The wreck of an American WWII destroyer found - video

The crew of the research vessel R/V “Petrel” is not slowing down. The team created by the late Paul Allen has reported another discovery in Pacific waters. This time they managed to locate and identify the wreck of the USS “Strong” destroyer, which was sunk on July 5, 1943.

The wreck was found earlier this year, on February 6, while mapping the seabed with sonar. The USS “Strong” rests on the bottom of Kula Bay, in the Solomon Islands, at a depth of over 300 metres. Thus, the American destroyer became another item on the growing list of successes and vessels found by the crew of the R/V “Petrel”. Among them it is worth mentioning the wrecks of such ships as USS “Indianapolis”, USS “Lexington”, USS “Juneau”, USS “Helena ” or USS “Hornet“.

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[blockquote style=”2″]”With every wreck we find and investigate, it is the opportunity to learn the stories of the people serving on them that makes them special. We must remember and respect our history and heroes. Both those still living and those who have fallen. We have a duty to restore their spirit and show gratitude every day, for the sacrifice they made.” – said Rober Kraft, expedition leader and operations manager on the R/V “Petrel.”[/blockquote]

USS “Strong” (DD-467) was an American Fletcher-class destroyer, named after Rear Admiral James H. Strong. The ship’s keel was laid on 30 April 1941, and she entered service on 7 August 1943. She measured 114.7 metres in length and 12.1 metres in breadth. The destroyer developed a top speed of 35 knots, while at an economy speed of 15 knots, she had an operational range of 6500 NM. The crew of the ship consisted of 329 sailors.

During her short service, the destroyer conducted anti-submarine patrols and supported oil extraction operations in the Solomon Islands, New Hebrides and Guadalcanal in the Pacific. She recorded her last chapter on 5 July 1943, during the fighting of the Battle of Kula Bay, which was lost by the Americans.

“Strong” was hit by a Japanese torpedo and sank quite quickly. However, it is worth noting here that shortly after the hit, the USS “Chevalier” collided with it on purpose. Thanks to this manoeuvre, 241 crew members were able to go from the sinking USS“Strong” to the deck of the “Chevalier”, which suffered minor damage, which significantly minimised the number of casualties.

The story of Lieutenant Hugh Miller, who after sinking a destroyer, spent 39 days on Arundel Island, is an extremely interesting but dramatic one. During this time Miller attacked and destroyed three Japanese machine gun emplacements and one enemy patrol. He received the Navy Cross for his achievements and was immortalised in the pages of the book The Castaway’s War.

Source: paulallen.com, wikipedia.org