HISTORY

Photo: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command

SEARCHING FOR LOST SHIPS

WITH PAUL ALLEN

SHIPWRECKS IN THE

GREATEST DEPTHS

In this last installement of searching for the lost ships with Paul Alled

we will talk about the shipwrecks lying in the greatest depths of the

world. They sank to the bottom of the ocean during the Battle of Samar.

These are the American destroyers which, heavily outnumbered,

bravely faced the enemy for whom this battle was a swan song.

18

INFO Eduard

Turkey Shoot. The great lack of quality in

Japanese aircraft and pilots‘ training was

aparent and the Japanese aircraft were falling

of the skies in hundreds. One of the American

pilots described the combat after landing as

shooting turkeys back home in old times. The

greatest American fighter aces increased their

USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413)

photographed in the beginning of

summer 1944. It is the deepest

lying shipwreck known currently in

the world.

scores thanks to it. Cdr. David McCampbell, who

up until then was credited with two kills (out of

total 34), on June 19, 1944, during his first sortie,

shot down fine D4Y Judy dive bombers and

during the next sortie added two A6M fighters.

Lt. Alexander Vraciu, whose score stood at 12

kills at that time (out of total 19), on the same

Photo: National Archives

The Battle of Santa Cruz, during which the

aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) was sunk

in October 1942, was for a long time the last

carriers encounter. While the Allies gradually

took over the strategic initiative, the Japanese

carriers were recovering from the losses.

The damaged ships needed repairs but above

all the lost aircraft had to be replenished and

new pilots trained. During the whole 1943 no

further aircraft carriers battle took place. The

Japanese Navy was saving the resources and

preparing for the so-called decisive battle.

The opportunity arrived in June 1944 when the

US carriers attacked the Mariana Islands. The

Japanese threw all they had into the counter

attack – 1st Mobile Fleet formed by total of 83

vessels, including 3 large aircraft carriers,

6 light aircraft carriers and 5 battleships.

They faced the American 5th Fleet composed

of 139 ships. The backbone of the US fleet

was formed by 7 large aircraft carriers,

8 light aircraft carriers and 7 battleships. The

American dominance was to be compensated

by deployment of further 300 Japanese aircraft

operating from the land bases.

The result of the Battle of Philippine Sea

doesn’t need a detailed description, its first day

went down in the history as a Great Mariana

Text: Miro Barič

Lt.(jg) Alexander Vraciu shows his six fingers for the aerial kills he scored on June 19, 1944.

August 2023