Unexpected discovery: Second World War shipwreck found in the depths of the Pacific Ocean after 80 years
More than 80 years after its loss, the Royal Australian Navy has unexpectedly located the legendary Second World War destroyer USS Edsall, known by its nickname “The Dancing Mouse”. The destroyer sank in 1942 during a clash with Japanese ships and bombers, and the exact location of the shipwreck had long been shrouded in mystery – until now.
More than eight decades after it disappeared, the Royal Australian Navy has stumbled upon one of the Second World War’s most storied destroyers, the USS Edsall, also known by its nickname, the “Dancing Mouse”. The vessel sank on 1 March 1942 after engaging Japanese ships and bombers in the Pacific Ocean, according to Popular Mechanics.
Served in both World Wars
The 314-foot Clemson-class destroyer entered service during the First World War and was stationed in Asia throughout its entire deployment, right up until the moment it was lost.
Over nearly four decades, it took part in numerous naval exercises and achieved significant military successes in the Second World War, including contributing to the sinking of a Japanese submarine.
However, the ship was damaged in an accident when a depth charge detonated prematurely on deck, limiting its manoeuvrability and rendering it unfit for combat, leading to its reassignment to convoy duty.
Sunk by Japanese bombers
Despite this, the ship’s commander, Captain Joshua Nix, was unwilling to stand by idly. When a Japanese convoy approached, Nix decided to launch an attack.
The destroyer’s official history was recounted by retired US Rear Admiral Samuel Cox, head of the Naval History and Heritage Command. According to Japanese reports, the Edsall’s movements resembled the playful behaviour of the Japanese dancing mouse, a hugely popular household pet at the time.
The ship rapidly shifted speed and direction, deployed a smoke screen, fired torpedoes at the attacking Japanese vessels, and for more than an hour successfully evaded strikes from opponents equipped with far superior weaponry.
The turning point came when 26 Japanese dive-bombers arrived – dispatched, as NPR notes, by Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, who had led the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor just a few months earlier.
A bomb struck the Edsall directly. Most of the crew – more than 200 US sailors and airmen – were lost at sea, while several survivors later died in enemy prisoner-of-war camps. The location of the shipwreck remained unknown for decades, until its discovery in 2023 by the Royal Australian Navy.
The shipwreck was found by chance
Chief of Navy Mark Hammond stated that the discovery was entirely accidental, and the ship was found largely intact, standing upright approximately 200 miles east of Christmas Island, in the region of southern Java.
Following its discovery, experts spent roughly a year studying the shipwreck using sonar and underwater robots. Analysis confirmed that the shipwreck was indeed the Edsall, not the nearby remains of USS Pillsbury, which had also sunk in the area during the Second World War. The official announcement was made on Veterans Day, finally confirming the Edsall’s final resting place.
Hammond added that the wreck is not only a fragment of naval history but also a symbol of American–Australian relations during the Second World War.
The ship took part in the early Pacific campaigns, working alongside Australian warships to defend Allied territories. These joint operations forged bonds between American and Australian sailors that are still felt today.