A US Navy destroyer that deployed a superior Japanese fleet in the largest naval battle of World War II in the Philippines has become the deepest wreckage discovered, according to explorers.
The USS Samuel B. Roberts, popularly known as the “Sammy B,” was identified Wednesday as broken into two pieces on a slope of 6,985 meters.
That puts it 426 meters deeper than the USS Johnson, the previous deepest wreck discovered last year in the Philippine Sea, also by American explorer Victor Vescovo, founder of the Dallas-based Caladan Oceanic Expeditions.
He announced the latest find along with UK-based EYOS Expeditions.
Another video from the research dive on Sammy B. This one is from starboard at the bridge and forward gun mounts. We kept our distance as we saw potentially live grenades in the 40mm gun and later towards the stern, depth charges still in their racks. pic.twitter.com/DY54o6Prpx
“It was an extraordinary honor to locate this incredibly famous ship, and in doing so have the opportunity to tell her story of heroism and duty to those who may not know about the ship and the sacrifice of her crew,” Vescovo, a former naval commander, said in a statement.
Sammy B. took part in the Battle of Samar, the final phase of the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944, in which the Imperial Japanese Navy suffered the greatest loss of ships and failed to drive US forces out of Leyte, which they invaded earlier as part of the liberation of the Philippines.
According to some records, the destroyer knocked out a Japanese heavy cruiser with one torpedo and significantly damaged another. Having used up almost all of her ammunition, she was badly hit by the lead battleship Yamato and sank.
Out of a crew of 224, 89 died, and 120 were rescued, including the captain, Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland.
“At 6,895 meters high, it is now the deepest shipwreck ever located and explored.”
That’s the tweet of Caladan Oceanic founder Victor Vescovo, who piloted the submarine that examined the battered hull of the “Sammy B”.
According to Samuel J. Cox, a retired admiral and naval historian, Copeland declared that there was “no greater honor” than to bring the men who displayed such incredible courage to battle against overwhelming odds whose survival could not be. Are expected.
“This site is a holy war grave and serves to remind all Americans of the great costs previous generations have borne for the freedom we take for granted today,” Cox said in a statement.
The explorers said that the historical records of where the wreck was until its discovery were not very accurate.
The search involved using the deepest side-scan sonar ever installed and operated on an underwater vessel, well above the standard commercial limits of 6,000 meters, EYOS said.