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A manned submersible filmed, photographed and examined the wreckage of the USS Johnston off Samar Island.
PHOTO: AFP / CALADAN OCEANIC
- A US Navy destroyer sunk during World War II has been hit in the deepest wreck dive in the world.
- The 115-meter-long ship was sunk on October 25, 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
- Sonar data, imagery, and field notes collected during the dives would be delivered to the US Navy.
A US Navy destroyer sunk during World War II and found nearly 6,500 meters below sea level off the Philippines has been hit in the world’s deepest wreck dive, a US exploration team said.
A crewed submersible filmed, photographed and examined the wreckage of the USS Johnston off Samar Island during two eight-hour dives completed late last month, the Texas-based underwater technology company Caladan Oceanic said.
The 115-meter-long ship was sunk on October 25, 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf as US forces fought to liberate the Philippines, then a US colony, from Japanese occupation.
Their location in the Philippine Sea was discovered in 2019 by another expedition group, but most of the wreckage was out of range of their remotely operated vehicle.
“I have just completed the deepest wreck dive in history, to find the main wreckage of the destroyer USS Johnston,” tweeted Caladan Oceanic founder Victor Vescovo, who piloted the submersible.
“We placed the forward 2/3 of the ship, upright and intact, at a depth of 6456 meters. Three of us through two dives inspected the ship and paid our respects to her brave crew.
Only 141 of the ship’s 327 crew survived, according to US Navy records.
The expedition backed by Caladan Oceanic found the bow, bridge and midsection intact with the hull number “557” still visible.
Two full five-inch gun turrets, twin torpedo racks and multiple gun mounts remain in place, he said.
Team historian and navigator Parks Stephenson said the wreck sustained damage during the intense battle on the surface 76 years ago.
“It was fired from the largest warship ever built, the Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Yamato, and fiercely defended itself,” Stephenson said.
Sonar data, imagery and field notes collected during the dives would be delivered to the US Navy, Vescovo said.
