Explorers Find WWII Navy Destroyer, Deepest Wreck Discovered

The three-tube torpedo launcher that was part of the USS Samuel B. Roberts underwater off the Philippines in the Western Pacific Ocean, in an image provided by Caladan Oceanic on June 22, 2022. Caladan Oceanic via AP

MANILA, Philippines—A U.S. Navy destroyer that engaged a superior Japanese fleet in the largest sea battle of World War II in the Philippines has become the deepest wreck to be discovered, according to explorers.

The USS Samuel B. Roberts, popularly known as the “Sammy B,” was identified on Wednesday broken into two pieces on a slope at a depth of 6,985 meters (22,916 feet).