The deepest shipwreck in the world has been discovered nearly 80 years after it sank, at a depth of four miles in the ocean. Explorers found the USS Samuel B. Roberts, known as Sammy B, in the Philippine Sea. It was defeated by the Japanese in a bloody naval battle east of the Philippines on October 25, 1944. Adventurer Victor Vescovo, who has completed explorations to the deepest points in the world, identified the wreck's location on June 22.
The ship was found broken into two pieces at a depth of 22,621 feet, which is over 3,000 feet higher than the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. The explorer dove with pilot and sonar specialist Jeremy Morin to try to trace the wreck from end to end. The team found the two halves of the ship approximately 33 feet apart, and previous data suggesting a potential location for the ship had been inaccurate, forcing the team to go back to the drawing board.
Vescovo stated about the discovery, “It was an extraordinary honor to locate this incredibly famous ship, and by doing so, we were able to retell its story of heroism and duty for those who may not know about the ship and the sacrifice of its crew.” He explained, “It appears that its bow hit the seabed with some force, causing it to bend slightly, and its stern had also separated about 5 meters upon impact, but the wreckage was completely submerged.”
The remarkable warship is believed to have been captured by a Japanese vessel during the Battle of Samar in 1944, and the Sammy B sank alongside other American ships, including the USS Johnston, disappearing for decades in the ocean. The Sammy B was the first ship named after Coxswain Samuel Booker Roberts Jr., who enlisted in the Navy in 1939 and fought in World War II. Roberts volunteered to assist in landing several hundred Marines a few miles north of Longa Point, where the United States hoped to capture a Japanese stronghold.
