A U.S. Navy destroyer sunk greater than 76 years in the past has been present in “the deepest wreck dive in historical past.”
The usJohnston, led by Captain Ernest Evans, sunk in October 1944 after charging “outgunned and outmanned” to guard an American touchdown drive within the Philippines from an enormous line of Japanese warships, in accordance with Naval Historical past and Heritage Command information.
The World Battle II battle ultimately led to American victory, however solely after greater than 2,600 casualties on each side. Practically 190 crew members of the Johnston’s 327 died – together with Evans, the primary Native American within the Navy to be awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor.
The destroyed ship lay on the backside of the ocean, at greater than 20,000 ft, till it was found within the Philippine Sea in 2019.
The NHHC assessed the wreck then as “most likely the Johnston primarily based on relative location,” however had been unclear on whether or not the ship was the Johnston or the Hoel, which had options recognized on the wreckage, in accordance with the information launch.
Diving crews had been unable to achieve it for an up-close look, partly due to its depth – it is about 60% deeper in water than the RMS Titanic.
“Simply accomplished the deepest wreck dive in historical past, to search out the principle wreckage of the destroyer USS Johnston,” tweeted Caladan Oceanic founder and pilot Victor Vescovo, a former Naval officer.
“We situated the entrance 2/3 of the ship, upright and intact, at a depth of 6456 meters [21,180 feet]. Three of us throughout two dives surveyed the vessel and gave respects to her courageous crew.”
The expedition discovered the bow, bridge and mid-section of the Johnston intact, together with two full gun turrets, twin torpedo racks and a number of gun mounts and the hull quantity “557” nonetheless seen, in accordance with Caladan’s assertion on the dive.
At 20,000 ft, there may be low oxygen, so the ship did not deteriorate like it might in shallower waters, Vescovo defined on Twitter, additionally tweeting video of the shipwreck.
All sonar knowledge, imagery and discipline notes collected through the dives shall be turned over to the U.S. Navy for dissemination and additional analysis.
“We used knowledge from each the US and the Japanese accounts and as is so typically the case the analysis brings the historical past again to life. Studying the accounts of the Johnston’s final day are humbling and must be preserved as upholding the very best traditions of the Navy. This was mortal fight in opposition to unimaginable odds,” mentioned Naval historian Parks Stephenson.
