Current:Home > FinanceWreck of Navy destroyer USS Edsall known as 'the dancing mouse' found 80 years after sinking-LoTradeCoin
Wreck of Navy destroyer USS Edsall known as 'the dancing mouse' found 80 years after sinking
View Date:2024-12-23 17:04:47
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! (7)
Related
- Louisiana asks court to block part of ruling against Ten Commandments in classrooms
- Stop What You're Doing—Moo Deng Just Dropped Her First Single
- Florida State can't afford to fire Mike Norvell -- and can't afford to keep him
- Martin Scorsese on the saints, faith in filmmaking and what his next movie might be
- Jessica Simpson’s Sister Ashlee Simpson Addresses Eric Johnson Breakup Speculation
- Tropical Storm Sara threatens to bring flash floods and mudslides to Central America
- College football Week 12 expert picks for every Top 25 game include SEC showdowns
- See Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani's Winning NFL Outing With Kids Zuma and Apollo
- Will Aaron Rodgers retire? Jets QB tells reporters he plans to play in 2025
- UFC 309: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic fight card, odds, how to watch, date
Ranking
- Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia Explains Why She’s Not Removing Tattoo of Ex Zach Bryan’s Lyrics
- 'Dangerous and unsanitary' conditions at Georgia jail violate Constitution, feds say
- Padma Lakshmi, John Boyega, Hunter Schafer star in Pirelli's 2025 calendar: See the photos
- KFC sues Church's Chicken over 'original recipe' fried chicken branding
- How Saturday Night Live Reacted to Donald Trump’s Win Over Kamala Harris
- Black, red or dead: How Omaha became a hub for black squirrel scholarship
- Eva Longoria calls US 'dystopian' under Trump, has moved with husband and son
- Craig Melvin replacing Hoda Kotb as 'Today' show co-anchor with Savannah Guthrie
Recommendation
-
She was found dead while hitchhiking in 1974. An arrest has finally been made.
-
Florida man’s US charges upgraded to killing his estranged wife in Spain
-
Powerball winning numbers for Nov. 13 drawing: Jackpot rises to $113 million
-
Tropical Storm Sara threatens to bring flash floods and mudslides to Central America
-
Judge moves to slash $38 million verdict in New Hampshire youth center abuse case
-
Burger King's 'Million Dollar Whopper' finalists: How to try and vote on your favorite
-
Skiing legend Lindsey Vonn ends retirement, plans to return to competition
-
Conviction and 7-year sentence for Alex Murdaugh’s banker overturned in appeal of juror’s dismissal