Shipwreck explorers find iconic rare CAR while scouring sunken WW2 aircraft carrier – and can even read unique reg plate
AN ICONIC wooden car has been discovered in the wreckage of the famed US warship, downed by a Japanese submarine during WWII.
Historians are baffled as to why the 1940-41 black Ford Super Deluxe Woody was aboard the aircraft carrier – now 16,650 feet below the surface.
The World War II aircraft carrier, USS Yorktown, famously sank during the Battle of Midway in 1942 – fought between the US and Japan.
While the ship was first rediscovered in 1998, no one is believed to have noticed the vintage car among the wreckage until now.
The baffling discovery was made on April 19, when NOAA Ocean Exploration sent a remotely operated camera into the vast wreck.
The historic shipwreck is located roughly 1,000 miles northwest of Honolulu in Hawaii.
Footage shows the remains of the 809-foot-long aircraft carrier – known to host about 2,200 personnel and 90 aircraft.
Right beside the shipwreck, near the carrier’s elevator three, sits the vintage classic – upright.
Its distinct, boxy, upright shape, canvas top, chrome bumper and spare tire on the back are still visible – despite over 80 years of decay underwater.
A closer look through the camera revealed flared wheel arches, traces of a fabric roof, chrome detailing, rectangular rear windows, a split windshield and parking lights above the headlights, researchers said.
“Why is there a car on this boat?” a researcher can be heard saying on a live-stream of the expedition.
It is unclear why the car was on board the Yorktown.
One theory is that the car was parked on the deck of the USS Yorktown while the ship was docked at Pearl Harbor for emergency repairs after the Battle of the Coral Sea.
Historians have also guessed that it could have been the car of someone important, like Rear Admiral Frank Fletcher, who was the operational task force commander at the battles of the Coral Sea and Midway.
NOAA Ocean Exploration suspects the car is a “1940-41 Ford Super Deluxe ‘Woody’ in black”.
“It has a license plate on the front that can be partially read saying ’SHIP SERVICE’ at the top, but the lower part is illegible due to corrosion,” NOAA reports.
“Evidently staff cars of the Ford Super Deluxe model were common with the Navy and Army ashore; however, as of yet, they haven’t been able to find a ‘Woody’ in service for staff officers, so that is potentially unique for this ship.”
The front plate of the car was discovered in the hangar of USS Yorktown during the seventh dive of the Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition on April 20.
On aircraft carriers, the hangars would have been where planes were stored and worked on.
This has led historians to suspect that it may have been there for transportation or repairs during the ship’s time in port.
The expedition by NOAA Ocean Exploration is said to be the first time cameras were sent inside the wreck.
What happened to the USS Yorktown?
- The USS Yorktown was an early aircraft carrier in the US Navy, launched in 1936.
- It was named after the Battle of Yorktown from the American Revolutionary War.
- It was one of the most important American carriers in the early stages of World War II, playing a major role in the Pacific Theatre.
- Yorktown participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 – the first naval battle in history fought entirely by aircraft from carriers.
- Although damaged in that battle, the Yorktown was repaired in just three days at Pearl Harbor so it could join the American fleet for the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
- During the Battle of Midway, Yorktown’s planes helped sink two Japanese carriers – a major turning point in the Pacific War.
- But Yorktown was heavily damaged by Japanese bombers and torpedo planes.
- It was then hit again by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine.
- The ship was abandoned and sank on June 7, 1942, around 200 miles northeast of Midway.