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Japanese World War II Battleship Musashi's Wreck Found

A valve on the Musashi.
Courtesy of Paul Allen
A valve on the Musashi.

The World War II-era Japanese battleship Musashi was sunk by U.S. warplanes Oct. 24 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles of the war. Despite numerous eyewitness accounts at the time, the ship's location was never known. Until now.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, whose father served in World War II, says his research team discovered the Musashi's wreckage on March 1 in the Sibuyan Sea off the Philippines. Allen's team used "historical records from four different countries, detailed topographical data and advanced technology aboard his yacht, M/Y Octopus," a statement said.

Allen announced the find on Twitter.

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A statement on Allen's website said he has been searching for the Musashi for more than eight years, "and its discovery will not only help fill in the narrative of WWII's Pacific theater, but bring closure to the families of those lost."

Here's a video on the vessel's discovery.

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