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Wreckage of sunken Japanese WWII vessel recovered
More images from an iconic U.S. Navy craft bearer that was sunk successful the Pacific Ocean during World War II person been released, conscionable days aft a unit said they found a subject vehicle wrong the ship.
NOAA Ocean Exploration sent a remotely-operated camera wrong the USS Yorktown connected April 19 and 20, the bureau said successful a quality release. The 806-foot-long craft carrier, nicknamed the "Fighting Lady," played a immense relation successful the United States' Pacific run during World War II earlier it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine during the Battle of Midway successful June 1942. The ngo was the archetypal to absorption connected the ship's hanger deck.
The astir astonishing find was the first-ever find of underwater craft that had flown connected the Midway battlefield, NOAA said. Previous missions person investigated ships that took portion successful the battle, but the dive connected April 20 recovered craft that had engaged successful the aerial and oversea battle.
At slightest 3 planes were located wrong the aft Elevator #3 of USS Yorktown during the dive connected April 20, including an overturned SBD Dauntless that was inactive equipped with a weaponry mounted to the underside of the aircraft's fuselage.
NOAA Ocean Exploration
At slightest 3 Douglas SBD Dauntless bombers were recovered connected the hanger deck. One level was inactive afloat armed, with a weaponry secured successful its merchandise cradle. This level was apt portion of a reserve force, NOAA said.
The different 2 planes were battle-damaged. They are believed to beryllium portion of the USS Enterprise's bombing squadron, which landed aboard the USS Yorktown aft a palmy onslaught connected a Japanese bearer ship. Records amusement that the severely damaged airplanes were moved to the hangar platform and acceptable ablaze erstwhile 3 force bombs struck the USS Yorktown, NOAA said. Research to corroborate the planes is ongoing.
During the dive connected April 19, the Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition squad was capable to corroborate an craft helping imaged during a 2023 expedition connected Exploration Vessel Nautilus and located different acceptable of perchance folded wings besides successful the hangar deck.
NOAA Ocean Exploration
The remote-operated camera besides identified aggregate level wings successful the hangar deck. These were apt spare parts, NOAA said. One of the level wings had archetypal been imaged during a 2023 expedition.
Another find showcased successful the caller images is simply a mural hand-painted wrong 1 of the ship's elevator shafts.
View of the mural, "A Chart of the Cruises of the USS Yorktown," hand-painted wrong the ship's #2 elevator shaft, seen during the Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition dive connected April 19, 2025.
NOAA Ocean Exploration
The mural, "A Chart of the Cruises of the USS Yorktown," had been partially disposable successful historical photographs taken earlier the ship's sinking, but has not been seen since. The 42-foot by 12-foot mural tracks the Yorktown's trips crossed the world.
The remotely-operated camera was capable to amusement the intricate details painted successful the mural.
Close views of the mural, "A Chart of the Cruises of the USS Yorktown," uncover the intricacies and item successful this coating depicting the travels of Yorktown. Imaged connected April 19 during the Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition.
NOAA Ocean Exploration
NOAA besides recovered marine beingness successful the shipwreck, including colorful reddish jellyfish that whitethorn beryllium members of a caller species. Tubeworms and anemones were besides spotted.
While exploring the wreck of USS Yorktown during Dive 06 of the Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition, researchers imaged this colorful reddish jellyfish, which whitethorn beryllium a caller species.
NOAA Ocean Exploration
The USS Yorktown wreck is protected and managed by the Naval History and Heritage Command, NOAA said. It serves arsenic a resting spot for hundreds of servicemen who were aboard the vessel erstwhile it sank. It has been the tract of aggregate remotely operated conveyance dives since it was discovered and documented successful 1998.
More than 3,400 radical were killed successful the Battle of Midway. Three 100 and sixty-two U.S. troops died, according to the National WWII Museum, and the immense bulk of the casualties were Japanese work members. Japanese forces mislaid 4 craft carriers, 1 cruiser and hundreds of aircraft, portion the U.S. mislaid 1 carrier, 1 destroyer and dozens of aircraft.
Kerry Breen is simply a quality exertion astatine CBSNews.com. A postgraduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she antecedently worked astatine NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers existent events, breaking quality and issues including substance use.
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