They found a car in the wreck of the ship from World War II.
The ship sank in June 1942.
The wreck of the USS Yorktown (CV-5), which was destroyed by Japanese troops during World War II, discovered in 1998. It was more than 50 years after the Americans left it and let it fall to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
Only now, however, researchers of the US Ocean and the atmosphere (NOAA) have found something unusual inside the wreck – a car.
Researchers suspect that this was a Ford model, but they have no idea what he was doing on board.
For the first time inside the wreck
USS Yorktown played an important role during the coral seas and the battle for Midway. It was the other one that was fatal.
The aircraft carrier was more than 230 meters long. She was able to hold 90 aircraft and approximately 2200 crew members.
During the battle for Midway, which lasted from 4 to 7 June 1942, the ship suffered serious damage. The final strike was hit by torpedoes from the Japanese submarine. After efforts to repair the crew, the crew left the ship and it dropped to the bottom of June 7, 1942.
It was not until 1998 that it was discovered by photographer and Oceanographer Robert Ballard. Previously discovered the wreck Titanic Or the German Bismarck battleship.
Yorktown found about five kilometers below the surface and a thousand kilometers from Honolulu. The wreck was in great condition. Despite 56 years below the surface, some of the instruments and parts of the coatings were still visible.
Re -explored the ship by an autonomous submarine in 2023 and Now in April 2025 they first went inside the wreck. The expedition is to last until 5 May.
It was at the last survey that they discovered a car. Researchers suspect that it was the Ford Super Deluxe « Woody » produced between 1940 and 1941 in black.
They could drop it into the water
« That’s the whole car, » was heard at some point during a live broadcast from the latest USS Yorktown wreck.
“Why is there a car on the boat?” Asks another member of the Explorers’ team who managed the submarine on the surface.
The car was found near the elevator on the boat. Even after years, it is still visible on the details such as extended fenders, chrome hem or reserve tire, which still hangs from the rear door. On the front of the car you can also see the inscription « Ship Service ».
« This is an open request for all car enthusiasts, » one of the researchers said during a live broadcast.
« I’m sure you are careful and understand what you are looking at. Write us, help us. »
The car finding is surprising, especially because the rescuers tried to reduce the weight of the ship as much as possible in the last hours after the intervention. The aircraft themselves were throwing anti -aircraft weapons into the water.
« But they left a car that could easily be wicked from the side? » NOAA representatives wrote for McClatchy News.
Therefore, they assume that the car could belong to someone important, for example, contradmiral Frank Fletcher – Yorktown was his flagship.
The car could get on board in the port Pearl Harbor Even during the repair of the damage that Yorktown suffered during the battle in the Coral Sea.
Yorktown after aerial intervention. Later it was hit by a torpedo from the submarine and the ship sank. (Source: Naval History and Heritage Command)
