Japanese midget sub solves maritime mystery

More than 60 years after disappearing off the coast of Sydney, a Japanese midget submarine has been discovered by a group of divers, solving one of Australia's greatest maritime puzzles. The midget submarine, known as M24 and commanded by Katsuhisa Ban and Mamoru Ashibe, was one of three that entered Sydney Harbour in 1942. Two were sunk but intriguingly no sign had ever been found of M24 until November last year, when seven amateur divers accidentally discovered its wreck during a recreational dive. The Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Ian Campbell, acted quickly to enact a protected zone around M24, ensuring that the site - precious to both Australia and Japan - remains undisturbed.