The wreck of the long-lost US warship USS Edsall, sent to the bottom of the sea during the second world war by the Japanese, has been discovered, US and Australian officials announced on Monday.
The warship was sunk on 1 March 1942, three months after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. The Edsall was traveling across the Indian Ocean south of Java when it was sunk by Japanese dive bombers.
The Edsall’s formidable display in evading attacks before its demise led the Japanese to dub the ship “the dancing mouse”.
“I am honored to acknowledge the role #AusNavy played in discovering the wreck of @usnavy USS Edsall, a warship that holds a special place in our shared naval histories,” wrote Caroline Kennedy, the US ambassador to Australia, in an Instagram post to commemorate Veterans Day.
“We will now be able to preserve this important memorial and hope that the families of the heroes who died there will know their loved ones rest in peace,” said Kennedy in an accompanying video.
The second world war ship, only about 300ft in length, was carrying 153 sailors and several dozen army air forces pilots and soldiers. It had sustained damage from an earlier attack and deemed unfit for combat but was deployed to aid another ship when it encountered Japanese naval forces at about 4pm.
Despite its damaged state, the Edsall successfully dodged attacks for over an hour, swerving to avoid the hundreds of fired shells. The Edsall counterattacked with a smokescreen and torpedoes before eventually being overcome by Japanese dive bombers.
Historians say that a few people on board survived the sinking ship but were immediately picked up by enemy forces and later beheaded in a prison camp.
According to the US navy, the wreck was first discovered late last year south of Australia’s remote Christmas Island submerged in 18,000ft of water. The US cooperated with Australian officials to confirm the wreck was in fact the Edsall.
Mark Hammond, chief of the Royal Australian Navy, said in the video that the wreck was found by the MV Stoker, an Australian naval support ship that is normally used for hydrographic surveying.
The wreckage was subsequently examined with underwater robots and sonar. The Australian navy has not disclosed what the Stoker was doing when the Edsall was found, citing “operational security sensitivities”, according to the Washington Post.