Wreckage of Historic WWII Destroyer Found in Philippine Sea

The USS Johnston, a destroyer sunk in 1944 in the Pacific theater of World War II in one of the largest naval battles in history, has been found at the bottom of the Philippine Sea, according to oceanic researchers with Vulcan Inc.

According to a statement from Vulcan, the remnants of the Fletcher-class destroyer were found 6,220 meters (20,400 feet) below the ocean’s surface, “making this the deepest discovery of any warship in history.”

Crews aboard the Vulcan Inc.’s Research Vessel (R/V) Petrel believe they found the USS Johnston DD-557, a Fletcher-class destroyer sunk during the Battle off Samar, the centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, a massive conflict involving 200,000 naval personnel.

October 25 marked the 75th anniversary of the Battle off Samar.

In a video shared with Storyful (seen below), two researchers, Rob Kraft and Paul Mayer, explain why they believe the ship is the USS Johnston, versus the USS Hoel, the other Fletcher-class destroyer that was sunk during the battle.

According to the United States Navy, the USS Johnston, under Commander Ernest E Evans, was deployed to Leyte Gulf in the Philippine Sea on October 20, 1944. On October 25, the ship took on heavy fire during a surprise attack from the Japanese Center Force.

According to the Navy: “One by one, Johnston took on Japanese destroyers, although Johnston had no torpedoes and limited firepower. After two and a half hours, Johnston – dead in the water – was surrounded by enemy ships. At 9.45 am, Evans gave the order to abandon ship. Twenty-five minutes later, the destroyer rolled over and began to sink.”

Of the crew of 327, only 141 survived.

“As with all their expeditions, the crew aboard R/V Petrel hope this discovery will bring a sense of closure for the families of those lost during this battle,” the statement from Vulcan said. Credit: Vulcan, Inc. via Storyful