In a recent interview, Ocean Infinity announced the remarkable discovery of the wreckage of the USS Stewart (DD-224) off the coast of Northern California. Often referred to as the “Ghost Ship of the Pacific,” this naval vessel served both the United States and Japan during World War II before being used as a target ship and sunk during a naval exercise in 1946.
Ocean Infinity’s expedition utilized three underwater autonomous vehicles, which began their sonar and multibeam sonar scanning of the seabed on August 1, conducting a thorough search that lasted for an entire day. The investigation team analyzed the collected data and identified a clear image of the USS Stewart, located approximately 3,500 feet (about 1,067 meters) deep.
A statement from Ocean Infinity noted, “Initial sonar scans indicate that the Stewart is remarkably well-preserved, with the hull almost upright on the seabed. Given the age of this naval ship, such a level of preservation is quite rare, making it potentially one of the best-preserved four-stack destroyers in the U.S. Navy.”
Maritime archaeologist James Delgado emphasized the significance of this find, stating, “The well-preserved state of the Stewart offers a unique opportunity to study early 20th-century destroyer design.”
Among the thousands of U.S. Navy vessels that served during World War II, the Stewart’s story is particularly notable. CBS News reported that it was part of the U.S. Navy’s Asiatic Fleet, stationed in Manila, Philippines.
In February 1942, the Stewart was damaged during a combat engagement and had to be repaired on Java, Indonesia. However, as Japanese forces advanced, the ship was abandoned and subsequently repurposed by the Japanese Navy as a patrol vessel. Allied pilots later reported that they had seen the Stewart operating behind enemy lines, its American design making it particularly conspicuous, which led to its moniker, the “Ghost Ship of the Pacific.”
After Japan’s defeat in 1945, the destroyer was discovered in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture. The United States Navy renamed it back to USS Stewart and towed it to San Francisco, where it was sunk as a target vessel the following year.
Delgado noted, “The journey from serving the U.S. Navy, to being captured by Japan, and then returning to American custody, makes the Stewart a powerful symbol of the complexities of the Pacific War.”
According to USA Today, Samuel Cox, director of the Navy’s History and Heritage Command and a retired Rear Admiral, stressed the importance of understanding the locations and conditions of these shipwrecks: “Whether lost in battle or sunk as a target, warships remain sovereign property. It’s essential to protect them from unauthorized disturbance under U.S. sunken military craft laws.”
