During World War II, an American submarine sank, along with 83 crew members, after taking down Japanese ships. Now, more than eight decades later, the wreckage has been found in the Pacific Ocean.
The USS Herring was patrolling the waters of the Pacific Ocean in June 1944 when Japanese troops attacked and succeeded in sinking the submarine.
“The wreck represents the final resting place of sailors who gave their lives in defense of the nation and should be respected by all parties as a war grave,” according to a statement from Naval History and Heritage Command.
The Herring was built in 1941 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. In 1942, it entered service, traversing across the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic, and the Pacific. It sank seven enemy vessels.
During its eighth and final war patrol, the Herring was headed toward the Kuril Islands, a volcanic archipelago that was under Japanese control at the time.
The submarine briefly met up with USS Barb on the evening of May 31, 1944, to coordinate patrol areas. Then, they split up to do their jobs.
On June 1, 1944, the Herring encountered two Japanese merchant ships, the Hiburi Maru and Iwaki Maru. The submarine struck both vessels, but the victory did not last long.
The next morning, the Herring suffered a counterattack from Japanese forces. When the Herring was hit twice, it went down, and all 83 crew members onboard perished.
Barb’s crew recorded the sounds of distant depth charges exploding and figured that the Herring was involved in an attack. The submarine was presumed lost when it did not report back to Midway on July 13, 1944.
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It was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two battle stars, and the World War II Victory Medal. Toward the end of the war, Soviet forces invaded the Kuril Islands and took control.
A Russian expedition discovered the wreck of a submarine in 2017 that was believed to be the Herring. A team of Russian researchers returned to the wreck site in 2022 to investigate it.
The leaders of the Naval History and Heritage Command confirmed that the vessel was the Herring after analyzing data provided by the Russians. The submarine is under more than 300 feet of water and is located near the Kuril Islands.
It is currently sitting upright on its keel and “maintains a high degree of integrity.” There are still signs of damage from battle around the conning tower and evidence of grounding at the bow.
“Herring’s discovery is a powerful reminder that we have an obligation to the sailors and Marines who gave their lives in service to our nation,” said Samuel J. Cox, director of Naval History and Heritage Command.
“It is also a testament to the value of international collaboration in uncovering and preserving the truth of our shared history.”
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
