Undersea video of lost WWII aircraft carriers provides new clues about their dramatic last moments
This video is the first time the three aircraft carriers have been seen in decades
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A remote submersible has captured video of the first detailed look at the USS Yorktown and two Japanese aircraft carriers that were sunk during the Battle of Midway.
The video captured scenes from the Yorktown as well as Akagi and Kaga, two of the four Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carriers that were sunk during the battle.
The new footage could "help solve mysteries" that still prevail about the Battle of Midway, said the Associated Press.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, JUNE 7, 1942, BATTLE OF MIDWAY ENDS IN DECISIVE US VICTORY
The remote submersibles went three miles below the ocean's surface from Sept. 8, 2023, to Sept. 12, 2023, to conduct "extensive archeological surveys" of the Akagi and Kaga, the Associated Press reported.
Ocean Exploration Trust, an organization founded by Dr. Robert Ballard, led the expedition.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ballard was one of the lead scientists who discovered the wreck of the Titanic.
In this photo provided by the Ocean Exploration Trust, the chrysanthemum flower crest, an honored imperial symbol of Japan, can be seen prominently on the bow of aircraft carrier Akagi some 81 years after the aircraft carrier's sinking. This expedition was the first time the ship had been seen since 1942. (Ocean Exploration Trust/NOAA via AP)
"We were able to spend … basically three full days on these sites, including two full days on the seafloor, really methodically and thoroughly documenting the entire wrecks," Daniel Wagner, chief scientist for Ocean Exploration Trust, told the AP.
The survey took place at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, located about 1,300 miles northwest of Honolulu.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This also marked the official identification of the wreck of the Akagi, although the doomed vessel was first located in October 2019 during a mapping survey.
Many anti-aircraft guns were still pointing up — providing clues about the final moments on these iconic ships.
"This expedition is not only rewriting history and our understanding of these special places, but also pushing the limits of what we thought was possible in terms of interdisciplinary collaboration," said Wagner in a statement published on Ocean Exploration Trust's website.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"During over 43 hours at depth, we methodically circumnavigated these historic wrecks, bringing to light many features in great detail, including their armament, battle, and sinking-related damage," he also said.
"Many anti-aircraft guns were still pointing up, providing clues about the final moments on these iconic ships."
In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the USS Yorktown lists heavily to port after being struck by Japanese bombers and torpedo planes in the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942. The new footage has revealed previously unknown details about the ship's sinking. (U.S. Navy via AP)
Ocean Exploration Trust found that the Yorktown's "island," which rose above the deck, was extensively damaged during the Battle of Midway.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On June 4, 1942, the Yorktown was critically damaged by Japanese troops and lost power, the U.S. Navy website says.
Her sailors tried in vain to keep the Yorktown afloat, but the ship sank on the morning of June 7, killing 141 officers and crew.
Today, just two men who served on the Yorktown are still alive.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I just hated to see my ship torn up like that."
One of them, 100-year-old Julian Hodges, was able to watch the video stream of the Yorktown.
"Boy, she took a beating," Hodges said tearfully to the Associated Press.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I just hated to see my ship torn up like that."
The condition of the Yorktown on the sea's floor provided some additional clues about the lengths the crew took to keep the ship afloat.
Julian Hodges is believed to be one of the last two men alive of the 4,600 servicemen who, between 1937 and 1942, served aboard the USS Yorktown. He was moved to tears by the new video of his ship. (Courtesy of Debbie Hodges via AP)
While it was known that the crew had removed some small anti-aircraft guns on the Yorktown's port side — in an effort to balance the ship — it was discovered that larger guns, too, had been cut away.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cutting away the larger guns "speaks to the dedication of the crew to save their vessel in the last and final moments of that ship’s service," Hans Van Tilberg, a maritime archeologist and historian for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries said to the Associated Press.
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As the Yorktown, Akagi, and Kaga are located in U.S. protected waters, they will not become tourist sites as other shipwrecks have, said AP.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hodges, for one, told the AP that he appreciated knowing his ship will be left alone.
"Nobody’s going to get anything out of it," he said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Instead, he told AP that he hopes the footage of his wrecked ship will inspire peace, "whatever it takes to put wars out of business."
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
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