Deepest Shipwreck Discovered Nearly 7,000 Metres Below Sea Level

As per an American investigation team, the world's deepest wreckage, a US military destroyer has been discovered that went down during World War II, off the Philippines, at a depth of about 7,000 meters (23,000 feet).

According to Texas-based undersea technology company Caladan Oceanic, on October 25, 1944, when US forces struggled to free the Philippines, then a US territory, from Japanese rule, the USS Samuel B. Roberts was sunk in combat off the central island of Samar. In a series of dives over the course of eight days this month, a crewed submersible recorded snapped pictures, and assessed the shattered hull of the "Sammy B."

Caladan Oceanic founder Victor Vescovo, who piloted the submersible mentioned in the tweet that "resting at 6,895 meters, it is now the deepest shipwreck ever located and surveyed." He added that this little ship engaged the best of the Japanese Navy and fought them to the bitter end. The conflict, which lasted for several days and involved fierce action between the US and Japanese forces, was a little portion of the broader Battle of Leyte.

Four US ships, including Sammy B, were sunk during the combat on October 25. In 2021, Vescovo's crew discovered the USS Johnston, which had previously been known to be the deepest wreckage in the world at about 6,500 meters.

In the most recent search, the team also tried for the USS Gambier Bay, which is located more than 7,000 meters below the surface of the ocean, but it was unsuccessful. Due to a lack of valid information regarding the potential location of the USS Hoel's wreck, it did not search for it.