Underwater Archaeologists Find 3 Shipwrecks from World War II’s ‘Forgotten Battle’ Off Alaska’s Coast

A scan of one of the three World War II shipwrecks, of the Kotohira Maru wreck, found off Alaska’s coast. Photo by ThayerMahan, Inc. / Live Science

Underwater archaeologists have successfully identified the wrecks of three military ships that played roles in the WWII conflict during Japan’s invasion of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands—a battle often overlooked and dubbed the “forgotten battle” by historians.

The discoveries include two Japanese freighters and the American cable ship SS Dellwood, which was involved in laying undersea cables during the war.

These wrecks were found last month around Attu Island, situated at the Aleutians’ westernmost point, Live Science reports.

The Japanese vessels were targets of American aircraft bombs post the Japanese troops’ invasion in June 1942, a strategic move that occurred about six months following the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor.

Conversely, the American ship succumbed to the sea approximately a month after Japanese forces were ousted from the island nearly a year later, amid efforts to bolster the island’s defenses.

“The original [Japanese] idea was to turn Attu into an ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier'” for attacks on other American locations, stated Dominic Bush, a maritime archaeologist and project co-leader, in an interview with Live Science.

“But as things started to change in the Pacific, they were abandoned by the Imperial command and basically told to hold out for as long as they could — essentially, to die with honor,” he added.

Notably, Attu and the adjacent Aleutian Island of Kiska represent the only instances of North American territory being invaded and occupied by a foreign enemy during WWII.

This prompted a vigorous American response, culminating in a prolonged bombing campaign against the Japanese forces stationed there.

The confrontation peaked during the Battle of Attu in May 1943, which resulted in the deaths of 2,351 Japanese and 549 Allied troops.

Bush, alongside his East Carolina University (ECU) colleagues, including maritime archaeologist and historian Jason Raupp, spent extensive periods researching the Aleutian wrecks.

Their meticulous planning and research over several years facilitated the successful location of all three wrecks during a two-week expedition in July.

Collaboration with strategic partners such as the Japanese World Scan Project, which employs drones and robots to survey environmental and archaeological sites, proved invaluable.

“Nobody had documented these wrecks before. So we went out there and searched … and since we had about four years of research and preparation, it made the identifications easier when we found them,” Raupp revealed to Live Science.

The expedition utilized the Norseman II, a converted crab-fishing vessel now serving as a scientific research ship, equipped with a remotely operated underwater vehicle that captured video footage of the sunken ships.

An advanced “synthetic aperture” sonar system, carried by a sonar array towed behind the ship, facilitated the wrecks’ detection. This technology, which generates three-dimensional seafloor scans, significantly enhances survey efficiency and resolution.

“It allows for increased efficiency of a survey, because you are able to cover massive swaths of the seabed with a high level of resolution,” Raupp explained.

He noted that achieving comparable results with traditional sonar systems would have necessitated several weeks.

The wreck of the Dellwood and the Japanese freighter Kotohira Maru were located at a depth of about 300 feet offshore, while the Cheribon Maru was found in shallower waters near the shore.

Bush confirmed that the observed damage on the two Japanese freighters corroborated historical accounts of their destruction by American bombs.

Additionally, the research team uncovered evidence of anti-submarine nets around Attu’s main port, intended to thwart Japanese submarine attacks during the war.

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