Sunken US Navy WWII Destroyer Discovered off Okinawan Coast

The U.S. Navy has identified a sunken ship off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, as the Sumner-class destroyer Mannert L. Abele, the first U.S. warship to sink on April 12, 1945, after it was hit with a Japanese suicide rocket bomb, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command.

“Mannert L. Abele is the final resting place for 84 American sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of their country,” NHHC Director Samuel Cox said in a statement. “Its discovery allows some closure to the families of those lost and provides us all another opportunity to remember and honor them.”

The day of its sinking, the destroyer came in contact with Japanese aircraft about 75 miles off the coast of Okinawa. Although the warship damaged multiple enemy planes, one Japanese kamikaze pilot managed to cut through the anti-aircraft fire and crashed into the starboard side of the ship, according to the release.

Read more: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2023/05/25/sunken-us-navy-wwii-destroyer-discovered-off-the-okinawan-coast/