World War II 'Ghost Ship of the Pacific' wreck discovered

A team of underwater investigators has found the wreckage of a U.S. Navy ship known as the Ghost of the Pacific off the coast of California.

The USS Stewart, a Navy destroyer, was sunk as a target in May 1946. Now, a team from the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the Naval Heritage and History Command, marine technology company Ocean Infinity and maritime archeology foundation Search Inc. have found the ship's wreckage off the coast of Northern California.

“Whether lost in battle or sunk as a target, a warship remains sovereign property in perpetuity,” Rear Admiral Samuel J. Cox USN (ret.), director of the Naval History and Heritage Command and U.S. Navy curator, responded to the discovery. “It is important to know the location and condition of such wrecks so that they can be protected from unauthorized disturbance in accordance with the U.S. Sunken Military Craft Act.”

Search for the wreckage

Three Ocean Infinity autonomous underwater vehicles were launched on August 1 to spend a day scanning the ocean floor using sonar and multi-beam sonar systems. Analysis of the data collected revealed the unmistakable image of a ship – the USS Stewart – resting on the ocean floor at a depth of about 3,500 feet.

“Preliminary sonar scans revealed that the Stewart is mostly intact and that her hull – which is still slim and imposing – rests almost upright on the seabed,” the search team said in a statement. “This level of preservation is exceptional for a ship of its age, making it perhaps one of the best-preserved examples of a known U.S. Navy 'Fourstacker' destroyer.”