US Navy Warship 'Dancing Mouse' Wreck Found in Pacific After 80 Years

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - In a remarkable discovery that sheds light on one of the most pivotal battles of World War II, a US warship that sank with great valor has been found at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The USS Edsall, a destroyer dubbed the "dancing mouse" for its slippery movements during the ill-fated battle in 1942, has lain undisturbed for over eight decades.

According to Caroline Kennedy, the US Ambassador to Australia, the wreck's discovery marks a significant moment in Australian and American history. Nix and his crew fought bravely, evading 1,400 shells from Japanese battleships and cruisers before coming under attack by 26 carrier dive bombers.

"Today's discovery is a testament to the courage and perseverance of Lieutenant Joshua Nix and his crew," Kennedy said, hailing their sacrifices. The wreckage was identified using advanced hydrographic survey capabilities aboard the naval support ship MV Stoker, alongside Australian Navy officials.

Australian Navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond praised the Edsall crew for their crucial roles in defending Australia during its most turbulent early days with World War II occurring.

The USS Edsall, commissioned in 1920 and armed with four-inch guns, was vastly outgunned by Japan's newer fleet but refused to yield. According to US Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC), the vessel's presence within striking distance of Japanese forces had enraged Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, leading him to issue orders for intercept.

As history now shows it would prove to be their ill-fated moment, Nix faced a hopeless position from the start - unable to compete with Japan's latest advancements in gun power and air support. Despite this fate being sealed, Edsall's valiant actions did earn them some time in fame. Lieutenant Joshua Nix reportedly performed one final gesture of defiance by pointing his vessel bow at Japanese ships.

Eventually defeated and succumbing to the inevitable, a hero's epitaph is left where it remains on the ocean floor today - 200 miles southeast of Christmas Island, far removed but not forgotten from its valiant legacy during its historic meeting with the enemy that has now come full circle.