Wreck of British submarine found in Greece's Icarian Sea nearly 80 years after loss

A team of researchers has located the wreck of a British Royal Navy submarine that was lost along with its entire crew during the Second World War.

The Planet Blue team led by Greek diver and researcher Kostas Thoktaridis confirmed that the wreck lying at the bottom of the Icarian Sea off the Cyclades Islands is that of HMS Trooper, a Royal Navy T-class submarine that was operated primarily in the Mediterranean Sea.

Trooper was declared lost at sea after it failed to return from its eighth war patrol near the Dodecanese Islands in mid-October 1943. Nazi German forces claimed that one of their own armed merchant ships sank the submarine, while the Western Allies have attributed the loss to enemy mines near Leros.

The discovery of the wreck was first announced by Greek media on Sunday, October 6, nearly 79 years to the day Trooper was presumed lost. At the time of its sinking, the submarine had been in Royal Navy service for just over 13 months.

The submarine was found in three sections at a depth of approximately 250 metres. Thoktaridis told reporters that this may be an indication that the sinking was caused by a mine detonation.

The first expedition attempting to locate Trooper was undertaken in 2000. The recent discovery was made following 14 failed attempts.