We are pleased to announce that our world-renowned oceanographer, Robert Mallard, has discovered a Japanese aircraft carrying submarine. This is the second such discovery in 2009; the first coming in Feburary 2009 by a team of archaeologists who worked with National Geographic. However, Mallard’s discovery yielded more than just a submarine – he found a submarine that is still fighting the war.

A computer model of the I-14 submarine as it would appear if the sides of the submarine were almost totally transparent.

Early in October, Mallard set out to find any remaining aircraft carrying submarines that may be off the coast of Hawaii. The United States government had reportedly sunk multiple, captured ”samurai submarines” in the area in an effort to hide this technology from other nations - namely Russia. With help from the team that found the first of the submarines, Mallard was able to pinpoint where any remaining submarines may be. What he found was not just the remaining submarines but another one that the government had no record of.

On October 27 Mallard and his crew boarded Mackerel, a deep-diving submersible, and began their second full week on the hunt for the samurai subs. The light from Mackerel at first illuminated nothing but reefs, but they soon saw the bow of a sunken submarine in the distance. Seconds later a torpedo came from the submarine but missed them badly because of its awkward position on the sea floor. After one more torpedo hurtled by harmlessly, the crew on the Mackerel witnessed a kamikaze attack. Old, uniformed Japanese men were launched out at them from the torpedo tubes.

The footage Mallard took of the attack is so graphic we have decided to pour our efforts into backing the National Geographic Channel on their story. Hunt for the Samurai Subs premieres Tuesday, November 17, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the National Geographic Channel. Preview Samurai Subs >>

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