From CBS News: A famed Japanese destroyer sunk by U.S. torpedoes during a pivotal battle in World War II has been discovered on the floor of the Pacific Ocean more than 80 years after it sank, an exploration team has revealed. The warship was found still armed with unused depth charges, according to the explorers.
The Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Teruzuki was located by a remotely operated vehicle more than 2,600 feet below the ocean’s surface near the Solomon Islands, the Ocean Exploration Trust announced on Saturday.
“Lying on the seabed at over 800 meters in the Solomon Islands, this is the first time anyone has laid eyes on Teruzuki since it was sunk in WWII’s naval battles off Guadalcanal,” said the trust, which released images and video of the wreck.
Teruzuki (which translates to “Shiny Moon” in Japanese) was under the command of Rear Admiral Raizou Tanaka. The legendary naval leader earned the moniker “Tenacious Tanaka” among U.S. forces for leading dangerous attacks and so-called “Tokyo Express” supply missions during the middle of the night.
The report explains that weeks before it sunk to the bottom of the ocean, in November 1942, “the 400-foot-long Akizuki-class destroyer used its rapid-fire 100mm guns to help sink two U.S. destroyers, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. The Teruzuki’s torpedoes also severely damaged two other U.S. battleships.”
On Dec. 12, 1942, the Teruzuki was hit by two U.S. torpedoes, which resulted in it sinking, along with nine crew members.
READ MORE from CBS News.
A famed Japanese destroyer sunk by U.S. torpedoes during a pivotal battle in World War II has been discovered on the floor of the Pacific Ocean more than 80 years after it sank, an exploration team has revealed. https://t.co/D6Y2mxhmyA
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 15, 2025
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