U.S.S. Edsall, sunk WWII ship known as 'Dancing Mouse,' discovered after over 80 years
An American World War II warship that played a key role in Allied campaigns in the Pacific has been discovered at the bottom of the Indian Ocean more than 80 years after it was sunk.
An American World War II warship that played a key role in Allied campaigns in the Pacific has been discovered at the bottom of the Indian Ocean more than 80 years after it was sunk.
The U.S.S. Edsall was found 200 miles east of Christmas Island, south of Java, by the Royal Australian Navy. The discovery has revealed the final resting place of more than 200 servicemen who died when it was sank by Japanese forces on 1 March, 1942, three months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
"Captain Joshua Nix and his crew fought valiantly, evading 1,400 shells from Japanese battleships and cruisers, before being attacked by 26 carrier-dive bombers, taking only one fatal hit," Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador to Australia, said in a joint video statement recorded with Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, head of the Royal Australian Navy.
"This is part of our continuing efforts to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We will now be able to preserve this important memorial and hope that the families of the heroes who died there will know their loved ones rest in peace," Kennedy said.
The discovery was made in 2023, but the announcement was held back until Monday, which was Veterans' Day in the U.S. and Remembrance Day in Australia and Britain.
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