Japanese warship used in WWII found on Pacific seafloor: See photos
A team of scientists discovered a Japanese naval destroyer for the first time since it was sunk by American troops in World War II.
Researchers exploring islands off the coast of the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean located the Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Teruzuki, the Ocean Exploration Trust organization announced in a press release July 12.
Teruzuki — a Japanese word meaning "shining moon" or "illuminated moon" — was a 440 feet-long warship designed for screening aircraft carriers from aerial attacks.
It was stationed off the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, a nation in the south Pacific north of Australia, to protect supply ships before being attacked and sunk by American troops in December 1942, OET said.
'I feel so lucky to see this ship. The fact that we have not seen Teruzuki in over 80 years underscores the importance of recording maritime heritage now,' said Hiroshi Ishii, a member of the research team involved in the discovery, in the release.
Photos: Sunken WWII destroyer found
What happened to Japanese WWII destroyer Teruzuki?
In the early hours of December 12, 1942, American patrol boats attacked the convoy, striking Teruzuki in the stern with a pair of Mk-8 torpedoes.
The detonation broke the ship's rudder, disabling the ship and engulfing it in flames. Most of its crew were rescued or swam to shore, but nine men were killed as Teruzuki sank, according to OET.
Through the discovery of the ship, researchers were able to piece together exactly what happened during the attack, OET said.
A 62-foot segment of the ship's stern was found littered with depth charges, disproving a long-held theory that such weapons sealed the ship's fate, OET said. Instead, the broken rudder impaired the vessel and sparked fires, causing it to sink.
How did crews find Japanese WWII destroyer Teruzuki?
A group of scientists using remotely operated vehicles to explore an area of seafloor discovered the Teruzuki, OET said.
Remotely operated vehicles are underwater machines used to scan ocean depths while being operated by someone at the water's surface, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
According to OET, because Japanese naval vessel plans were kept highly secret during the war, no historical images of Teruzuki exist.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
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