Researchers find second warship from WWII Battle of Midway

MIDWAY ATOLL, rthwestern Hawaiian Islands (AP) — A crew of deep-sea explorers and historians looking for lost World War II warships have found a second Japanese aircraft carrier that went down in historic Battle of Midway.

Vulcan Inc. director of undersea operations Rob Kraft said a review of sonar data captured Sunday shows what could be eir Japanese carrier Akagi or Soryu resting in nearly 18,000 feet (5,490 meters) of water in Pacific Ocean more than 1,300 miles (2,090 kilometers) rthwest of Pearl Harbor.

researchers used an automous underwater vehicle, or AUV, equipped with sonar to find ship. vehicle h been out overnight collecting data, and im of a warship appeared in first set of reings Sunday morning. To confirm exactly which ship y’ve found crew will deploy AUV for ar eight-hour mission where it will capture high-resolution sonar ims of site. initial reings were captures using lower resolution sonar. high-resolution scans will allow crew to measure ship and confirm its identity.

find comes on heels of discovery of ar Japanese carrier, Kaga, last week. “We re about battles, we kw what happened. But when you see se wrecks on bottom of ocean and everything, you kind of get a feel for what real price is for war,” said Frank Thompson, a historian with Naval History and Herit Command in Washington, D.C., who is onboard Petrel. “You see dam se things took, and it’s humbling to watch some of video of se vessels because y’re war graves.”

Sonar ims of Kaga show bow of heavy carrier hit seafloor at a high rate of speed, scattering debris and leaving an impact crater that looks as if an explosion occurred in ocean. front of vessel is buried in mud and sediment after se-diving about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) to bottom. U.S. bombs that struck Kaga caused a massive fire that left it charred, but ship stayed mostly toger. Its guns, some still intact, stick out side.

Until w, only one of seven ships that went down in June 1942 air and sea battle — five Japanese vessels and two American — h been located. crew of research vessel Petrel is hoping to find and survey all lost ships from 1942 Battle of Midway, which historians consider a pivotal fight for U.S. in Pacific during WWII. battle was fought between American and Japanese aircraft carriers and warplanes about 200 miles (320 kilometers) off Midway Atoll, a former military installation that Japanese hoped to capture in a surprise attack.

U.S., however, intercepted Japanese communications about strike and were waiting when y arrived. More than 2,000 Japanese and 300 Americans died. expedition is an effort started by late Paul Allen, billionaire co-founder of Microsoft. For years, crew of 250-foot (76-meter) Petrel has worked with U.S. Navy and or officials around world to locate and document sunken ships. It has found more than 30 vessels so far. Kraft says crew’s mission started with Allen’s desire to hor his far’s military service. Allen died last year. “It really extends beyond that at this time,” Kraft said. “We’re horing today’s service members, it’s about education and, you kw, bringing history back to life for future generations.”