Current:Home > FinanceWreck of Navy destroyer USS Edsall known as 'the dancing mouse' found 80 years after sinking -Pinnacle Profit Strategies
Wreck of Navy destroyer USS Edsall known as 'the dancing mouse' found 80 years after sinking
Will Sage Astor View
Date:2025-04-10 14:05:18
More than 80 years after it was sunk by Japanese forces during World War II, the U.S. Navy said Monday that the wreckage of the destroyer USS Edsall has been found at the bottom of Indian Ocean.
A Royal Australian Navy vessel discovered the USS Edsall south of Christmas Island, in the area where the destroyer was sunk on March 1, 1942 with 185 sailors and 31 U.S. Army Air Force pilots aboard at the time.
The announcement of its discovery was made on Nov. 11, celebrated as Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day in Australia.
"Captain Joshua Nix and his crew fought valiantly, evading 1,400 shells from Japanese battleships and cruisers before being attacked by 26 carrier dive bombers, taking only one fatal hit. There were no survivors," said Caroline Kennedy, U.S. ambassador to Australia, in a joint statement recorded with Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, head of the Australian Navy.
"This is part of our continuing efforts to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We will now be able to preserve this important memorial and hope that the families of the heroes who died there will know their loved ones rest in peace. We will tell their stories, learn from their bravery, and be inspired by their sacrifice. We will always remember them." Kennedy added.
Watch:500-pound bomb dropped during World War II explodes at Japanese airport
'The dancing mouse'
Commissioned in 1919, on March 1, 1942, the USS Edsall was steaming alone south of Java, having spent the past several months escorting convoys between Australia and Indonesia.
Overtaken by a force of much faster and more heavily armed Japanese battleships and cruisers, the Edsall nevertheless spent almost two hours performing evasive maneuvers, laying smoke screens, and avoiding more than 1,000 enemy shells. Eventually, more than two dozen Japanese aircraft were launched to bomb the destroyer, finally leaving it dead in the water.
Retired Navy Rear Adm. Samuel J. Cox, head of the Naval History and Heritage Command, wrote in his history of the engagement that as Japanese ships once again opened fire on the crippled destroyer, Nix, the ship's captain, pointed the bow of the Edsall towards the Japanese fleet and was last seen on the ship's bridge before it sank.
Japanese observers reportedly described the destroyer as performing like a "dancing mouse," according to Cox, referring to a popular Japanese pet at the time known for its erratic movement.
Almost all of the ship's crew were lost in the sinking, although war crimes trials convened after the war revealed that a handful of survivors had been picked up by the Japanese fleet, only to later be executed.
"The commanding officer of Edsall lived up to the U.S. Navy tenet, 'Don’t give up the ship,' even when faced with overwhelming odds," Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Chief of Naval Operations, said in a statement on Monday. "The wreck of this ship is a hallowed site, serving as a marker for the 185 U.S. Navy personnel and 31 U.S. Army Air Force pilots aboard at the time, almost all of whom were lost when Edsall succumbed to her battle damage. This find gives us the opportunity for today’s generation of Sailors and Navy civilians to be inspired by their valor and sacrifice."
The Australian Navy initially encountered the wreck in 2023, and researchers had worked since then to confirm that it was, in fact, the Edsall.
Hammond said that the ADV Stoker, an Australian Navy support ship, "used advanced robotic and autonomous systems, normally used for hydrographic survey capabilities, to locate USS Edsall on the sea-bed," although he did not elaborate further on how the ship was found.
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at [email protected]
veryGood! (9945)
Related
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Google cuts hundreds of engineering, voice assistance jobs amid cost-cutting drive
- Buc-ee's expansion continues as roadside retail juggernaut zeroes in on North Carolina
- Have you heard of 'relation-shopping'? It might be why you're still single.
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- Australian Open 2024: Here’s how to watch on TV, betting odds and a look at upcoming matches
- Brunei’s Prince Abdul Mateen weds fiancee in lavish 10-day ceremony
- Some Americans will get their student loans canceled in February as Biden accelerates his new plan
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- NHL trade deadline is less than two months away: Which teams could be sellers?
Ranking
- Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
- Moon landing, Beatles, MLK speech are among TV’s 75 biggest moments, released before 75th Emmys
- US Virgin Islands announces it will build its first artificial reef to protect itself from storms
- Inside the secular churches that fill a need for some nonreligious Americans
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- A Danish appeals court upholds prison sentences for Iranian separatists convicted of terror charges
- How Arie Luyendyk and Lauren Burnham Became One of The Bachelor’s Most Surprising Success Stories
- 'I just want to give them all a hug': Massachusetts Peloton group leaves servers $7,200 tip
Recommendation
'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
Pennsylvania police officer shot, suspect injured during confrontation
'Get well soon': Alabama football fans struggling with Saban's retirement as tributes grow
‘Parasite’ director calls for a thorough probe into the death of actor Lee Sun-kyun
'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
Jo Koy is 'happy' he hosted Golden Globes despite criticism: 'I did accept that challenge'
Ex-manager for West Virginia disaster recovery group sentenced to more than 3 years for theft
Michigan woman opens her lottery app, sees $3 million win pending: 'I was in shock!'