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

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.”