US Warship Wreck Found Off Australian Coast 80 Years After Sinking

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - A team of US officials announced Monday that the wreck of the USS Edsall, a US destroyer sunk during World War II, has been discovered in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Australia. The crew of the Edsall, led by Lieutenant Joshua Nix, fought valiantly against Japanese forces on March 1, 1942, before succumbing to heavy damage and sinking.

Located approximately 200 miles south-southeast of Christmas Island, the wreckage was discovered using advanced hydrographic survey capabilities aboard the naval support ship MV Stoker. The official website of the US Naval History and Heritage Command confirmed that the vessel met its demise during a battle with Imperial Japanese Navy forces.

Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, Australia's chief of navy, praised Lieutenant Nix and his crew for their bravery in evading over 1,400 shells from Japanese battleships and cruisers. The crew's efforts were described as significant in helping to protect Australia during the early days of World War II.

According to historical accounts, the Edsall was spotted by a Japanese carrier-based plane around the same time it sank. Lieutenant Nix ordered his crew to make a fight of it despite being vastly outgunned by the Japanese fleet.

With its 4-inch guns no match for Japan's "big gun" warships and aircraft capable of carrying heavy bombs, Lieutenant Nix defied extinction with a show of defiance that has become legendary among US naval historians. The last stand was made when Edsall took evasive action to prevent itself being hit by dive bombers, before succumbing to Japanese fire.

The discovery of the USS Edsall's final resting place comes nearly eight decades after its tragic sinking and provides new insights into the bravery of the surviving crew members of one of the US Navy's lesser-known wartime vessels.