- NOAA oceanographers have discovered a mystery car inside the wreck of the U.S.S. Yorktown.
- Present at the Battle of Midway, this carrier is an important part of naval history.
- The presence of a car onboard an aircraft carrier is very unusual, especially one about to enter into battle.
The Battle of Midway was a decisive win for the U.S. Pacific Fleet in World War II, as significant in naval history as Nelson’s triumph at Trafalgar except with aircraft carriers. Warned ahead of time after code breakers deciphered Japanese Admiral Yamamoto’s battle plans, a combined force of U.S. Navy, Marine, and Air Force aircraft were made at the ready, along with three fleet carriers, seven heavy cruisers, sixteen submarines—and, we now know, one car.That car, undiscovered until now, is a mysterious relic from the past, one that’s puzzling historians. Aircraft carriers aren’t intended for amphibious assault, so the last thing you’d expect to find aboard one is a four-wheeled vehicle. Space is tight, especially on a wartime footing when the parking spot for an extra plane might hold the fighter aircraft that held off that Japanese torpedo bomber. Nevertheless, when remotely operated submersibles dived on the wreck of the U.S.S. Yorktown last Saturday, their cameras picked up the wreckage of what was clearly a car, located inside the ship near elevator three.The U.S.S. Yorktown has a particularly heroic part in the Battle of Midway. Damaged during the less conclusive Battle of the Coral Sea, it was expected to be sent back to Washington state dockyards for repair. Instead, workers at Pearl Harbor worked flat out for 72 hours to cut and weld the ship back into shape, also scrounging up aircraft.Its presence at Midway helped land the decisive punch that sent the Japanese fleet reeling, with four fleet carriers sunk. She also fended off two separate aerial counterattacks that might have gone after the two other US carriers, despite sustaining significant damage. Taken in tow by a fleet tug, the U.S.S. Yorktown was eventually torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, and the order was finally given for evacuation.Despite this fame, the resting place of this carrier in Hawaii wasn’t discovered until 1998, when Dr. Robert Ballard found it three miles deep in what is now the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Ballard, who also discovered the resting place of the Titanic, took photos of the wreck, which was in remarkably good condition. Since then, further dives on the wreck have turned up new discoveries, including this most recent exploration by the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).Cars in shipwrecks are more common than you’d think, even before the age of roll-on-roll-off car transportation vessels. The Titanic was carrying a Renault when she sank, and the wreck of the S.S. Andrea Doria claimed a Ghia-built car called the Norseman that had been built for Chrysler as a concept.What makes the find aboard the U.S.S. Yorktown doubly unusual is that it was taking up space in the first place, and that it also wasn’t jettisoned when the carrier was damaged at Midway, before the torpedoes hit. Part of the initial salvage work after the battle involved throwing everything that wasn’t nailed down over the side to correct the list: anti-aircraft guns, ammunition, airplanes. It would have been all too easy to roll a car into the ocean, but the sailors didn’t.Wirestock|Getty ImagesA 1940s Ford Super DeLuxe wagon.This last is a bit of a clue as to what the car is, though it has yet to be officially identified. Judging from the photos, NOAA’s best guess is that it is a 1940 or 1941 Ford Super DeLuxe, specifically a woody wagon. The Yorktown was Rear Admiral Frank Fletcher’s flagship, and as Ford Super Deluxes were often used for officer transport, this may well have been his car.Whatever the case, it’s at least slightly thrilling that even a well-documented shipwreck can still hold mysteries. There’s so much more there to explore, under the sea.Under the SeaBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.
Source: caranddriver.com
