News

U.S. billionaire Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975, has announced his private exploration team has located the wreck of the famed World War II Japanese battleship, the Musashi. The vessel, one of the largest battleships ever built, was sunk in October 1944 by American warplanes during the historic Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Using an autonomous underwater vehicle, Allen’s team discovered the wreck on the floor of the Sibuyan Sea off the Philippines, at a depth of more than 3,200 feet. Photos of the Musashi have appeared on Allen’s Twitter account.

The find is a triumph for the world’s 51st richest person, who has “been fascinated with Second World War history” since his youth, and who began searching for the Japanese battleship eight years ago.

Read more about the discovery here.