Destroyer of the Japanese World War II tornadoed by American ships discovered in the Pacific seabed, still armed with ammunition

A famous Japanese destroyer sunk by US torpedoes during a fundamental battle in World War II has been discovered on the floor of the Pacific Ocean more than 80 years after he sank, an exploration team revealed. The warship was still armed with depth charges unused, according to explorers.

The Destroyer of the Japanese Navy Imperial Teruzuki was located by a remote operated vehicle to more than 2,600 feet under the surface of the ocean near the Solomon Islands, the Ocean Exploration Trust announced on Saturday.

“Lying at the bottom of the sea more than 800 meters in the Solomon Islands, this is the first time anyone has seen Teruzuki since he sank into the naval battles of World War II against Guadalcanal,” said the confidence, who launched images and videos of The Wreck.

Teruzuki (which translates as “bright moon” in Japanese) was under the command of Admiral Raizou Tanaka. The legendary Naval leader obtained the nickname “Tenacious Tanaka” between US forces for leading dangerous attacks and the so -called “Tokyo Express” supply missions during the mid night.

Weeks before descending to its aqueous grave, the Teruzuki used its latest generation weapons with great effect. In November 1942, the class destroyer Akizuki-Class 400 feet long used its fast fire weapons to help sink two US destroyers. UU., According to the US Naval Institute. UU. The Torpedos of the Teruzuki also severely damaged two battles in the United States.

But on December 12, 1942, Teruzuki was attacked by American PT ships, since it tried to protect a convoy from supply ships on the northern coast of Guadalcanal, according to historians. The Teruzuki was beaten by two American torpedoes, breaking its rudder and disabled the ship. The majority of the crew were rescued or swimmed on land, but nine men died when the Teruzuki sank to the bottom of the ocean.

An operated camera remotely launched by the exploration ship (e/v) Nautilus brought the first look of the ship from that day when the shipwreck saw on July 10, said the trust. The massive warship had been cut, with its stern and helmet at 650 feet away in the seabed, but their ammunition were still intact.

A spooky video released by the trust shows the armed stern with multiple depth loads. You can listen to a scientist in the video that says that an expert warned the team that was “very careful since some Japanese ammunition at this time of war had the reputation of being really sensitive.”

The team also pointed out that the ship was found with its front artillery turrets pointing towards the sky.

“When the exploration team found a 19 -meter -long segment of the Teruzuki stern full of depth charges, it refuted a long data theory that it was the explosions of depth charges that sealed the fate of the ship,” said the trust in a separate press statement.

Ship located in lower iron sound

Iron Bottom Sound in the Solomon Islands was the site of five fundamental naval battles between August and December 1942.

Located at about 600 northeast of Australia, the Solomon Islands became covered with both Japan and allied forces during World War II. The small island of Guadalcanal was key due to its airfield and its location, which offered command on the shipping lanes in the region.

“Recognize the strategic value of this island and the airfield, both parties would soon commit important naval and air resources to control the island, the airfield and its surrounding waters,” said the Ocean Exploration Trust.

Dozens of warships sank into the sound of the iron background, and the Teruzuki is the last to be discovered. Earlier this month, the researchers themselves found the cut arch of the American warship USS New Orleans During mapping operations of the seabed in the area.

In addition to the Teruzuki, at least six Japanese warships were lost from Guadalcanal between August and December 1942, according to the trust, and at least 10 allies’ ships were lost during the same period.

One of the lost US vessels in the area was the USS Laffey, a Benson class destroyer who survived a great battle in October 1942, but sank in Guadalcanal on November 12, 1942. One of the ships sanking the USS Laffey was, in fact, the Teruzuki, who had only seen fight for a few months until his death.

The designs and details of the Japanese naval ships were secretly wrapped during World War II. There are no historical images of Truzuki, which makes the new discovery especially revealing, said the trust.

“I feel very lucky to see this ship. The fact that we have not seen Teruzuki in more than 80 years underlines the importance of registering maritime heritage now,” said Hiroshi Ishii, a member and researcher at Nautilus Science at the University of Kyoto. “As a Japanese person, I appreciate the opportunity to witness part of our history and be part of an international team that sheds light on this campaign, which is important for the history of all our nations.”

In 2023, the remains of a Japanese ship were found that was torpedoed during World War II on the Philippines coast. The ship was Carrying allied warfaresmost of them Australians, when sank in 1942. All 1,080 people on board perished.

• Shipwreck
• Second World War
• Japan