WWII Era Japanese Warship Found on Sea Floor Near Australia

Liputan6.com, Jakarta A destroyer belonging to the Imperial Japanese Navy from the World War (WWII) era was successfully discovered by an international research team off the coast of the Solomon Islands.

It is known that this discovery took place ahead of the 80th anniversary of the end of the war.

A team of researchers from the US non-profit Ocean Exploration Trust found the wreck of the Teruzuki at a depth of more than 800 meters in waters northeast of Australia.

The 134-meter-long ship is known to have sunk after being torpedoed by the US military in 1942, as reported by AFP on Friday (July 18).

In video footage taken using an underwater drone, parts of the ship are clearly visible, including the hull with red paint still visible, the corroded gun barrels, and the stern of the large battleship.

Ocean Exploration Trust explained that the Teruzuki was commissioned in 1942 with the primary function of protecting aircraft carriers from air attack.

According to the research team, the stern section of the Teruzuki was found separated by more than 200 meters from the main body, which was identified using high-resolution sonar scans.

The discovery of the wreck occurred while the team was conducting a survey using underwater drones in the area to map the location and search for shipwrecks or other previously unknown objects.

The name Teruzuki itself means “Shining Moon” in Japanese. However, just a few months into service, the ship was hit by a torpedo from US forces.

As a result of the attack, nine sailors were reportedly killed. However, most of the crew survived.