The long-lost bow — which was torn off the USS New Orleans in the Battle of Tassafaronga in November 1942 — was found around 2,200 feet underwater in the Solomon Islands’ Iron Bottom Sound, according to a news release from the Ocean Exploration Trust. In a naval engagement involving U.S. and Japanese forces during WWII, the USS New Orleans was struck by one of the Japanese Navy's Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes, which detonated the ship’s forward magazines and tore off nearly one-third of the ship — including the bow. The Navy ship was taken back to the nearby Tulagi Harbor, and the crew used coconut logs to stabilize the ship enough to sail it back to the U.S. for permanent repairs, according to the Ocean Exploration Trust.
Author: Sophia Compton
Published at: 2025-07-09 22:41:54
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