The wreck of the M24 Japanese midget submarine located in Sydney Harbour has been damaged by vandals, Maritime Professional reports.
Vandals entered the protection zone and removed the blades and relics of a key piece of Australian World War II history, The Sydney Morning Herald informed.
The wreck, protected under NSW heritage laws, was discovered by a scuba diver in 2006 off the coast of Sydney Harbour.
Anyone found guilty of damaging or disturbing a protected wreck or removing relics faces a $10,000 fine or five years in jail.
[mappress]
Subsea World News Staff, March 21, 2013; Image: baseline.nsw.gov.au