USS WARD (DD 139/ADP 12) was converted into destroyer transport (APD) in 1943
OFF Leyte on December 7, 1944, 3 year to day, was struck by
Japanese Kamikaze.
With fires out of control and ammunition exploding was ordered abandoned
Destroyer USS O’BRIEN (DD 725) was ordered to sink the WARD
Captain of the O’BRIEN was Commander William Outerbridge
3 years earlier Outerbridge was commanding the Ward, his first command, when encountered Japanese midget submarine
attempting to slip into Pearl Harbor ahead of air attack.
War opened fire scoring hit through conning tower and dropped pattern of depth charges sinking the sub.
Wreck of the Japanese midget sub was found 60 years later in 2001 by research sub from HURL (Hawaii Undersea Research Lab)
Is this recent? I feel like there was an article a few days ago that mentioned the main gun from the Ward is in the US and several war survivors who served on the Ward meet there every year. They recovered/brought it to the US in the 70s or so..
Leave the ships ALONE.
They are the GRAVES of HEROS and should not be disturbed.
Leave the ships alone.
These are military graves and should not be desecrated by grave robbers. Leave the graves of heroes alone (both Japanese and American).
I would not be surprised to find that one of the ships was the Imperial cruiser Chikuma, sunk by USS Heermann, DD532, during the battle. Of the 8 destroyers and destroyer escorts that went out to face the Japanese Fleet, only one returned, and then only after taking heavy damage and loss of life.