HMS Olympus

HMS Olympus is an Odin class submarine. Designed for the Royal Australian Navy to patrol large distances in the Pacific Ocean. From 1931 to 1939, Olympus was a part of the fourth fleet in China. From 1939 until 1940, it was a part of the eighth fleet in Ceylon. Since 1940, it served in the Mediterranean Sea. On 7 July 1940, during the stay in a dock of the port in Malta, Olympus was bombed by Italian aircraft. After more than four months of repairs, it continued sailing in the Mediterranean Sea. On 8 May 1942, it sailed from Malta to Gibraltar with a crew plus the survivors from the submarines Pandora P3 and P39, sunken during the raids. Seven miles from the coast of Malta, Olympus hit a mine and sank. Only 9 of the 98 people who were on board survived. The wreck was discovered in 2008, and in 2011 its identity was confirmed. It lies at a depth of 115 metres. Besides damage caused by the mine, the eighty-metre long wreck is almost in perfect condition.