NOAA mission finds unexpected discovery at site of sunken USS Yorktown

Wreckage of US Navy submarine from World War II found off Japan’s coast

The Naval History and Heritage Command confirmed the identity of a wreck site off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan, as the USS Albacore (SS-218), which sunk in 1944.

HONOLULU – Members of NOAA’s Ocean Exploration team believe they have uncovered a piece of history that had remained undiscovered until a recent deep-sea expedition - a vintage automobile resting inside the wreckage of the USS Yorktown.

The vehicle, believed to be a 1940–41 Ford Super Deluxe Woody Wagon, was identified by a remotely operated vehicle during a nearly month-long mission to explore Papahānaumokuākea, a protected marine region located northwest of Hawaii.

The wreckage of the Yorktown lies more than three miles beneath the ocean’s surface and has never before been as extensively as explored by a remotely operated device.

According to the U.S. Navy, the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown sank after being struck by Japanese torpedoes during the Battle of Midway, around June 7, 1942.

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Video from the underwater submersible revealed surprisingly vivid details of the vehicle, including a partially legible license plate reading "SHIP SERVICE."

The discovery of the automobile has baffled researchers and historians, though they note that the occurrence is not without precedent.

According to historians, it would be commonplace to find a vehicle belonging to a vessel’s high brass aboard some large ships.

‘Even victory can have a steep price’

At more than 800 feet in length, the Yorktown was a massive vessel at the time, carrying over 2,000 crew members and capable of supporting up to 90 aircraft.

During the World War II attack, more than 100 sailors lost their lives aboard the ship, but the majority of the crew survived, thanks to an extensive rescue operation.

"The Battle of Midway was a decisive U.S. victory, but even victory can have a steep price, and Yorktown and her Air Group paid it," said Naval History and Heritage Command Director Sam J. Cox, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral. "The Navy thanks NOAA and partners for the opportunity for our nation to reflect on the extraordinary valor and sacrifice of those who held the line and turned the tide during the darkest days of World War II, buying time with their lives for the U.S. to fully mobilize for ultimate victory, enabling the freedom we have today."

USS Yorktown anchored at Hampton Roads, Virginia, on October 30, 1937.

(U.S. Navy / FOX Weather)

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Papahānaumokuākea is steeped in maritime history, and, according to the National Park Service, at least 60 shipwrecks and 67 naval aircraft lie within the protected waters.

The recent discovery is part of a broader 28-day mission to explore and continue mapping the region, which by some accounts is considered to be less than half mapped.

According to NOAA, the region’s unique name stems from Hawaiian tradition, with Papahānaumoku representing Mother Earth and Wākea representing Father Sky - figures credited with the creation of the Hawaiian Islands and nearby landmasses.

The 582,578-square-mile area of the Pacific Ocean is not only federally protected but also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Map of Papahānaumokuākea

(State of Hawaii / FOX Weather)