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The Star
21-07-2025
- General
- The Star
Wreck of WWII Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Teruzuki found 83 years after sinking
TOKYO: A shipwreck thought to be the Teruzuki, an Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer, was recently found on the seabed off Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, according to a US marine survey team. The survey team, which includes Japanese researchers, conducted the search off the South Pacific Ocean island, where one of the deadliest battles in the Pacific War took place. The Teruzuki sank in December 1942 while transporting supplies to Japanese soldiers on Guadalcanal, the largest of the Solomon Islands. During World War II, the Japanese and US militaries fought fiercely for the airfields and other military facilities on the island. On the Japanese side, more than 20,000 soldiers died on the island, and many of them starved to death. In addition to starvation, many died of malaria and other diseases. In Japan, Guadalcanal has been called 'Gato' (island of starvation). 'Seeing the warship helps us understand the hopeless situation faced at that time,' said one of the Japanese researchers. The 134m-long Teruzuki was built in August 1942 and was the Imperial Japanese Navy's second Akizuki-class destroyer. In December that year, the ship was hit and immobilised by US torpedoes while escorting warships carrying food and other supplies to the island. It was the Teruzuki's own crew that ultimately sank the ship, and about ten crew members who were unable to escape died. According to the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET), the US marine research organisation that conducted the survey, the shipwreck believed to be the Teruzuki was found in an area known as the Iron Bottom Sound, an area where many warships sank. The OET conducted the search with an unmanned underwater vehicle on July 11, ahead of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, with assistance from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The main part of the shipwreck was found on the seabed 800m underwater, and the broken stern of the ship's body was found at another location about 200m away. The damage on the ship matches testimonies of former crew members who survived the sinking, and the numbers and positions of gun turrets are the same as on the Teruzuki. Two Akizuki-class destroyers, including the Teruzuki, sank in sea areas off the Solomon Islands, according to war records. As the other destroyer has already been found, the researchers concluded that the shipwreck was the Teruzuki. At the time of the sinking, Japan had lost air superiority over the Pacific Ocean, so supplies to Guadalcanal were cut off. The Imperial Japanese Navy began missions using destroyers, a highly manoeuvrable type of ship capable of sailing at fast speeds, to transport supplies in place of transport ships, which sail at lower speeds. However, most of the operations failed. 'The Teruzuki symbolises the Japanese military's hardships in overcoming the desperate supply problem,' said Hiroshi Ishii, a researcher at Kyoto University's Centre for South-east Asian Studies, who participated in the marine survey. The OET had another success in 2023 when it took photos of wrecks of the Akagi, an aircraft carrier that was sunk in the Battle of Midway in 1942. 'People can understand the reality of war by seeing photos of sunken ships and other evidence,' said Dr Kotaro Yamafune, a visiting professor at Kyoto Tachibana University, who studies shipwreck archaeology. Kazushige Todaka, director of the Yamato Museum in Kure, Hiroshima prefecture, said: 'The Teruzuki was one of the rare destroyers that were designed for anti-aircraft warfare. 'The original shape is still in excellent condition, and considering the appearance of the gun turrets, there's no doubt it's the Teruzuki.' - The Japan News/ANN
Yomiuri Shimbun
20-07-2025
- Science
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Wreck of WWII Imperial Japanese Navy Destroyer, Teruzuki, Found on Seabed off Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; 83 Yrs After Sinking
A shipwreck thought to be the Teruzuki, an Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer, was recently found on the seabed off Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, according to a U.S. marine survey team. The survey team, which includes Japanese researchers, conducted the search off the South Pacific Ocean island, where one of the deadliest battles in the Pacific War took place. The Teruzuki sank in December 1942 while transporting supplies to Japanese soldiers on Guadalcanal, the largest island of the Solomon Islands. During the War, the Japanese and U.S. militaries fought fiercely for the airfields and other military facilities on the island. On the Japanese side, more than 20,000 soldiers died on the island, and many of them starved to death. In addition to starvation, many died of malaria and other diseases. In Japan, Guadalcanal has been called 'Gato' (island of starvation). 'Seeing the warship helps us understand the hopeless situation faced at that time,' said one of the Japanese 134-meter-long Teruzuki was built in August 1942 and was the Imperial Japanese Navy's second Akizuki-class destroyer. In December that year, the ship was hit and immobilized by U.S. torpedoes while escorting warships carrying food and other supplies to the island. It was the Teruzuki's own crew that ultimately sank the ship, and about 10 crew members who were unable to escape died. According to the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET), the U.S. marine research organization which conducted the survey, the shipwreck believed to be the Teruzuki was found in a sea area known as the Iron Bottom Sound, an area where many warships sank. The OET conducted the search with an unmanned underwater vehicle on July 11, ahead of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, with assistance from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The main part of the shipwreck was found on the seabed 800 meters under water, and the broken stern of the ship's body was found at another location about 200 meters away. The damage on the ship matches testimonies of former crew members who survived the sinking, and the numbers and positions of gun turrets are the same as on the Teruzuki. Two Akizuki-class destroyers, including the Teruzuki, sank in sea areas off the Solomon Islands, according to war records. As the other destroyer has already been found, the researchers concluded that the shipwreck was the Teruzuki. At the time of the sinking, Japan had lost air superiority over the Pacific Ocean, so supplies to Guadalcanal were cut off. The Imperial Japanese Navy began transportation missions using destroyers, a highly maneuverable type of ship capable of sailing at fast speeds, to transport supplies in place of transport ships, which sail at lower speeds. However, most of the operations failed. 'The Teruzuki symbolizes the Japanese military's hardships in overcoming the desperate supply problem,' said Hiroshi Ishii, a program-specific researcher of Kyoto University's Center for Southeast Asian Studies who participated in the marine survey. The OET had another success in 2023 when it took photos of wrecks of the Akagi, an aircraft carrier that was sunk in the Battle of Midway in 1942. 'People can understand the reality of war by seeing photos of sunken ships and other evidence, and [finds like this] can help console the souls of soldiers who died,' said Kotaro Yamafune, a visiting professor of Kyoto Tachibana University who studies shipwreck archaeology. Kazushige Todaka, director of the Yamato Museum in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, said: 'The Teruzuki was one of the rare destroyers that were designed for anti-aircraft warfare. The original shape is still in excellent condition, and considering the appearance of the gun turrets, there's no doubt it's the Teruzuki.'
The Herald Scotland
17-07-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Japan's WWII destroyer Teruzuki found in Pacific: See photos
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
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
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. 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. 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 This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Japan's WWII destroyer Teruzuki found in Pacific: See photos
USA Today
16-07-2025
- General
- USA Today
Japanese warship used in WWII found on Pacific seafloor: See photos
"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 a member of the research team. 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
