A team of American and British deep-water explorers just found the deepest shipwreck in the world, the remains of an American destroyer sunk by the Japanese in the Second World War that was 22,621 feet under water.
The team was under Victor Vescovo, a Texas investor, adventurer and reservist in the U.S. Navy. He also founded Caladan Oceanic Expeditions, based in Dallas, which runs a deep-diving submersible. Caladan was working with EYOS Expeditions, from the U.K., in the search for the USS Samuel B. Roberts, a 306-foot destroyer that was sunk in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October, 1944.
The team’s submersible, Limiting Factor, found the “Sammy B” after six dives. (Vescovo has already set records for deep dives on the submersible.) The hull was broken into two pieces, about 33 feet apart, on an underwater slope. It appeared that the ship sank bow first.
The records for the exact location of the wreck were not accurate, but the team was able to pinpoint the wreck using the Limiting Factor’s custom side-scanning sonar.
The sub took video and pictures of the wreck, clearly showing the hull, guns and torpedo tubes (pictured below). Some pictures show picture holes from Japanese shells, including a massive hit on the stern quarter.
The Sammy B was part of an American fleet opposing a Japanese force in the Battle of Samar in the Philippine Sea in what has become known as the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The Sammy B was attacked by three larger and heavier battleships, and then two heavy cruisers.
The crew fought to the end, finally using up all their ammunition and firing smoke shells at almost point-blank range in an effort to set the Japanese ships on fire. The Sammy B was finally hit by the Japanese battleship Yamoto and it sank, killing 89 members of the crew. Another 120 crew members were saved after spending 50 hours in the water.
The battle was a turning point in the fight for control of the South Pacific, as the Japanese fleet withdrew.
Samuel J. Cox, a retired admiral and Navy historian, issued a statement, saying “This site is a hallowed war grave, and serves to remind all Americans of the great cost born by previous generations for the freedom we take for granted today.” Read more:
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61925862
