Twin Mustang Takes Flight
Two Carrier Wrecks Discovered
Wreckage of two World War Two aircraft carriers has been discovered in the South Pacific by the late Paul Allen’s Research Vessel (R/V) Petrel. On January 13 the USS Wasp (CV-7) was located in the Coral Sea of northeast Australia at a depth of 13,780ft (4,700m). Wasp was escorting transports carrying marines to Guadalcanal on September 15, 1942 when it was sunk by four torpedoes from the Japanese submarine I-19 with the loss of 193 lives. Petrel’s team filmed several badly damaged Grumman TBF Avengers around the wreck.
USS Hornet (CV-8) was discovered in late January more than 3 miles (17,500ft/5,400m) below the surface, resting on the sea fioor southeast of the Solomon Islands. The carrier was best known for its part in April 1942’s famous Doolittle Raid, the first airborne attack on the Japanese homeland.
The ship was sunk during the Battle of Santa Cruz Island on October 27, 1943, following two days of relentless, co-ordinated attacks by Japanese dive-bombers and torpedo aircraft. The crew of around 2,200 men was ultimately forced to abandon ship due to the damage and resulting fires, with the loss of 111 sailors. It was the last US fleet carrier to be lost in action.
