In a groundbreaking discovery, the wreckage of the USS Hornet, a legendary American aircraft carrier from World War II, has been found 17,500 feet beneath the surface of the South Pacific Ocean. This remarkable achievement is the result of a research expedition funded by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, whose passion for uncovering lost relics of history has once again borne fruit.
The USS Hornet, ordered into production by the Newport News Shipbuilding Company in 1939 and commissioned into the U.S. Navy just two months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, was a cornerstone of American naval power. Renowned for launching the first airstrike on the Japanese mainland during the Doolittle Raid in 1942, the Hornet played a pivotal role in boosting American morale after the devastating Pearl Harbor attack. The carrier provided a mobile runway for B-25 bombers, enabling strikes on key Japanese cities such as Tokyo, Yokosuka, Kobe, and Nagoya. However, the ship met its tragic end in 1942 when it was irreparably damaged by Japanese torpedoes during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, leading to its abandonment and eventual sinking.
The search for the Hornet was spearheaded by the R/V Petrel, a state-of-the-art deep-sea exploration vessel capable of withstanding the extreme pressures of the ocean depths while capturing high-resolution imagery. The 10-person expedition team meticulously pieced together data from national and naval archives, including official deck logs and action reports from other U.S. warships present during the battle. By plotting positions and sightings from nine other vessels, the team established a search grid, leading to the Hornet’s discovery on the first dive of the Petrel’s autonomous underwater vehicle. Video footage confirmed the find, revealing haunting images of the ship’s hull, scarred from the battle and possibly from the 400 five-inch shells fired by the U.S. destroyers Mustin and Anderson before the Hornet’s sinking. Remarkably, an International Harvester tractor was found standing upright in the ship’s hangar, a testament to the vessel’s preserved state.
This discovery adds to the R/V Petrel’s impressive track record, which includes locating the USS Lexington, lost during the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942. The expedition’s success highlights the power of modern autonomous technology in preserving and archiving history. However, the exact location of the Hornet’s wreckage remains undisclosed to protect it from looting, a persistent threat to Pacific war wrecks, some of which have been illegally salvaged or sold on the black market. Under the U.S. Sunken Military Craft Act, the Hornet remains U.S. property, even in international waters, and may not be disturbed without permission from the U.S. Navy.
The rediscovery of the USS Hornet is more than a historical footnote; it is a powerful reminder of the bravery and sacrifice of those who served aboard her. Through the lens of the R/V Petrel, this once-lost “monster” of World War II has been brought back into the light, ensuring its legacy endures for generations to come.