Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder turned billionaire philanthropist, has discovered a Japanese battleship sunken by the U.S. during World War II.
After eight years of searching, Allen announced on Wednesday that he had located the "Musashi" near the Philippines.
"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,"
read a statement on Allen's website.
At the time it was sunk by American forces on October 24, 1944, the Musashi was one of the largest and technologically advanced battleships the world had ever seen.
The ship weighed 73,000 tons fully loaded and was "armed with nine 46 cm Type 94 main guns."
USA Today reported that half of the 2,399 crewmembers died when the ship was hit and sunk by approximately 19 torpedoes and 17 bombs.
Allen's super yacht has been regularly used for sea expeditions and rescue missions. It has been deployed by Google for its "Explore the Ocean" feature, loaned out to the Discovery Channel for a segment on nuclear detonation, and in 2012 director James Cameron used it on his expedition to the Mariana trench, the deepest section of all the oceans.
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