U.S. submarine missing in WWII found off Japanese coast: NPR

The wreckage of a US World War II submarine has been found off the coast of Hokkaido in northern Japan after going missing nearly 80 years ago.

The USS Albacore, credited with sinking at least 10 enemy ships during the war, was found by Tamaki Ura of the University of Tokyo and positively identified by the Naval History and Heritage Command, the Navy announced Thursday.

Albacore has long been considered lost forever. According to Japanese records, the submarine, with a crew of 85 on board, likely struck a mine just off Hokkaido on Nov. 7, 1944, the NHHC said.

“Most importantly, the wreck represents the final resting place of sailors who gave their lives in defense of the nation and should be respected by all parties as a war grave,” the press release read. of the Navy.

The NHHC said its archaeologists used underwater images provided by Ura’s team to confirm the remains were those of the albacore. Data from the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records mentioning the loss of an American submarine directed Ura to the wreck site. Ura’s team used data collected from a remotely operated vehicle to verify historical records.

Six of Albacore’s enemy shipwrecks were enemy gunships, making the ship one of the ships of World War II best combat submarines, according to the Navy.