The wreckage of a US Navy destroyer known as “Ghost Ship of the Pacific” were found off the coast of California by underwater investigators.
THE USS Stewart was deliberately sunk during a U.S. Navy exercise in May 1946 and its final resting place on the seabed has now been located, according to a statement from the Air Sea Heritage Foundation and Search Inc, both involved in the investigation, published in Tuesday (1st).
Three autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) deployed by robotic marine research company Ocean Infinity scanned the ocean floor at the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary in northern California over the course of 24 hours starting August 1. Sonar and multibeam echo sounder data revealed that Stewart was 1,036 meters below the ocean surface.
“Preliminary sonar scans have revealed that the Stewart is largely intact and that her hull – which remains elegant and imposing – rests almost vertically on the seabed,” the statement said.
“This level of preservation is exceptional for a ship of its age and makes it potentially one of the best-preserved examples of a US Navy fourstacker destroyer known to exist,” he adds.
The team also performed another sonar survey and sent a remotely operated vehicle equipped with a camera to perform a visual inspection.
Commissioned in 1920, the USS Stewart had a tumultuous life.
The ship was damaged in combat against Japanese forces in 1942 and was captured by the enemy, becoming Patrol Boat No. 102 of the Imperial Japanese Navy, according to the statement.
“Soon, Allied long-range pilots began reporting the strange sight of an old American destroyer operating deep behind enemy lines,” the statement said. “It was only when Stewart was found floating off Kure, Japan, at the end of the war, that the mystery of the Pacific ghost ship was finally solved.”
It was then towed back to San Francisco before being used as a target ship during a naval exercise, sinking after burning for more than two hours.
“In the decades since, the story of the Stewart has attracted the interest of historians, archaeologists, and naval enthusiasts, and the rediscovery of her wreck has become a top national priority for exploration,” the statement reads. “More than 78 years would pass before he was found.”
Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel J. Cox, director of the Naval History and Heritage Command and U.S. Navy curator, praised the team that found the ship.
“Whether lost in battle or sunk as a target, a warship remains sovereign property in perpetuity,” he said in the statement. “It is important to know the location and condition of these wrecks so that they can be protected from unauthorized disturbances under the U.S. Sunken Military Craft Act.”
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This content was originally published in Wreckage of the “Ghost Ship of the Pacific” is found off the coast of the USA on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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