An Australian government maritime archaeologist appears to have partially unraveled the mystery of how a Japanese midget submarine that attacked Sydney Harbor during World War II finally met its end.
Tim Smith, who led an official investigation of the M24 after its discovery off Australia's east coast in November 2006, believes he has found the answer to where the Japanese two-man submarine M24 was heading during its final hours.
After lying undisturbed on the ocean floor for almost 65 years, the submarine was discovered by a group of amateur divers.
The discovery helped bring a sense of closure to family members of the Japanese submariners — 23-year-old Sub-Lt. 1st Class Katsuhisa Ban, the sub's commander, and 24-year-old Petty Officer 1st Class Mamoru Ashibe, the navigator — whose remains are thought to be still resting in the underwater grave.