The wreck of the sunken Dutch submarine Hr.Ms. K XI has been discovered off the Australian coast. A team of deep-sea divers from Perth made the special discovery in January, but the wreck still had to be identified. It turned out to be the Royal Navy submarine that was built in 1925. The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) announced the discovery February 19.
The boat patrolled the waters around the Dutch East Indies for many years. During the Second World War, Hr.Ms. K XI played an important role in the rescue of 13 Australian passengers from a ship attacked by Japanese warships.
After the war, the submarine was decommissioned in 1946 and deliberately sunk near Rottnest Island, near Perth.
The divers who rediscovered the boat are from WreckSploration and Diving WA Shipwrecks. The Western Australian Museum confirmed the identity of the submarine. This was done by comparing historical data with a 3D model made by the researchers.