Darwin divers find WW2 US Navy wreck

Updated May 30, 2008 18:59:55

In Australia's north, divers working for a Japanese gas company have found the wreckage of a US Navy Catalina flying boat from the second world war.

It's the last of six American Catalinas wrecks to be found in Darwin Harbour.

Japanese resource company Inpex is surveying the seabed in Darwin Harbour for a proposed gas plant.

A Darwin based dive team were in the East Arm area when they found the underground wreck.

Diver Sue Sultana was the first on the scene, 18 metres below the surface.

"Sticking up a few metres off the seabed was all the framework for that," she said.

"So that's pretty unusual."

The divers said they knew immediately that they'd found the Catalina.

Its location has been mystery for 66 years.

US Catalinas were brought to Darwin during the Second World War.

This is one of three struck during air raids in 1942.

The Territory government says the site will now be considered for heritage listing.

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