The wreck of the USS Stewart, a U.S. Navy destroyer known as the “Ghost Ship of the Pacific,” has been rediscovered nearly 80 years after it was intentionally sunk during a post-World War II naval exercise. The ship, which served both the U.S. and Japanese navies during the war, was located 3,500 feet below the ocean’s surface in the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, off the coast of Northern California.

High-resolution sonar image showing the wreck of the USS Stewart. Credit: Ocean Infinity

The USS Stewart (DD-224), a Clemson-class destroyer, was originally commissioned in 1920 and named after Rear Admiral Charles Stewart. Initially part of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet, the ship was stationed in Manila, where it participated in patrol missions across the Philippines and Chinese waters before the United States entered World War II. During the conflict, it joined the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM) and saw action in the Battle of Badung Strait in 1942, where it was heavily damaged.

The Stewart’s journey took an unexpected turn when it was placed in a drydock for repairs in Surabaya, Java. Due to continuous air attacks and the threat of capture by advancing Japanese forces, the ship was scuttled to prevent its seizure. However, unknown to the Allies, the Imperial Japanese Navy salvaged and repaired the vessel, recommissioning it as Patrol Boat No. 102. This gave rise to reports from Allied pilots of an American destroyer flying Japanese colors, earning it the nickname, “Ghost Ship of the Pacific.”

As the war came to a close, the Stewart was discovered abandoned in Hiro Bay near Kure, Japan, and was eventually recommissioned into the U.S. Navy. The destroyer was returned to the United States, where it served briefly before being deliberately sunk as a target during a naval exercise in May 1946. The exact location of the wreck remained a mystery for decades, until a team of organizations, including Ocean Infinity, SEARCH Inc., NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, and the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, launched an expedition to locate it.

USS Stewart underway before WWII. Credit: U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command

The search team used advanced technology to locate and capture images of the wreck. James Delgado, a senior vice president at SEARCH Inc. and former director of NOAA’s Maritime Heritage Program, explained that the discovery offers a unique opportunity to study early 20th-century destroyer design.

Three autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) equipped with high-resolution synthetic aperture sonar and multibeam echosounder systems scanned a 37-square-nautical-mile area of the ocean floor on August 1, 2024. After a 24-hour survey, the data revealed the “stunning and unmistakable image of a sunken ship 3,500 feet below the surface,” according to the mission’s press release. The sonar scans showed the Stewart largely intact, with its hull nearly upright on the seafloor, making it one of the best-preserved Clemson-class destroyers known to exist.

DD-224 after recapture from the Japanese Navy and recommissioning in the USN. Credit: U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command

Further surveys were conducted using remote-operated vehicles (ROVs) that allowed the team to inspect the wreck up close. The visual inspection confirmed that the vessel remains in excellent condition. The NOAA’s Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary will use the collected data to ᴀssess environmental factors and enhance understanding of marine habitats in the area.

The rediscovery of the USS Stewart holds significant historical value. Retired Rear Admiral Samuel Cox, director of the Naval History and Heritage Command, praised the professionalism of the team involved in the search, stating, “Whether lost in battle or sunk as a target, a warship remains sovereign property in perpetuity.”

More information: SEARCH , Ocean Infinity