Lost wreckage of WWII ‘Ghost Ship of the Pacific’ rediscovered 78 years after it was deliberately sunk
A WORLD War II US Navy destroyer dubbed the “Ghost Ship of the Pacific” has been rediscovered 78 years after it was deliberately sunk and left to rest at the bottom of the ocean.
The warship, officially known as USS Stewart (DD-224), was found and pictured by undersea explorers off the coast of northern California, where it lay almost 3,500 feet beneath the water’s surface.
It was uncovered by a team including Ocean Infinity, one of the companies that has searched for doomed MH370 passenger plane that disappeared in March 2014.
USS Stewart gained the title of “Ghost Ship of the Pacific” because of its unusual history, with the vessel serving under both American and Japanese flags at different stages.
The 314-foot-long ship was damaged from battle in February 1942.
A freak accident trapped the vessel in a repair dry dock on the island of Java – crew were forced to abandon it as enemy forces prepared to seize the island.
Later in the war, American pilots reported seeing what looked like an old American destroyer operating deep behind enemy lines.
It turned out USS Stewart had been raised from the water and commissioned for the Imperial Japanese Navy to use.
The ship was later found afloat in Kure, Japan at the end of the war, before being recommissioned back into the US Navy in what was called an “emotional ceremony” and towed home to San Francisco.
In one final act for its country, USS Stewart was used as a target ship, taking hits from aerial rockets, machine guns and naval guns for more than two hours before finally sinking in a “burial at sea”.
The story of the “Ghost Ship of the Pacific” has garnered interest for decades and now we get to see the vessel once more 78 years on from its demise.
It’s thanks to special robotic sonar technology and state-of-the-art unmanned submersibles.
“The USS Stewart represents a unique opportunity to study a well-preserved example of early twentieth-century destroyer design,” said Dr James Delgado, senior vice president of SEARCH which was involved in the project.
“Its story, from US Navy service to Japanese capture and back again, makes it a powerful symbol of the Pacific War’s complexity.”
Rear Admiral Samuel J Cox USN (Ret), director of Naval History and Heritage Command, added: “The US Navy greatly appreciates the
professionalism of the team that located the wreck of the USS Stewart.
“Whether lost in battle or sunk as a target, a warship remains sovereign property in perpetuity.
“It is important to know the location and condition of such wrecks so that they may be protected from unauthorized disturbance under the US Sunken Military Craft Act.”
A group including Ocean Infinity, the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, SEARCH, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, and the Naval
History and Heritage Command (NHHC) found the wreckage in August.
Famous shipwrecks you can see for yourself
GOOGLE Maps has you covered for shipwrecks so check out the gnarliest shipwreck locations visible online.
The Titanic wreckage site is visible on Google Earth by entering the coordinates 41.7325° N, 49.9469° W.
The famous SS Maheno can be found on Google Earth by searching Fraser Island, Australia.
The eerie Chernobyl Harbor can be seen clearly if you just search for the site of the horror nuclear disaster.
Search along the Thames in London and you’ll be able to spot tons of sunken boats.
Take a trip to the Garden of Eden shipwreck on Google Maps by searching for the coast of Iraq in the Shatt al-Arab river.
Or go to South Manitou Island in Lake Michigan to spot the SS Francisco Morazan.