Divers Have Discovered The Wreck Of A Destroyer Known As The Ghost Ship Of The Pacific, Used To Fight For Both The United States And Japan During World War II
There were very few warships that fought for both the United States and Japan during World War II. But recently, divers have located the remains of one of these ships approximately 3,500 feet deep in the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, which is about 50 miles northwest of San Francisco.
The destroyer USS Stewart sunk in 1946 during target practice after it was hit by rockets from U.S. warplanes and shells from a U.S. warship. Until now, its exact whereabouts have remained unknown.
Finally, the wreck was discovered by three autonomous water vehicles (AUVs) deployed by Ocean Infinity, a marine robotics company. In under 24 hours, the AUVs searched a 49-square-mile area of the seafloor.
Other participants in the search included the nonprofit Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Maritime Heritage Program, and the U.S. Navy.
The Stewart started the war as a U.S. destroyer. In November 1941, shortly before the U.S. entered World War II, it was ordered to Borneo.
During the first months of the Pacific War, it served as an escort vessel, along with other American warships.
But in February 1942, it suffered severe damage from Japanese warships near Bali during the Battle of Badung Strait.
The destroyer managed to make it to Surabaya on the island of Java. However, the port came under Japanese attack, so the Stewart’s crew deliberately sunk it by setting off explosives in the hull.
A year later, the Japanese fished the sunken warship out of the water and fixed it up to use as a patrol boat for the Imperial Japanese Navy until the war ended in 1945.
Yuval Helfman – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
When Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945, the vessel came under U.S. control again. It was recommissioned into the U.S. Navy for a brief time, but by then, it was in poor condition. It was put out of action in May 1946 and used for target practice.
The Stewart was known as the “Ghost Ship of the Pacific.” During World War II, it was spotted by American pilots behind enemy lines after it had already sunk.
After the end of the war, the vessel was found floating in the Japanese port city of Kure, near Hiroshima, solving the mystery once and for all.
The wreck is in relatively good condition after spending almost 80 years under the sea. It could help maritime archaeologists better understand the style of naval architecture and technology from the early 20th century.
“The USS Stewart represents a unique opportunity to study a well-preserved example of early twentieth-century destroyer design,” said James Delgado, a maritime archaeologist and senior vice president at the archaeology company Search.
“Its story, from U.S. Navy service to Japanese capture and back again, makes it a powerful symbol of the Pacific War’s complexity.”
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