Destroyed US Navy ship from World War II found after 83 years

Sensational discovery: after 83 years, researchers have found the remains of a legendary US Navy ship destroyed during World War II

Researchers have made an amazing discovery in the waters of the Pacific Ocean – the bow of the warship USS New Orleans, severed by a Japanese torpedo in a fierce battle in 1942, was found in the legendary Iron Bottom Sound near the Solomon Islands. The ship fragment was resting at an impressive depth of about 2,200 feet underwater. Notably, this area, which earned the grim nickname "Iron Bottom," is the final resting place for more than 100 ships that met their demise in the depths during World War II.

"The sunken ship was discovered while mapping the seabed with an unmanned vessel, and then explored using a remotely operated deep-diving vehicle," said Daniel Wagner, chief scientist at Ocean Exploration Trust.

The fateful naval battle, in which Japanese forces gained a tactical advantage, unfolded in November 1942. The Japanese military delivered a crushing blow, hitting three American ships with torpedoes and sending another to the bottom. Despite serious damage, the heroic crew of the USS New Orleans managed to bring the crippled ship to the nearest harbor, where the vessel was partially restored.