Naval Wreckage Found Off Philippines: Might Be the Wreck of the Destroyer USS Johnston (DD-557)

From the November 1, 2019, Archaeology publication.  U.S. Naval Institute News "World War II-Era wreckage  found in the Philippines."

Discovered over 20,000 feet deep in the Philippine Sea and may be all that is left of the destroyer USS Johnston (DD-557) which was sunk during the Battle of Samar on October 25, 1944.

It was found by a team of researchers from Vulcan Inc, a company founded by the late philanthropist Paul Allen.

During the battle, four Japanese battleships surprised the Johnston and other U.S. ships supporting troop landings on Leyte.  Only 141  of the Johnston's crew of 327 survived.

The wreckage includes unidentifiable pieces of twisted metal, a gun deck and a propeller shaft.  It will be necessary to find part of the ship's hull with the identification number or crew personal effects in order to positively id the ship.  Another Fletcher-Class destroyer, the USS Hoel (DD-533) was also in the area at the time of the battle and sunk.

There was a lot of confusion at the battle.

Always a Great Thing to Locate One of the Sunken Warships.  --GreGen