(CNN) It vanished January 27, 1968, but the wreckage of the French submarine Minerve has finally been found about 28 miles off the southern coast of France, near the port of Toulon.

Fifty-two crew members were on board when it went missing.

The search was made possible thanks to "recent technological advances in underwater exploration, including the use of new sonars and research drones," French Defense Minister Florence Parly said in a statement Monday.

The wreckage was discovered at a depth of nearly 1½ miles.

Researchers from Ocean Infinity search for the French submarine Minerve.

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission analyzed seismic measurements from the time when the Minerve disappeared to narrow the research area, and the navy's Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service provided scientific direction for that research.

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