Marine Experts Photograph U.S. Naval Vessel Lost in WWII
Maritime experts patrolling a remote island in the South Pacific have discovered the remains of a U.S. naval vessel which sank after a WWII skirmish.
The U.S.S. Laffey Association reported that a 21-day expedition carried out by the nonprofit organization Ocean Exploration Trust and financed by the NOAA unearthed the remains of the U.S.S. Laffey, which sank on November 13, 1942, during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Astonishing photos show the ship to be mostly intact and resting upright on the ocean floor. A plaque bearing the ship’s name and its builder information remains remarkably well intact after decades of exposure to the elements.
Ocean Exploration Trust
Ocean Exploration Trust
Ocean Exploration Trust
Dr. Robert Ballard, who discovered the remains of the Titanic, originally located the Laffey in 1992. Though it’s been explored a handful of times since its initial discovery, these are the first photos of the Laffey in its final resting spot. According to records, the ship sank after it was struck by a torpedo during a battle between American and Japanese forces. Fifty-nine died in the attack while a further 100 were wounded.
“On November 12, 1942, at Lunga Point, [the Laffey] came under attack and engaged with the Japanese battleships Hiei and Kirishima,” explained a statement from the association. “Shortly after being hit by a torpedo, a command was given to abandon the ship. An explosion on the ship ripped the destroyer in half, and it quickly sank.”
Researchers believe the Laffey to be just one of an estimated 111 ships and 1,450 planes which were lost in the South Pacific during the Second World War, though only a very small number of those have been properly documented.
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