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The final resting place of the missing USS Albacore submarine has been confirmed to be off the coast of Japan, after more than half a century since it disappeared.
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The wreck site of the destroyed 1944 Gato Class submarine was confirmed by the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) to be off the Hokkaido coast on 16 February.
The vessel was originally constructed by the Electric Boat Company in February 1942 and commissioned on 1 June 1942.
During its career, the vessel conducted 11 war patrols, earned nine battle stars, four presidential unit citations, and was credited with 10 confirmed and three possible enemy vessel sinkings.
It is widely regarded as one of the most successful submarines against enemy combatants during World War II and the US submarine responsible for sinking the highest warship tonnage.
In its final movements, the submarine left Pearl Harbor and Midway Island in October 1944, was listed lost at sea with all hands on 21 December 1944 and stricken from the US Naval Vessel Register on 30 March 1945.
War-time records from the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records detailed the destruction of an unknown American submarine, now believed to be the USS Albacore, after a patrol boat witnessed an underwater explosion from a naval mine off the Hokkaido coast on 7 November 1944.
A Japanese volunteer team led by University of Tokyo’s Institute of Industrial Science, Professor Tamaki Ura, collected information and imagery via a remotely operated vehicle. This data was supplied to the NHHC’s Underwater Archaeology branch to confirm the identity of the submarine.
NHHC director and retired US Navy Rear Admiral Samuel J Cox said several key features of the submarine were identified in the supplied information.
“As the final resting place for sailors who gave their life in defence of our nation, we sincerely thank and congratulate Dr Ura and his team for their efforts in locating the wreck of Albacore,” he said.
“It is through their hard work and continued collaboration that we could confirm Albacore’s identity after being lost at sea for over 70 years.”
Identifying factors included the presence of an SJ radar dish and mast, a row of vent holes along the top of the superstructure, and the absence of steel plates along the upper edge of the fairwater.
The wreck site is now protected by US law, under the jurisdiction of NHHC, and will remain respected by all parties as a war grave.
