Sunken World War II destroyer USS Edsall found at bottom of Indian Ocean, U.S. Navy confirms

A Navy destroyer that was sunk by Japanese forces during World War II has been discovered, the U.S. Navy confirmed on Monday. The Royal Australian Navy found the USS Edsall at the bottom of the Indian Ocean more than 80 years after it went down with more than 200 crew members on board.

The USS Edsall, a 314-foot destroyer, was built in 1919 and commissioned in 1920. During World War II, the ship took part in numerous conveys, protecting other vessels from Japanese attacks in Australian waters. 

On March 1, 1942, Japanese naval forces attacked the ship. During the extended engagement, the Edsall was able to dodge heavy shelling, which led some Japanese soldiers to nickname the ship “the dancing mouse,” according to the Naval History and Heritage Command. Japanese air forces later joined the attack, and several hours after the fight began, the Edsall sank with over 200 crew members on board, having taken just one fatal hit among thousands of rounds. 

Almost all of the crew members were lost, according to the U.S. Navy, making the wreck “a hallowed site.” 

The shipwreck was recently found by the Royal Australian Navy. The announcement of the discovery was made on November 11, which marked Veteran’s Day in the United States and Remembrance Day in other parts of the world. 

“This is part of our continuing efforts to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice,” said U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy in a statement announcing the discovery. “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.”

Little information was provided about how the ship was found. Royal Australian Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said that his fleet used “advanced robotic and autonomous systems, normally used for hydrographic survey capabilities, to locate USS Edsall on the seabed” of the Indian Ocean. There were no details provided about what condition the ship was in, or how the wreck will be preserved. 

The announcement of the Edsall’s discovery came just three days after U.K. military officials revealed that a shipwreck discovered off the coast of Scotland was confirmed to be a British cruiser sunk by a torpedo during World War I, killing more than 500 crew members on board.