An American exploration team has discovered the world's deepest shipwreck almost 4 miles deep below the Pacific Ocean.
Identified by the US navy, the USS Samuel B Roberts went down during World War II off the Samar Islands, in the Philippines. The warship sunk on October 25, 1944, when the US troops were fighting for the liberation of the Philippines from the Japanese Army.
The battle saw fierce fighting for days and is said to have been a part of the larger Battle of Leyte that began on October 20, 1944. As per records of the US Navy, four destroyers went down in the war and the "Sammy B" was one of them, the Straits Times reported.
A Texas-based undersea technology company Caladan Oceanic made 6 dives in a period of eight days in an attempt to locate the destroyer and another US ship, the Gambier Bay.
With the help of a custom-built sidescan solar system and a crewed submersible they were able to locate, and properly survey and document the worn down hull of the Sammy B. The team from Caladan Oceanic was also accompanied by a crew from EYOS Expeditions.
The founder of the undersea tech company, Victor Vescovo shared the findings on Twitter as he explained that the Sammy B, which now rests at 6,895 meters in the Philippine Sea, fought the 'finest' of the Japanese Navy till the end.
"The ship fought ferociously even though she was completely outclassed by the Japanese battleships and heavy cruisers she went up against," Vescovo told CNN.
Documenting the evidence of ship's three-tube torpedo launcher and gun mount, Vescovo, piloted the submersible while the sonar specialist Jeremie Morizet, dived into the ocean to trace the wreck from one end to another.
They found that the destroyer had broken up into two pieces, lying about 10 meters (33 feet) from each other. Calling it an "honor" to locate the Sammy B, Vescovo stated that finding the warship had given his team the golden opportunity to retell its story of "heroism and duty"
In case of the USS Gambier Bay, the team found out that it was lying at more than 7,000 metres below sea level, but could not figure out the exact location of the ship.
The last world's deepest shipwreck was the USS Johnston, resting at 6,500 metres, was also discovered by Vescovo's team in 2021.
