The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has located a sunken ship 82 years after the American warship sank during World War II, officials have announced.
Australian Navy Chief Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said the RAN will work with the US Navy to locate the USS Edsall (DD-219) on the ocean floor using “advanced robotic and autonomous systems” normally used to survey the ocean environment. He said he had determined the location. said. (Related: Researchers discover shipwreck from infamous Nazi invasion)
USS Edsall (DD-219), a U.S. Navy destroyer from the early 1920s. Wikimedia Commons/Public/U.S. Navy, Public Domain
US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy added that the USS Edsall (DD 219) sank off the coast of Australia during a battle with Japanese forces in March 1942.
President Kennedy described Edsall’s Captain Joshua James Nix and his crew as “fought valiantly and evading 1,400 shells from Japanese battleships and cruisers before being attacked by 26 carrier-based dive bombers. There was only one fatal injury.” There were no survivors. ”
Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Chief of Naval Operations, said, “Even in the face of overwhelming odds, Edsall’s commander remained faithful to the U.S. Navy’s doctrine of “never abandon ship.” Ta. statement It was released on Monday while also expressing gratitude to RAN.
Franchetti added that 185 U.S. Navy officers and sailors and 31 U.S. Army Air Corps pilots were on board the Edsall at the time of the sinking. Almost all of them died in this incident.
According to historians, the Japanese army rescued several survivors from the sunken warship and decapitated them in a prisoner of war camp, The Guardian reported. reported.
U.S. Navy Clemson-class destroyer USS Edsall (DD-219) (misidentified as “HMS Pope”) sunk south of Java on March 1, 1942. Japanese warships, including the battleships Kirishima and Hiei, resumed bombardment of the stuck Edsall near Java on March 1, 1942, after the destroyer was heavily damaged by carrier-based dive bombers. The destroyer sank shortly after. A Japanese cameraman, probably aboard the cruiser Tone, captured about 90 seconds of her destruction. Photo dated March 1, 1942. Wikimedia Commons/Public/U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, Public Domain
“This discovery provides an opportunity for today’s generation of sailors and naval civilians to be inspired by their courage and sacrifice,” Franchetti said, adding that the ongoing Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) He also emphasized the trilateral security partnership.
On Memorial Day in Australia and Veterans Day in the United States, we pay tribute to those who have died and those who fought.
together @CN_AustraliaAmbassador Kennedy expresses his gratitude. @Australian_Navy He was credited with discovering the sunken battleship Edsall off the coast of Australia during World War II. Don’t forget. pic.twitter.com/haklYuHwQo
— US Embassy Australia (@USEmbAustralia) November 11, 2024
According to the Guardian, Edsall was so adept at evading attacks that the Japanese gave her the nickname “Dancing Mouse.”
Edsall served bravely during the early stages of the Pacific War of World War II. Hammond said Edsall fought alongside Australian warships, defending Australia and other allied territory in the Pacific, and contributing to the sinking of the Japanese submarine I-124.
“Joint efforts and activities such as the Battle of the Coral Sea and the defense of allied territory in the Pacific built a bond between U.S. and Australian sailors that continues to this day,” Hammond continued.
Kennedy said the Clemson-class destroyers will now be preserved as war graves.
“[We] We hope that the families of the heroes who died there will know that their loved ones rest in peace. We tell their stories, learn from their courage, and be inspired by their sacrifices. We will always remember them,” she added.
“We pay our respects to their families and hope this discovery serves as a reminder of our abiding respect and gratitude for their loved ones. May we never forget.” Hammond he said.
On April 1, 1899, during the Second Samoan Civil War, the Edsall was a U.S. Navy sailor, Norman, who was killed by Samoan warriors while attempting to carry the badly wounded Lieutenant Philip Van Horn Lansdale to safety. – Named after Eckley Edsall. According to Samuel Cox, Commander of the Naval Heritage Command.
