Australia’s oldest naval mystery solved

A Royal Australian Navy vessel, the first Allied submarine lost in World War I, has been found after a 103-year search, lying at a depth of 300m off the Duke of York Islands in Papua New Guinea

HMAS AE1, regarded as technological marvel in its day

PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Rabaul
Port Moresby
Cairns
QUEENSLAND
AUSTRALIA
Brisbane
NEW SOUTH WALES
Canberra
VICTORIA
Sydney
400km 250 miles

Sep 14, 1914: AE1 lost at sea with all 35 crew

Aug 1914: AE1 and sister vessel AE2 deployed to then German protectorate of New Guinea

3D rendering of wreck, modelled from data taken from underwater drone 40m above sea bed

Sep 14: Accompanied by HMAS Parramatta, AE1 leaves Blanche Bay to patrol off Cape
Gazelle. Last seen by Parramatta at 3.30pm. Presumed sunk after striking uncharted reef



20km  12 miles
Duke  of York
Islands
Cape Gazelle
Blanche Bay
Rabaul



AE1 
Length: 55m 
Beam: 6.86m 
Displacement: 760 tonnes

Note: Map depicts modern names/borders 

Pictures: Australian War Memorial, RAN
Melbourne Sources: ABC, RAN    © GRAPHIC NEWS