World War II US Navy Submarine Wreckage Spotted in Japanese Waters

Researchers from Japan were able to find the wreckage of the USS Albacore, which was one of the most successful US Navy submarines during World War II, by the seas of Hokkaido. The submarine sank after it came into contact with a mine back in November 1944.

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According to Live Science, it is thought that the submarine sank on November 7, 1944, after surface ships of the Japanese were able to record an underwater blast in the region. This could have been due to a strike with a mine.

During this time, the USS Albacore was patrolling. Moreover, the 85 people onboard died as the submarine sank.

A research team from Japan that worked for a nonprofit organization spotted the wreckage last year. Live Science reports that Tamaki Ura, who is the director at the La Plongée Society for Deep Sea Engineering and a professor emeritus of engineering from the University of Tokyo, mentioned that the primary reason for searching for the wreckage was that many people died as the submarine sank.

The research efforts commenced in 2019. However, the initial survey that was supposedly set for 2020 had to be postponed due to the pandemic.

Fox 29 reports that Tamaki Ura and a research team from the University of Tokyo operated a vehicle remotely in order to get footage of the wreckage location, which is thought to be hundreds of feet into the deep sea. Because of marine growth and strong currents, visibility was quite limited. This made analysis hard to perform.

Nevertheless, with distinct modifications, researchers were able to verify that the spotted wreckage was indeed that of the USS Albacore.

Considering the depth of the wreckage, it is close to impossible for divers to actually reach the spot. Nevertheless, there are no plans for the US NHHC (Naval History and Heritage Command) to look further into it.

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USS Albacore

According to records from the US Navy, the USS Albacore submarine was among the most successful submarines of the US Navy during World War II. It had 10 confirmed enemy vessel sinkings and three unconfirmed ones. Six out of the ten confirmed sinks were combat vessels. The submarine also received nine battle star awards and four Presidential Unit Citations due to the impressive feats that it pulled off.

Live Science notes that the most famous efforts of the Albacore were in June 1944, when it sank the aircraft carrier Taiho's torpedo near Saipan. The Taiho was the biggest and newest aircraft carrier of the Japanes back then.

Commemoration of the Lost Lives

A spokesperson for the US Navy mentions that the deaths of the 85 crew members aboard the submarine indicate that the wreckage is actually a war grave that is protected by law.

Lt. Ian McConnaughey, who is a spokesperson at the NHHC, mentioned to Live Science that the site is hallowed as it represents the "last resting place" of US sailors who sacrificed for the country. He mentions that spotting a vessel like this is akin to the Navy's Arlington National Cemetery.

He expresses their hope that knowing where the USS Albacore is will give closure to the crew members' families.

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