Team Led by Paul G. Allen Locates One of the Largest Battleships Ever Constructed

A research team led by Paul G. Allen has located the Musashi, one of the world’s largest and most technologically advanced battleships. The ship was sunk during World War II and, despite numerous eyewitness accounts, the exact location of the ship was unknown.

Using historical records from four different countries, detailed topographical data and advanced technology aboard his yacht, M/Y Octopus, Mr. Allen and his team discovered the wreckage in the Sibuyan Sea off the Philippines on March 1, 2015.

Musashi was sunk by American forces on October 24, 1944 in the lead up to the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The discovery of the ship marks an important milestone in the annals of World War II naval history. The Musashi, and her sister ship Yamato, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed.

Commissioned in 1942, Musashi weighs 73,000 tons fully loaded, and was armed with nine 46 cm Type 94 main guns. Roughly half of the crew members were killed when the ship sank.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFG7Oi7roes

Mr. Allen’s passion for preserving and sharing historic military technology is inspired by his father’s service in WWII. His Flying Heritage Collection showcases military artifacts that have been restored and preserved to illustrate the sacrifice and bravery of those who served. Mr. Allen has been searching for the Musashi for more than 8 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.

M/Y Octopus is one of the world’s largest and most recognizable yachts and reflects Mr. Allen's passion for exploring the sea. Launched in 2003, Octopus is regularly used for exploration projects, scientific research initiatives and rescue missions. Octopus was inspired by Mr. Allen's recollections of Jacques Cousteau’s underwater adventures and a curiosity about what lies beneath the ocean’s surface. Recent projects include collaborating on Google Earth’s “Explore the Ocean” feature and helping Discovery Science Channel capture footage for a documentary to study the effects of nuclear detonation on the marine environment.

In 2012, Director James Cameron used Octopus for his expedition to the Earth's deepest point, a seven-hour solo journey to explore a place 120-times larger than the Grand Canyon.

Mr. Allen supported the 2012 expedition to recover the bell from the HMS Hood, a battlecruiser that lays at the bottom of the Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland after being sunk during WWII in May 1941.