Expedition explores sunken mini sub at Pearl Harbor
Federal archaeologists and scientists used a remotely operated vehicle Wednesday to document the condition of a mini submarine used in the attack on Pearl Harbor 75 years ago. Video of the underwater exploration was live-streamed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
A Navy destroyer, the Ward, sunk the sub in the first shots fired in World War II by U.S. forces that resulted in casualties, and the first shots fired in the Pacific.
The submarine belonging to the Japanese Imperial Navy carried a two-man crew.
Cameras from a remote vehicle operated from a NOAA ship showed the sub 1,100 feet below the surface about 5 miles from the entrance to Pearl Harbor.
The sub has split in three spots.
NOAA director of maritime heritage James Delgado says the sub is maintained as a grave site.
“Until now, only a handful of explorers and scientists have seen these relics of the war in the deep sea,” Delgado said in a statement, noting that technology is now opening up a glimpse into this history to the public for the first time.