SEARCH and a diverse team of undersea investigators has located the wreck of USS Stewart (DD-224), a century-old US Navy destroyer that earned the unenviable distinction of serving under both American and Japanese flags during World War II. This groundbreaking discovery was made off the coast of northern California during a recent collaborative expedition between Ocean Infinity, the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, SEARCH, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, and the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC).
The wreck of what was once known as “the ghost ship of the Pacific” was found approximately 30 miles from shore, within the boundaries of the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and in an area consistent with historical accounts of its final disposal. The Stewart was deliberately sunk on May 24, 1946, as part of a naval exercise in the post-World War II era.
While livestreaming remotely operated vehicle (ROV) footage of the wreck, Air/Sea Heritage Foundation President and Co-Founder, Russ Matthews, recalled reading in the historical record about a touching tribute from the sailors who brought the Stewart home. The sailors took to calling their charge “RAMP-224,” which is a combination of the vessel’s navy hull number and a period slang term for returning prisoners of war or Recovered Allied Military Personnel. “It’s clear they thought of Stewart more like a shipmate than a ship,” Matthews said, “and I know I speak for the entire expedition team when I say that we’re all very satisfied to have helped honor the legacy and memory of those veterans once again.” SEARCH's Dr. James Delgado added, “The USS Stewart represents a unique opportunity to study a well-preserved example of early twentieth-century destroyer design. Its story, from US Navy service to Japanese capture and back again, makes it a powerful symbol of the Pacific War's complexity.”
Read the full press release here.
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