Manila (AFP) - Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen said
Wednesday he had found one of Japan's biggest and most famous battleships on a
Philippine seabed, some 70 years after American forces sank it during World War
II.
Excited historians likened the discovery, if verified, to
finding the Titanic, as they hailed the American billionaire for his high-tech
mission that apparently succeeded after so many failed search attempts by
others.
Allen posted photos and video online of parts of what he
said was the battleship Musashi, found by his M/Y Octopus exploration vessel
one kilometre (0.62 miles) deep on the floor of the Sibuyan Sea.
"World War II battleship Musashi sank 1944 is
found," Allen announced in a Twitter post that has been re-tweeted close
to 19,000 times.
The discovery was the end of an eight-year search for the
Musashi, backed by historical data from four countries and using "advanced
technology" that surveyed the seabed, Allen said in a statement on his
website.
"I am honoured to play a part in finding this key
vessel in naval history and honouring the memory of the incredible bravery of the
men who served aboard her," Allen said.
Undersea footage on Allen's website showed what were
described as a valve, a catapult for planes, a gun turret and a starboard
anchor.
View galleryA wheel on a valve believed to be from a lower
engineering …
A wheel on a valve believed to be from a lower engineering
area of the World War II Japanese battles …
It also showed the space on the bow for the Japanese
empire's Chrysanthemum seal.
This is a unique feature of the three biggest warships that Japan
built during World War II, according to Kazushige Todaka, director of the Kure
Maritime Museum in Japan.
- 'Destiny' -
"I'm almost certain that what was discovered is the
battleship Musashi," he said, adding the find had huge historical
importance.
"There have been so many efforts over the years to
locate Musashi, but they all failed. I feel like the warship might have been
destined to show itself this year -- the 70th anniversary of the end of World
War II," Todaka said.
"With the memory of war slipping further and further
from people's minds, I hope this discovery will help make the public think
about history."
View galleryThe bow of the World War II Japanese battleship
Musashi …
The bow of the World War II Japanese battleship Musashi
after it was found in Sibuyan Sea, Philippin …
Manolo Quezon, a prominent historian in the Philippines and
the presidential communications undersecretary, also said the Musashi wreck
would be a "major" historical find if verified.
"This would be like finding the Titanic, because of the
status of the ship and the interest on the ship," Quezon told AFP.
The Musashi was one of a trio of vessels built by Japan
during the war that, at 263 metres (863 feet) each, were its biggest battleships
ever.
American warplanes sank the Musashi on October 24, 1944, at
the height of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, regarded as the largest naval encounter
of the war in which US and Australian forces defeated the Japanese.
Dozens of Japanese warships that were sunk during World War
II have since been found in the Philippines, with some of them now popular dive
locations.
The Sibuyan Sea where the Musashi was reportedly found is at
the heart of the Philippines' central Visayas islands, and is home to busy shipping
lanes.
- Multi-dimensional billionaire -
The Seattle-born Allen, 62, who founded Microsoft with Bill
Gates in 1975, is the world's 51st richest person with a net worth of $17.5
billion, according to Forbes Magazine.
He is also a famous philanthropist and businessman with a
focus on innovation.
Allen is working on a project called Stratolaunch, which
aims to put "cost-effective" cargo and manned missions into space.
He launched SpaceShipOne, the first privately built
spacecraft, into sub-orbital space in 2004.
In Allen's statement on his website, he said he been driven
to pursue the Musashi for many reasons.
"Since my youth, I have been fascinated with World War
II history, inspired by my father's service in the US Army," he said.
"The Musashi is truly an engineering marvel and, as an
engineer at heart, I have a deep appreciation for the technology and effort
that went into its construction."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-billionaire-says-wwii-japanese-ship-found-philippines-063105060.html
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