KITTERY, Maine (AP)  The deadliest submarine disaster in U.S. history is being remembered on the 55th anniversary.

Hundreds of people including descendants of the USS Thresher crew and current and retired sailors attended a somber memorial Saturday at Traip Academy in Kittery.

Built at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the first-in-class Thresher was the world’s most advanced fast attack submarine when it was commissioned. But a malfunction during a deep-sea dive off Cape Cod on April 10, 1963, claimed the lives of all 129 aboard.

The Portsmouth Herald reports that the granddaughter of Charles Wiggins, one of those who died, talked about how it’s hard for others to understand the loss.

She said family members were fortunate to be surrounded by people who understand, and to “honor these men and assure they’re not forgotten.”

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Information from: Portsmouth Herald, http://www.seacoastonline.com