R/V Petrel may have found USS JOHNSTON DD-557

[Redleg13a]

R/V Petrel found the remains of a US destroyer off Samar and they are pretty sure it's USS JOHNSTON (DD-557). CDR Evans, JOHNSTON's commander, fought the ship against overwhelming odds and was last seen, wounded, on the stern giving directions to the crew steering in the secondary steering compartment. Some reports state her depth charges exploded after she sank and the destroyer they found is in pieces. Petrel doesn't have positive ID but they are almost positive it's JOHNSTON based on the paint schemes they can see and the target location.

Rest in Peace crew of the JOHNSTON!
https://www.facebook.com/rvpetrel/vi...2037628757336/

[FRODAWWG]

I hope they are able to verify it. Great find.

[Redleg13a]

They think there may be a section of hull nearby and if they can find it, maybe it will provide verification. They're pretty sure it's not HOEL based on the position as well as HOEL having a splinter paint scheme. They didn't see any indication of a splinter scheme on any of the parts that they found that should have had it.

[Rick the Librarian]

“…The vision of Sprague’s three destroyers – the Johnston, the Hoel and the Heerman [and the Samuel B. Roberts] – charging out of the smoke and rain straight towards the main batteries of Kurita’s battleships and cruisers, can endure as a picture of the way Americans fight when they don’t have superiority. Our schoolchildren should know about that incident and our enemies should ponder it …”

--Victor Henry, a fictional naval officer in Herman Wouk’s “War and Remembrance”

[davidjeane]

Rick is right on with his quote......Someone should also do a painting/poster.

[Rick the Librarian]

Originally Posted by davidjeane

Rick is right on with his quote......Someone should also do a painting/poster.

There have been several ... Do a Google image search for "Battle Off Samar Images"





The lower picture illustrates one American sailor's comments: "They're shooting at us in Technicolor!!".

[ordmm]

Originally Posted by Rick the Librarian

The lower picture illustrates one American sailor's comments: "They're shooting at us in Technicolor!!".

Have been doing some reading about the battle. Japanese lacked or were far behind in radar technology(?)

So the Japanese had some sort of die pack in their shells. Each ship had a unique color which allowed them to observe where their shells were impacting.

[Redleg13a]

Our large caliber naval rounds had die as well. It was to differentiate which ship was hitting where and then adjust fire. Each ship had a different color die.

[tired bear]

This would make one heck of a movie if it could be done historically without all the CG embellishments like Pearl Harbor.

[Rick the Librarian]

As I recall, there is a movie in the works about the destroyer [I]Laffey, [I/] which fought off numerous Kamikazes off Okinawa and is a museum ship. I believe Tom Hanks is either/or producing and starring. Based on Tom Wukovits' fine book.