A few others found their mark in the Wasp's hull, igniting a massive fire aboard. Two hit other ships, the USS O'Brien and the USS North Carolina. On September 15, 1942, a Japanese submarine fired a barrage of torpedoes. The Wasp was ordered to escort a contingent of transport ships carrying Marine reinforcements to fight in British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was determined to save the precious fortress.Īfter the Battle of Midway, the US needed more help in the Pacific Theater, as Allied forces fought to pry out Japanese forces, (credit: US Navy) A wasp that could sting more than onceįor nearly a century and a half, the British had controlled the small island of Malta just south of Italy, using its harbor to dock warships and to project British power throughout the Mediterranean.ĭuring World War II, German and Italian planes dominated the skies and pummeled the island. But its rediscovery is giving new life to a heroic story of a bygone era. In step with the US Navy's policy of leaving its shipwrecks untouched - as they are sailors' hallowed graves - the Wasp's hull will remain in the murky depths. The Petrel, which sits on the surface, has a crew of 10, who plot the last known locations of old warships and send robots to the depths to rediscover them. The Petrel in recent years has discovered dozens of wrecks of ships that once flew the flags of the American, British, Japanese and Italian navies. The wreckage was discovered on the first dive mission of the autonomous underwater vehicle, and confirmed by video footage.Word of the sighting comes a month after the Research Vessel Petrel, funded by the late Microsoft founder Paul Allen, discovered another World War II-era shipwreck, the USS Hornet, which sank not far away, off the Solomon Islands. I'd also like to thank the crew of Petrel for their dedication in finding and honoring her sacrifice."Ī 10-person expedition team from the R/V Petrel was able to locate the Hornet by piecing together information from archives including deck logs and action reports from other ships engaged in the Battle of Santa Cruz Island. We'd be wise as a nation to take a long, hard look. Vice Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Bill Moran said of the Hornet, "Although her service was short-lived, it was meteoric. As America's Navy once again takes to the sea in an uncertain world, Hornet's discovery offers the American Sailor a timeless reminder of what courage, grit and commitment truly look like. As a result, the Japanese carriers did not engage again in battle for almost another two years." “About half the Japanese aircraft engaged were shot down by greatly improved U.S. "With the loss of Hornet and serious damage to Enterprise, the Battle of Santa Cruz was a Japanese victory, but at an extremely high cost,” said retired Rear Admiral Samuel Cox, director of Naval History and Heritage Command, in a release. 111 Sailors from the crew of nearly 2,200 were lost. In October of that same year, the crew of the Hornet was forced to abandon the ship during the Battle of Santa Cruz Island after a relentless attack by Japanese dive-bombers and torpedo planes. Historians consider this the turning point of the war in the Pacific. 16 B-25 bombers were launched from the Hornet, and while they were unable to land in China, the raid put Japan on notice and boosted American morale.Ī few months later in June, the Hornet was one of three American carriers that surprised and sank four Japanese carriers at Midway. In April of 1942, the Hornet took part in the Doolittle Raid, the first airborne attack of targets in Japan, including Tokyo. The carrier was built at what is now Newport News Shipbuilding starting in 1939 and quickly joined the fleet, being commissioned at the Norfolk Navy Base on October 20, 1941.Īfter training in Hampton Roads, the USS Hornet headed to the Pacific to join the war effort. The Hornet had deep connections to Hampton Roads before it headed to the Pacific during World War II. It was found about 17,500 feet below the surface by the expedition crew of the research Research Vessel Petrel, started by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The Navy announced Tuesday that the wreckage of the USS Hornet (CV-8) was located on the floor of the South Pacific Ocean near the Solomon Islands last month. The wreckage of a World War II-era aircraft carrier built in Hampton Roads that played a pivotal role in the war has finally been located.
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