records from four countries, detailed undersea topographical data and advanced technology aboard M/Y Octopus, to locate the battleship.
A BlueFin-12 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) detected the wreckage of Musashi, and the team, using an ROV, confirmed the identity of the wreckage.
Commissioned in 1942, the Musashi was the largest battleship in naval history, weighing in at 73,000 tons fully loaded. It featured eighteen-inch armor plating and was armed with nine eighteen-inch guns, the largest ever mounted on a warship. Active in several battles, including the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Musashi was eventually sunk by an estimated 19 torpedoes and 17 bombs on October 24, 1944 in the lead up to the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
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